Warner Bros. Pictures and 4Kids Entertainment Kick Off a Month of Turtle Mania With Promotional Support for the Theatrical Release of TMNT
McDonald's, Airheads, Hot Topic and Other Leading Retailers Join List of Partners for Highly Anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Movie
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2007 -- In anticipation of the March 23 release of the all-new CGI action adventure TMNT, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. and Warner Bros. Pictures have announced promotional and merchandising partners for the movie, based on the world-renowned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
McDonald's, Airheads, Hot Topic and other retailers, including Wal-Mart, Kmart and Toys "R" Us will put promotional muscle behind the new movie starring the heroes in a half shell.
"The impressive lineup of promotional partners supporting TMNT reflects the quality of the movie," said Alfred R. Kahn, chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, which is the licensing agent for the Turtles franchise. "This is a movie for everybody -- from today's kids to adults who were fans of the original television series almost 20 years ago."
Support for the movie runs throughout March, including the following promotions:
- McDonald's -- Kids can collect one of eight TMNT premiums with the purchase of a Happy Meal. The promotion is supported by television, radio and digital advertising.
- Airheads -- For a limited time, a special lime green-flavored Airhead will be inserted into 12 million packs of the candy. Each package will also include a TMNT "tongue-tickling" tattoo. The promotion is supported by TV advertising.
- Time Warner Cable (TWC) will air TV spots across TWC stations promoting a TMNT sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Warner Bros. Studios and secondary prizes. TMNT clips and footage will also be available On Demand to TWC subscribers. Additionally, TWC will hold advanced screening programs in three markets, as well as mall events in Dallas and Los Angeles, all of which will include TMNT Ubisoft video games and Time Warner Cable prize giveaways.
- Cool Cuts 4 Kids -- The salon chain for kids will offer TMNT coloring books, card games and other fun items to customers, who will also have a chance to enter in a sweepstakes where the winning Cool Cuts family will be treated to a private screening of TMNT. They will also distribute advanced TMNT screening passes to customers in the Dallas market.
- Kmart -- Customers who make a $10 minimum purchase of TMNT movie toys from Playmates, including action figures and role play items, will receive an exclusive pack of four collectible TMNT Movie Trading Cards while supplies last.
- Hot Topic -- Home of a national TMNT sweepstakes where the Grand Prize is a VIP Fly-Away trip for two to Hollywood that includes a tour of Warner Bros. Studios and a TMNT movie screening.
- Wal-Mart -- 1,000 top Wal-Mart stores will give away movie posters while supplies last to every customer making a TMNT movie toy purchase.
- Toys "R" Us -- With a $20 minimum purchase of Playmates TMNT movie toys, including action figures and role play items, customers will receive a $5 TMNT movie-branded Toys "R" Us gift card while supplies last. A special TMNT movie feature shop will be erected in the Times Square store in New York City.
4Kids has also signed on 35 licensees to support TMNT, with products ranging from action playsets and vehicles (Playmates) to videogames (Ubisoft) to an exclusive line of retro and movie apparel at Hot Topic.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created in 1984 by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, and made their television debut in 1987. The latest incarnation of the TV series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward, is a top-rated show on 4Kids TV on FOX on Saturday mornings. Set in the year 2105, Fast Forward takes the Turtles on futuristic adventures filled with comedy, action... and aliens.
Starting March 3, 4Kids TV on FOX will host weekly promotions including the First Annual NinjAcademy Awards where kids can vote for the Best Turtle, Best Villain, Best Invention, Best Monster, and more, online. As voting results come in, episodes that feature each winner will air. In addition, a special "lost episode" will air on March 24 as well as new episodes of Fast Forward throughout the month. TMNT videogame partner Ubisoft will also sponsor weekly videogame tips.
About TMNT
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return to the big screen as never before in an all-new CGI action adventure, written and directed by Kevin Munroe.
After the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder, the Turtles have grown apart as a family. Struggling to keep them together, their rat sensei, Master Splinter (Mako), becomes worried when strange things begin to brew in New York City. Tech-industrialist Max Winters (Patrick Stewart) is raising up an army of ancient monsters, and only one super-ninja fighting team can stop them -- those heroes in a half shell-Leonardo (James Arnold Taylor), Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley), Donatello (Mitchell Whitfield) and Raphael (Nolan North)! With the help of old allies April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Casey Jones (Chris Evans), the Turtles are in for the fight of their lives as they once again must face the mysterious Foot Clan, who have put their own ninja skills behind Winters' endeavors.
Making this new incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles truly cutting-edge, the film was created entirely with state-of-the-art CG animation, giving them a completely new look for the 21st century.
Warner Bros. Pictures and The Weinstein Company present an Imagi Animation Studios Production, TMNT, featuring the voices of Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, Ziyi Zhang, and narrated by Laurence Fishburne. The film is produced by Thomas K. Gray, Galen Walker and Paul Wang. The executive producers are Francis Kao, Peter Laird, Gary Richardson and Frederick U. Fierst, with Felix Ip serving as co-producer. The music is by Klaus Badelt.
TMNT opens nationwide on March 23.
About 4Kids Entertainment
Headquartered in New York City with an international office in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE), is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Kids, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licensing; product development; television, film, music and home video production and distribution; and Web site development. For further information, please visit the Company's Web sites at http://www.4KidsEntertainment.com and http://www.4Kids.TV.
