Universal Studios Begins Filming Beethoven's Christmas Adventure

Christmas comes but once a year ... but this year it's up to Beethoven, the heroic and hilarious St. Bernard, to make sure it comes at all! Beethoven's Christmas Adventure, an all-new, feature-length family comedy adventure, commenced production in Winnipeg, Manitoba today. The latest from Universal Studios Home Entertainment Productions, Beethoven's Christmas Adventure will be released exclusively on Blu-ray & DVD this holiday season.

With a heart as big as his furry frame, Beethoven is beloved by generations of kids and parents who have avidly followed his escapades since the original 1992 theatrical feature Beethoven racked up more than $147 million at the worldwide box office. Now, the iconic St. Bernard joins a cast of family favorites in an original holiday adventure that features a trip to Santa's North Pole workshop, a bit of yuletide magic and enough action and laughs to make it a sure-fire holiday classic for all ages.

"The Beethoven franchise is all about fun, family and adventure," said Glenn Ross, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment Productions. "What better occasion for a new movie starring this cherished canine than Christmas? Since his reintroduction to worldwide audiences in 2008, Beethoven has continued to bring joy and laughter to children and parents around the world. This new film has a winning cast, an appealing story and beloved characters-in short, all the elements of a terrific movie!"

Beethoven's Christmas Adventure stars John O'Hurley ("Seinfeld," "Dancing with the Stars"), Kyle Massey ("That's So Raven," "Cory in the House," "Dancing with the Stars"), Munro Chambers ("Degrassi: The Next Generation"), Robert Picardo ("Stargate: SG 1," "Stargate: Atlantis," "Star Trek: Voyager"), Kim Rhodes ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," Mostly Ghostly) and Curtis Armstrong (Revenge of the Nerds, Smokin' Aces). The film is directed by John Putch (American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, "Ugly Betty") and produced by Jeff Freilich ("Burn Notice," Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia) from a script by the Altiere Brothers (The Legend of Spyro, Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins).

FILM SYNOPSIS
When Santa hands down the year's Christmas assignments to his elves, Henry (Kyle Massey) is disappointed to find himself working in the stable, not the toy workshop. Feeling unappreciated, he flees the North Pole with Santa's sleigh and magical bag of toys, only to crash land in a tree, stranding himself-and Santa's bag-in a suburban American neighborhood. When the bag ends up in the hands of an unscrupulous toy store owner, it looks like Christmas won't be coming this year. That is, until the plucky and adorable Beethoven and his human pal Mason (Munro Chambers) join forces with Henry to save the holiday.

The Universal Home Entertainment Productions banner develops and produces live-action and animated productions directly for the home entertainment and television markets. Since its formation in 2005, the group has assembled an exceptional roster of family fare including the brand-new animated feature-length DVD Original release The Little Engine That Could; the Daytime Emmy®-winning "Curious George" television series on PBS KIDS, currently in its fifth season; a string of hit Barbie movies, based on the world-renowned Mattel-branded doll; and the crowd pleaser Beethoven's Big Break, based on the beloved family property. The group also has successfully built upon some of Universal's highly celebrated live-action franchises, most recently releasing the adrenaline-fueled Death Race 2 and Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball; as well as Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, the latest winning installment of the hugely successful Bring It On films; the popular action-adventure epic Scorpion King 2: Rise of A Warrior; and the perennial teen comedy American Pie: Book of Love. Upcoming projects currently on deck include the all-new DVD Original features Blue Crush 2 and Honey 2. The group is part of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

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