THQ Announces StormBreaker Movie

THQ Inc today announced the company's exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish video games based on the forthcoming teen spy movie Stormbreaker.  Following award-winning author Anthony Horowitz's series of best-selling Alex Rider books, the movie has attracted top acting talent, including Mickey Rourke, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Robbie Coltrane and Ewan McGregor.  The video games, developed by Altron for Nintendo DS(TM) and Razorback Developments for Game Boy(R) Advance, are scheduled for a simultaneous worldwide launch with the movie in Summer 2006.

"Alex Rider has a huge worldwide following, having sold over nine millionbooks to date," said Jennifer Wyatt-Ambler, senior global brand manager, THQ Inc.  "We are excited to work with Anthony Horowitz and Samuelson Productions to bring the Alex Rider movie franchise to a whole new fan base with an exhilarating, action-packed game." "Our decision to work with THQ to bring the Stormbreaker video game to market was based on the company's vast expertise with leading global licenses," stated Peter Samuelson, who produces the film with his partner, brother Marc Samuelson, Steve Christian and Andreas Grosch.  "We look forward to seeing the brand extended into the video game market and allowing consumers the opportunity to be the martial arts, parachuting, scuba diving, 14-year-old action spy who is Alex Rider."

The motion picture Stormbreaker is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on July 21 by Entertainment Film Distributors, in the United States on August 18 by The Weinstein Company and worldwide throughout summer 2006 by leading local distributors. In StormBreaker the game Players embrace the role of Alex Rider to out-spy, outwit and out-cool evil in this thrilling action adventure on Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Featuring third-person stealth game play, fast-paced racing action, intense fighting and engaging, gadget-based mini-games, players can relive defining moments from the Stormbreaker movie and become the ultimate spy.

The first of Anthony Horowitz's six best-selling novels about reluctant schoolboy special agent Alex Rider, Stormbreaker was named in a nationwide poll of children as the book they most wanted to see turned into a movie.  The action-packed film, directed by Geoffrey Sax from a screenplay by Anthony Horowitz, stars newcomer Alex Pettyfer as Alex Rider, with Sarah Bolger, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Missi Pyle, Andy Serkis, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Walters and Mickey Rourke