SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT SLATES “PIXELS” FOR SUMMER 2015

Principal Photography Begins in June on Iconic Video Game Action Comedy

Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad, directed by Chris Columbus

CULVER CITY, Calif., April 4, 2014 – Michelle Monaghan and Peter Dinklage have joined Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Josh Gad in the cast of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Pixels, which will be directed by Chris Columbus and released in the Summer of 2015. Principal photography will begin in June of this year on the Happy Madison/1492 Pictures production, which was written by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, based on the short film directed by Patrick Jean and produced by One More Production. Pixels will be produced by Happy Madison’s Adam Sandler and Allen Covert, and 1492 Pictures’ Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe. Executive producers are Barry Bernardi, Jack Giarraputo, Tim Herlihy, Heather Parry and Seth Gordon.

In the film, when aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game champion Jules Brenner, now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders to defeat the aliens and save the planet.

Columbus and the studio are working with many of the 1980s’ most iconic videogame brands in an effort to bring together on the big screen the characters from the decade’s quintessential games. “By combining the visceral power of 80’s arcade games with state-of-the-art visual effects, Pixels will take the audience to a place they’ve never been before,” stated Columbus.

Commenting on the announcement, Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures said, “Working together, Adam Sandler and Chris Columbus have created a story that will deliver truly unique action, comedy and special effects, and bring back beloved arcade game characters in a delightfully original manner. Pixels is the perfect showcase for Adam's brand of all-audience comedy.”

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT TEAMS UP WITH ICONIC VIDEO GAME COMPANIES AS CLASSIC CHARACTERS COME TOGETHER IN “PIXELS”

PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Frogger, Q*bert, Space Invaders and Centipede® Join the Cast

CULVER CITY, Calif., July 21, 2014 – Sony Pictures Entertainment announced today that the studio has brought together an extraordinary number of iconic video game companies, whose classic characters – including PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Centipede®, Galaga, Frogger, Q*bert, and Space Invaders – will be featured in the highly-anticipated action comedy Pixels, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Brian Cox, and directed by Chris Columbus. The film will be released on May 15, 2015.

In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper (James) has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game champion Sam Brenner (Sandler), now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Dinklage and Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet. Monaghan plays the team's unique weapons specialist. The action-comedy is directed by Chris Columbus from a story by Tim Herlihy and a screenplay by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, based on the original short film of the same name by Patrick Jean. The film is produced by Adam Sandler, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Allen Covert. Executive Producers are Barry Bernardi, Michael Barnathan, Jack Giarraputo, Heather Parry, Tim Herlihy, Steve Koren, Patrick Jean, Benjamin Darras, Johnny Alves, Matias Boucard, Seth Gordon, and Ben Waisbren. The film, a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with LStar Capital, is a Happy Madison / 1492 Films production in association with One More Production.

Companies with classic arcade games that are teaming with Sony Pictures on the film include:

• Atari® Interactive: (Asteroids®, Breakout®, Centipede® and Missile Command®)
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Frogger)
• BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc. (PAC-MAN, Galaga, and Dig Dug)
• Nintendo (Donkey Kong)
• Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. (Q*bert) *surprised this made it into Wreck-It Ralph if it's owned by Sony
• Taito Corporation (Space Invaders)
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Joust, Defender, Robotron and Wizard of Wor)



Commenting on the announcement, the film’s director, Chris Columbus, said, “There would be no way to make the movie without these legendary characters – they are as important to the film as the roles that Adam, Kevin, Michelle, Peter, Josh, and Brian are playing. It was a real thrill to see everything come together exactly as we envisioned it, and we’re grateful to have all of these fantastic companies on board.”

Producer Allen Covert added, “These classic characters are part of the DNA of the project, so it was critical that we work together to bring them on board. Fortunately, they were all extremely receptive. We approached them with a deep love for their characters and a respect for the elements that make them unique and iconic, and we’ve worked with the companies to incorporate those elements into the film.”

Adam Sandler Comedy ‘Pixels’ Moved Back 2 Months

Adam Sandler’s action comedy “Pixels” is being pushed back by two months, Sony Pictures said Tuesday.

The film will premiere on July 24, 2015, where it faces competition from supernatural thriller “Poltergeist” as well as “Trainwreck,” another comedy from Sandler pal, Judd Apatow. “Pixels” had been slated for release on May 15, 2015, when it would have faced off against “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Pitch Perfect 2.”

The film kicks off after aliens misinterpret video-feeds of arcade games as a declaration of war against them, prompting an assault on Earth.

Their attack prompts the president (Kevin James) to enlist his childhood best friend (Sandler) to use the skills he honed as a Reagan-era video game champ to defend the world. Peter Dinklage and Brian Cox co-star.

Chris Columbus (“Mrs. Doubtfire”) directs from a story by Tim Herlihy and a screenplay by Herlihy and Timothy Dowling. It will be produced by Sandler’s Happy Madison label and Columbus’ 1492 Films production house.