December 01, 2009

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Digital Entertainment and Agility Studios announced today that that they have struck a deal to launch the "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (LXD)," a multi-platform property from writer/director Jon M. Chu (STEP UP 2: THE STREETS) and Agility Studios. Beginning early 2010, The LXD will debut on select online video destinations.

"The LXD allows us to evolve how we tell stories using dance while creating a platform for the best dancers in the world to do what they do best," states Jon M. Chu, Creator of The LXD. "PDE’s commitment and passion for the LXD has been amazing and together with Agility and my creative team, producing partner Hieu Ho and choreographers Harry Shum and Chris Scott, we hope reshape the future of dance and storytelling."

The LXD launches with a scripted online series about heroes and villains with amazing powers of dance, that band together in rival factions, with an epic back-story and mythology woven around how the various dance styles in the hip-hop world came to be. The LXD employs the hugely popular and visually stunning culture of dance battles, intertwined with a cinematic narrative. The series will be complemented by live performances, instructional videos, and a web community where fans can learn and perfect their own dance moves, and even become part of the story.

"We are thrilled to be involved with Jon Chu and Agility. The LXD is an exciting property that fits our strategy: it’s a highly commercial project from a proven filmmaker that has feature-quality production values," said Thomas Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment.

Agility Studios, a boutique studio, develops, finances and manages content franchises that engage audiences across multiple media platforms including digital and traditional distribution platforms, including, videogames, live tours, film, television, broadband and more. Descending from industry elites including LivePlanet (Project Greenlight), Newscorp, AOL, NBC and REAL Networks, the founders bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and legacy to their investments and projects.

"The LXD has been one of those projects we believed in from the first meeting with Jon. His passion, vision and track record in the dance space is unparalleled and The LXD provides a platform for synthesizing dance and storytelling in a way that takes the genre to places no one has been before," said, Scott Ehrlich, CEO of Agility Studios. "Our priority in finding a company to launch The LXD’s first set of products was finding a team that not only believed in the property but had the muscle and experience to help us make it big. We are excited to be in business with PDE given their industry leading track record and history of innovation in digital media," adds Larry Tanz, President of Agility.

"The LEGION OF EXTRAORDINARY DANCERS" is the next generation of Chu’s successful run of dance projects; beginning with "STEP UP 2: THE STREETS," the worldwide film sensation that grossed $148 Million at the box office, followed by "THE BIGGEST ONLINE DANCE BATTLE," an internet phenomenon that has had over 20 million views on a series of dance videos with celebrity cameos including Adam Sandler, Diana Ross and Miley Cyrus. His upcoming project "STEP UP 3D" will be released in the summer of 2010.

A TRAILER IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.THELXD.COM

About Paramount Digital Entertainment:

Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, virtual worlds and emerging technologies.

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Agility Studios:

Agility Studios is a boutique studio committed to transforming digital media properties into viable businesses by supporting content creators with services that include creative development, financing, distribution, sponsorship and advertising sales, production infrastructure, business affairs and back office support. Founded by Scott Ehrlich and Larry Tanz, the company combines five decades of experience in new media and traditional media production and distribution as well as brand and advertiser sponsorship and integration.

About Jon M. Chu:

Jon M. Chu is the director of the wildly successful movie, "STEP UP 2: THE STREETS" which grossed over 150 million dollars worldwide in 2008. The film won Best Picture Drama at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards and the Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards. He is currently in post production on the next installment of the Touchstone/Summit franchise, "STEP UP 3D", which will be released in the summer of 2010.

SOURCE Paramount Digital Entertainment