Paramount Digital Entertainment Announces International Expansion of 'The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers' (THE LXD)

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that it has expanded international distribution of the groundbreaking original series "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers" (THE LXD), from visionary director Jon M. Chu (STEP-UP 3D, STEP-UP 2: THE STREETS) and Agility Studios, to multiple distributors. Season one of THE LXD, "The Uprising Begins," has become one of the top series on Hulu in the U.S., and will roll out across the globe throughout 2010 and the beginning of 2011. The greatest increase in international distribution begins September 30th, 2010 through a licensing deal with RedLever and the Joost Video Network, which brings the series to more than 350 million viewers via their global online network. THE LXD will also be available through Voddler in Scandinavia, Tsutaya TV in Japan and PPW in Thailand.

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"Prior to the U.S. launch of THE LXD on Hulu, Jon had cultivated a worldwide following of THE LXD's online videos and stunning live performances during The 'Glee' Tour, on So You Think You Can Dance, at The 82nd Academy Awards, and his fans demanded international access to THE LXD through THE LXD's social media network," stated Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. "After THE LXD's launch on Hulu exceeded all expectations, Paramount Digital Entertainment expanded distribution to satisfy the demand from the global LXD fan base."

"I'm excited for international audiences to be able to join in on the epic adventure of THE LXD," said Chu, who is currently filming the upcoming UNTITLED JUSTIN BIEBER 3D PROJECT and recently directed the global smash hit STEP-UP 3D, which has earned more than $145M worldwide at the box office. "My hope is that the passion of this series will inspire a new generation of dancers and LXD fans."

THE LXD began its international roll out on Monday, August 23rd in Scandinavia, Norway, Denmark and Finland through the Video-on-Demand service Voddler. Starting Thursday, September 30th, RedLever will deliver the series on a free, ad-supported basis through the Joost Video Network, a destination, syndication and promotion network, bringing THE LXD to hundreds of millions of Internet users globally. The Joost player will also be embedded on THE LXD's Facebook page and www.thelxd.com providing even greater access to the series. Through the licensing deal with Paramount Digital Entertainment, RedLever is securing advertising and sponsorship commitments from premium brands looking to reach worldwide audiences enjoying THE LXD.  Distribution to the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain and France is anticipated to roll out late 2010 with additional promotion and distribution partners. Tsutaya TV will launch Download-to-Own and Video-on-Demand to web connected consumer electronics devices including TVs, Blu-ray recorders and set top box (VOD only) on October 8th in Japan. And, later this year, in Thailand, PPW will launch LXD on multiple platforms.

"We're thrilled to bring this truly amazing series that raises the bar on original digital entertainment, to fans around the world through the Joost Video Network," said Richard Shore, COO for RedLever. "With its enormous success in the US and passionate fan base, THE LXD offers a great platform for brands to reach a highly engaged audience. We're pleased to be working with Paramount Digital Entertainment to distribute the series."

Further releases of THE LXD are scheduled to occur in Malaysia and other remaining territories through additional distributors throughout the beginning of 2011.

The first season of THE LXD "The Uprising Begins" launched domestically on July 7, 2010 to rave reviews and consistently hit the #1 slot on Hulu, achieved weekly rankings in the top 10 most popular television programs (though LXD premiered on Hulu as an original, and not on TV), and exceeded viewership expectations by several times projections. With breakout stars such as Harry Shum, Jr. ("Glee," STEP-UP 3D) and Chadd Smith (STEP-UP 3D), the series has garnered a large, loyal fan base and has generated incredible praise from critics. The Los Angeles Times said THE LXD was "one of the most ambitious web series, a unique fusion of dance and trans-media;" Advertising Age called it "the most beautifully filmed, elaborately staged web series in the history of the medium"; and Vanity Fair said it was "fully amazing."

THE LXD, created by Jon M. Chu and produced by Chu and Hieu Ho in partnership with Agility Studios, chronicles the journey of seemingly ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary powers and must choose their place in an epic conflict between good and evil. The scripted adventure series, directed by such talents as Ryan Landels, Charles Oliver (TAKE), Scott Speer, as well as Chu, is told largely through dance and features some of the world's best dancers including Luis "Luigi" Rosado as Trevor Drift, Christopher Scott as Copeland, Harry Shum, Jr. as Elliot Hoo, Christopher "Lil-C" Toler as Z, Daniel "Cloud" Campos as Illister, Aja George as Stereo, Terence Dickson as Minijack, Straphanio "Shonnie" Soloman as Phono, Chadd "Madd Chadd" Smith as Sp3cimen, Jeremy Marinas as Justin Starr, and Travis Wong as Jimmy Angel.  Choreographed by Harry Shum Jr. and Christopher Scott, the characters are called to join The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers to fulfill their destiny through their superpowers of dance. The story of THE LXD unfolds in three initial volumes (or seasons) starting with "The Uprising Begins." Paramount Digital Entertainment is the distributor of the series. Season Two of THE LXD, "Secrets of the Ra," will launch domestically in the fall of 2010. For more information on THE LXD please visit THELXD.com or Facebook.com/thelxd.

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 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 Paramount Worldwide Television Distribution.

About RedLever

RedLever, an Adconion Media Group brand, specializes in the development, production and distribution of premium branded video entertainment created specifically for agencies and advertisers. The company offers start-to-finish production and development in addition to targeted distribution to nearly 350M unique internet users worldwide via rich media experiences and customized video players. RedLever leverages Adconion's global content serving infrastructure, combining massive international scale with granular audience reach and targeting capabilities. In addition to creating tailored branded video content, RedLever embeds brands into a slate of existing made-for-the-Web shows and distributes existing video assets. RedLever is a leading producer of premium branded video content across genres and distribution platforms.  

About Joost

Joost, an Adconion Media Group brand, provides legal, professionally-produced videos to a worldwide audience. Working with content copyright owners, we collect and curate thousands of videos to provide a selection of music, TV, movies and more that appeal to people everywhere. Joost.com provides a library of professionally-produced video with targeted, meaningful advertising that create a more engaging – and more monetizable – experience for visitors.  Joost.com provides a destination site and network of quality distribution partners to monetize original and existing video content. In addition to online distribution, the Joost Content Network lets content partners to distribute their videos via the Apple iPhone/iPad.

SOURCE Paramount Digital Entertainment