Paramount and Microsoft Team Up For Windows Phone 7 Movie Releases

Do you watch movies on your phone? We have found the answers to that question to be fairly mixed, with some people saying that it just gets too cramped over time, and others really enjoying the portability. But there's no question that multimedia is booming on phones, and there's not much hope of slowing down the revolution at this point. That's why Paramount Digital Entertainment and Microsoft are embracing the future, and this week they're introducing Silverlight-enhanced movies for Windows Phone 7.

Paramount has revealed that they will be releasing ten enhanced movie apps of Paramount Pictures' films exclusively for Windows Phone 7, with School of Rock released first in the US and Canada and additional titles to ship worldwide by the end of the year. The movie apps have been built using Microsoft Silverlight technology and offer the full movie plus menus, bonus features and unique experiences not available on other platforms to deliver a rich connected consumer experience to Windows Phone 7. Other titles coming to Paramount Silverlight Enhanced Movies for Windows Phone include ZOOLANDER, WAITING FOR SUPERMAN and GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, with more to be announced.

What makes this approach unique is the interactive aspect; it's more than just watching a movie, it's actually interacting with it. That selling point may enable this approach to be more appealing than the others, which generally involve simply kicking back and taking in the show.

The School of Rock movie app is available from the Marketplace hub on all Windows Phone 7 devices, or on the desktop via the free Zune PC software at http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=61dc3fe3-56f8-df11-9264-00237de2db9e

Paramount Digital Entertainment to Release Paramount Silverlight Enhanced Movies for Windows® Phone 7

Movie Apps Bring Robust Film Experience to Handset

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that it will be releasing ten enhanced movie apps of Paramount Pictures' films exclusively for Windows® Phone 7. Paramount Digital Entertainment is launching SCHOOL OF ROCK today in the U.S. and Canadian Windows Phone Marketplace with additional titles to be released in the U.S. and international markets before the end of the year.

The movie apps have been built using Microsoft Silverlight technology and offer the full movie plus menus, bonus features and unique experiences not available on other platforms to deliver a rich connected consumer experience to Windows Phone 7. Other titles coming to Paramount Silverlight Enhanced Movies for Windows Phone include ZOOLANDER, WAITING FOR SUPERMAN and GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, with more to be announced.

"Through our relationship with Microsoft, we're able to provide consumers new, enhanced ways to enjoy movies from anywhere on Windows Phone 7," said Geremie Camara, Vice President Product Development for Paramount Digital Entertainment. "Using Silverlight technology and adding interactive and social networking features, our enhanced movie apps transform the movie viewing experience into a true entertainment experience."

Other features in the enhanced movie apps include the ability to create custom clips, view the movie with pop-up trivia powered by 'Scene It?', and a Movie Info feature offering users the ability to identify actors, objects, music, and places in the movie, while providing rich, contextual information, such as bios, descriptions, and even maps to the locations.

"Windows Phone 7 is backed by a rich developer ecosystem that is creating a variety of quality apps and games, like Paramount Entertainment's movie apps, that take advantage of the phone's unique features and design," said Todd Brix, senior director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. "We're proud to have these Paramount titles that offer unique experiences for consumers exclusively available on Windows Phone 7 this holiday season," he continued.

Paramount Digital Entertainment developed the movie apps in collaboration with Digitalsmiths, Hypershow and Trailer Park.

The School of Rock movie app is available from the Marketplace hub on all Windows Phone 7 devices, or on the desktop via the free Zune PC software at http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=61dc3fe3-56f8-df11-9264-00237de2db9e

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.