Press Releases

CULVER CITY, CA (May 15, 2013) - After Earth is set to utilize New Mexico's Spaceport America, the world's first purpose built commercial spaceport, at the movie's press junket on May 17th with the film's two lead actors, Jaden Smith and Will Smith in attendance.

The one-of-a-kind event kicks off a new non-exclusive pact announced last week, teaming up Virgin Produced, the film and television arm of the Virgin Group, with Overbrook Entertainment, which will support the After Earth franchise, starting with the upcoming May 31st release as well as allow Virgin Produced the option to co-produce, co-finance and co-market a sequel to After Earth.

Spaceport America which will play host to leading new private space launch companies such as Virgin Galactic and Space X, provides the dramatic backdrop for the After Earth press junket and will encourage attendees to make the organic connections between the themes of the film and the present and future states of space travel. For most this will be the first-ever chance to get insight into the cutting edge home of private space travel and a real sense of what is envisioned for the future.

In After Earth, a crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.

Columbia Pictures presents an Overbrook Entertainment/Blinding Edge Pictures production directed by M. Night Shyamalan from a screenplay by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan and a story by Will Smith, and produced by Caleeb Pinkett, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, James Lassiter, and M. Night Shyamalan.

ABOUT VIRGIN PRODUCED
Virgin Produced serves as the film and television development, packaging and production arm of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Led by co-founders CEO Jason Felts and Chief Creative Officer Justin Berfield, Virgin Produced is breaking the corrosive models of Old Hollywood by providing a collaborative environment that embraces talent so they can best create and inspire. Putting quality and innovation first, with an equal focus on television and film, Virgin Produced has co-produced box office successes Limitless and Immortals, Movie 43 and its most recent release, comedy 21 & Over. Virgin Produced recently produced the award winning short film Departure Date. In April 2012, Virgin Produced launched its own television network, the Virgin Produced Channel, which programs high quality lifestyle, music, travel, technology and comedy content to Virgin operating companies in the transportation, mobile, broadband, radio, health club, hotel and retail industries estimated to reach 60+ million loyal Virgin brand fans globally on a daily basis.

ABOUT OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENT
Overbrook Entertainment, founded by partners James Lassiter, Will Smith and run along with partner Jada Pinkett Smith, is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment focused in film and television and has produced a diverse slate of both critically acclaimed and blockbuster feature films, which have generated more than $2.5 billion dollars in worldwide box office receipts and even more in home video sales.

Some of Overbrook's most successful films include ALI, HITCH, PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, I AM LEGEND, HANCOCK, SECRET LIVES OF BEES, and most recently THE KARATE KID. Overbrook's next feature project is AFTER EARTH, which is set for a May 31st, 2013 release. Overbrook is producing Queen Latifah's syndicated daytime talk show with Sony Pictures Television that will premiere this fall.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Steve Elzer
Senior Vice President, Media Relations
(310) 244-7142
steve_elzer@spe.sony.com

The "After Earth" junket is by invitation only. All press must be credentialed. For credentials, please contact your Sony Pictures Entertainment publicity representative.