Dwayne Johnson to Develop Unscripted Global Action Series THE HERO

Ben Silverman's multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), and Dwayne Johnson today announced A New Television and social media competition series to find the next great hero. THE HERO will be led by worldwide motion picture star Dwayne Johnson, who will executive produce with producing partner Dany Garcia. Electus International, Electus' global distribution arm, will introduce the series to the worldwide market at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

THE HERO, an action-filled series which takes ordinary people and immerses them in a high stakes global adventure, is unlike any format on television. The Hero's game play will give three teams simultaneously stationed on three different continents, the chance to prove what they are able to overcome, sacrifice, and undergo for the strength of their team. Each episode will challenge contestants with difficult moral dilemmas, incredible feats of courage, and individual leadership and self sacrifice, proving that a true hero is defined by far more than just physical strength and power.

THE HERO was inspired by news headlines about ordinary people who perform heroic tasks in extraordinary situations, such as Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who famously landed a commercial airplane safely in the Hudson River after the engine failed. Driven by the ultimate heroic figure and motivator, Johnson, these contestants will be pushed far beyond their personal limits. In the end, one player will rise above the others, overcome obstacles he or she never thought possible, and become…The Hero.

The Hero will incorporate social media into every facet of the show, from pre-production and casting, to on-location shooting and live broadcast and engage Johnson's dedicated social media reach (over 9.1 million fans through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).

"The Hero will bridge the digital and physical world on the small screen in an unmatched fashion, enabling fans to determine the fate of the show's contestants entirely through social media and on-screen decision making," said Dwayne Johnson. "Dany and I can't wait to partner with Ben Silverman and his experienced colleagues at Electus to ensure that the production value of this show is at the highest level to attract the largest number of viewers worldwide," Johnson added.

Unlike other celebrity influencers, Johnson has consistently established unparalleled social media engagement and influence levels, including the first-ever integration of social media and Live TV with a stunt on WWE Raw in which he instantaneously created worldwide trending topics. Johnson holds an unprecedented 11% retweet factor and has a consistently growing fan base averaging twenty-eight thousand new followers/fans per day on both Twitter and Facebook. Johnson was also nominated for the 5th Annual Mashable Awards as a "Must-Follow Actor or Actress on Social Media" of 2011.

"While Dwayne's physical stature is unmatched, it is his uncompromising moral character and humanity that proves what an inspirational hero he is," said Ben Silverman, Founder and Chairman of Electus. "The Hero is a high-impact, global action/adventure series with seamless digital and social media ties that lends itself as a natural platform for Dwayne to motivate contestants to push harder, be stronger, and most importantly, stay true to themselves."

"The Hero is a series designed to redefine what is possible in unscripted television," said Rick Ringbakk, Creator and Executive Producer. "It has incredible scale, but at its core it's about testing the limits of real people and real relationships. Dwayne Johnson is emblematic of what it means to 'be more than you can be', and to be a hero. With his help we are going to see ordinary people doing some absolutely incredible things."

Johnson's film credits include G.I. Joe: Retaliation (to be released in July), Journey 2: Mysterious Island, Fast Five, The Other Guys, The Game Plan, Gridiron Gang, Walking Tall and The Rundown. Johnson's television credits include guest appearances on Family Guy, Saturday Night Live and regular appearances on WWE Raw. Johnson is represented by WME Entertainment.

The Hero is created by Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk of Emmy Award-winning 5x5 Media (Survivor, Amazing Race, Fashion Star), Charles Wachter (Fashion Star, Food Revolution), and Electus' Ben Silverman (Fashion Star, The Biggest Loser, The Office). The series is executive-produced by Electus (Ben Silverman, Chris Grant, Jimmy Fox), 5x5 Media ( a Production Company and part of the Electus studio system led by Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk), Charles Wachter, Dwayne Johnson, and Dany Garcia. Electus International, Electus' global distribution arm, will retain all international distribution rights.

The Hero follows 5x5 Media's recent success with works including Fashion Star on NBC, Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country for CMT and two forthcoming series King of the Nerds for TBS, and Car Lot Cowboy for Spike TV.

About Electus

Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Headed by Ben Silverman in partnership with IAC [NASDAQ: IACI], the company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be a true partner in campaigns and content creation. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, is responsible for all international sales and distribution for Electus' programming and its studio partners as well as programs and formats from other well-known 3rd party providers. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.

About 5x5 Media:

Five by Five Media ("5x5") is a full service television and film Production Company in an overall production and distribution agreement within the Electus studio system. 5x5 Media develops and produces both scripted and unscripted television programming and feature films. Our principals have won multiple primetime Emmy Awards, and have produced such titles as Fashion Star, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Super Nanny, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

 

 

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