A First in Motion Picture History
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Insert after second graph of release:
Commented Twentieth Century Fox domestic distribution president Bruce Snyder:
"We at Fox always like to think big, and what's bigger than a 'galactic' release
of a major motion picture event? We look forward to sharing THE DAY THE EARTH
STOOD STILL with our galactic neighbors near Alpha Centauri -- and look forward
to their feedback...eight years from now."
The corrected release reads:
20TH CENTURY FOX STOPS THE WORLD TO BEAM THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL INTO DEEP
SPACE
A First in Motion Picture History
Twentieth Century Fox makes history by transmitting the first motion picture in
to deep space, making THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL the world’s first galactic
motion picture release. The first deliberate deep space transmission of this
highly anticipated science fiction thriller will begin this Friday, December 12,
2008, to coincide with the film’s opening day on Planet Earth. If any
civilizations are currently orbiting Alpha Centauri, they will be able to
receive and view the film approximately four years from now in the year 2012.
In a time when global movie launches are now commonplace, Fox is raising the bar
by spearheading, with Deep Space Communications Network located at Cape
Canaveral, the ultimate in “wide release” platforms. As millions of Earthbound
movie fans get their first look at THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, starring Keanu
Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, the film will be zipping through space at 186,000
miles per second to a heretofore untapped possible consumer base orbiting the
three star system, Alpha Centauri.
Commented Twentieth Century Fox domestic distribution president Bruce Snyder:
"We at Fox always like to think big, and what's bigger than a 'galactic' release
of a major motion picture event? We look forward to sharing THE DAY THE EARTH
STOOD STILL with our galactic neighbors near Alpha Centauri -- and look forward
to their feedback...eight years from now."
Industry watchers and film historians will note that due to the distance between
our solar system and the Alpha Centauri system, it will take over eight years
(accounting for a roundtrip communication) to receive any Alpha Centauri
reviews. The transmission is not a single beam aimed at just the Alpha Centauri
system, but can be received by any advanced technologically capable civilization
along the way to Alpha Centauri, and beyond.
Prior to its arrival at Alpha Centauri, the transmission of THE DAY THE EARTH
STOOD STILL can be intercepted and viewed at various points in our own solar
system (Distance from Earth – at the speed of light – and transmission time, as
follows):
Moon: 0.000000038, 1.1991888 seconds
Sun: 0.000016, 8.41536 minutes
Mercury: 0.0000095, 4.99662 minutes
Venus: 0.00000476, 2.5035696 minutes
Mars: 0.0000076, 3.997296 minutes
Jupiter: 0.0000666, 35.028936 minutes
Saturn: 0.000135, 1.18341 hours
Uranus: 0.000285, 2.49831 hours
Neptune: 0.00046, 4.03236 hours
Pluto: 0.0006183, 5.4200178 hours
“We are thrilled about beaming this film into space. This will be our first full
length movie transmission. And what could be more relevant to send into Deep
Space than a movie about the Earth’s acceptance of visitors from outer space,”
commented Jim Lewis, Managing Director, Deep Space Communications Network
About DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK:
Deep Space Communications Network is a private organization located east of
Orlando. DSCN was formed specifically to communicate with outerspace by a group
of broadcast engineers and communications experts who regularly transmit from
the space center.
The beam transmitting THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is by redundant high-powered
klystron amplifiers connected by a traveling waveguide to a five meter parabolic
dish antenna.
About Fox Filmed Entertainment
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox
Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures
throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the
following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox
Searchlight Pictures, Fox Atomic, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
Twentieth Century Fox
Natalie Johnson, 310-369-3745
natalie.johnson@fox.com
or
Warren Betts Communications Inc.
Warren Betts, 626-836-2080
Copyright Business Wire 2008
