Kyrie Irving Returns As Uncle Drew For New Pepsi® Generations Ad Ahead Of Lionsgate Feature Film Release

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone's favorite basketball playing septuagenarian Uncle Drew, created by Pepsi, is back and will star on the big screen for the first time on June 29 when the feature film Uncle Drew from global content leader Lionsgate opens in theaters. To celebrate the highly anticipated theatrical release from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment label, today Pepsi debuted its new Uncle Drew national television advertisement starring NBA star Kyrie Irving as his beloved elderly alter ego. The vignette features Uncle Drew, across different decades, looking fly, getting buckets and celebrating his love for the iconic cola, while drinking from limited-edition retro Pepsi cans available this summer. This newly released commercial can be found on Pepsi's YouTube channel.

"Creating the Uncle Drew character with Pepsi and being a part of the creative process has been an incredible experience," said Kyrie Irving. "It is very humbling to see what this character has turned into and I'm excited to share what is next."

Pepsi first brought the fan-favorite Uncle Drew character to the court in May 2012 and has since transformed it into an episodic franchise featuring special guests and NBA talent of the past and present. Whether he is schooling "youngbloods" or teaching players how to "get buckets," Uncle Drew has captured the attention of more than 100 million YouTube views that have an appreciation for his old school love of the sport.

"Bringing Uncle Drew to the big screen has been such a pleasure for us," said Aziel Rivers, Director, Pepsi Marketing. "Since its inception, Uncle Drew has been a hit with our consumers and basketball fans alike, and we're excited to continue our relationship with the franchise and our close partner, Lionsgate, to share the Uncle Drew movie with our audiences."

"We're excited to have the opportunity to expand the Uncle Drew universe through film, and we can't wait for fans to enjoy the great storytelling, comedy and amazing basketball that our movie has to offer," said Paula Kupfer, Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Promotions. "We are thrilled to have Pepsi as a trusted partner in celebrating Uncle Drew on and off the big screen."

After a successful five years as a fan-favorite digital episodic series, originally conceived by Pepsi, Uncle Drew, will hit theaters on June 29. After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend Uncle Drew (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew's old basketball squad (Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of seniors can still win the big one.

Uncle Drew, which will be released nationwide on Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment label, is also produced by Temple Hill in association with Pepsi Productions.

For more information on the Uncle Drew movie, please visit www.uncledrew.movie.  

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2017, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.  

About Lionsgate
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world.  In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies.  Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure.  The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company's worldwide consumer base.  

SOURCE PepsiCo

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