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| Scorpion King: Rise Of The Akkadian |
Topic: The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian
Author:
Universal
Press Release,
August 2007
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THE SCORPION KING: RISE OF THE AKKADIAN SPRINGS TO LIFE AS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Three-Time UFC Heavyweight Champ Randy Couture Stars in an
All New, Action-Packed Fantasy Adventure from Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal City, California, October xx, 2007– A legend begins with an all new epic adventure as The Scorpion King: The Rise of the Akkadian commences principal photography in Cape Town, South Africa on Monday, October 1, 2007. Universal Studios Family Productions is co-producing with Film Afrika and ApolloMovie. The newest entry in Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s hugely successful DVD Originals™ offerings, The Scorpion King: The Rise of the Akkadian , expands the line’s presence into the live-action, fantasy-adventure arena for the first time. The film is slated for release on DVD in 2008.
The Scorpion King: The Rise of the Akkadian is the thrilling prequel to The Scorpion King, the action blockbuster that starred Duane “The Rock” Johnson as Mathayus, the fearsome warrior king of an ancient desert empire. The new film, a heroic tale of loyalty and betrayal filled with heart-stopping action and thrilling visual effects, tells the story of how the young Mathayus rose to become the Scorpion King. Shot entirely in South Africa, this entertaining blend of myth, magic and muscle stars Michael Copon (“Beyond the Break,” Bring It On: In It to Win It) as the young hero Mathayus, Simon Quarterman (“Murder Rooms: The Patient’s Eyes”) as the wily Ari, Karen David (The Colour of Magic) as the beautiful Layla, Ralf Moeller (Pathfinder) as the fierce warrior Pollux, and three-time Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture (Invincible) as the villainous and powerful Sargon.
“The Scorpion King: The Rise of the Akkadian, is by far our most ambitious DVD OriginalTM production ever in terms of the scope and quality of the sets, visual effects, fight sequences and stunt work,” said Glenn Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Studios Family Productions. “Because of the remarkable success of the DVD OriginalsTM product line, we are committed to producing a diverse slate of films based on proven franchises to help satisfy the growing demand for high quality entertainment on DVD.”
The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadians is directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander, Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb) and written by Randall McCormick (Speed 2, Titan A.E.). David Wicht, Thomas Becker and Jörg Westerkamp are co-producers and Sean Daniels and Jim Jacks (both of The Mummy and The Scorpion King.) are the executive producers. The film’s production team includes director of photography Glynn Speekaert, production designer Tom Hannam, editor John Gilbert and costume designer Diana Cilliers.
The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadians tells the story of the teenage warrior Mathayas, who witnesses his father’s murder at the hands of his treacherous rival Sargon. Selected to join the elite warrior academy The Order of the Black Scorpion, Mathayas spends seven years training to become a killing machine. When he returns to Akkadia to avenge his father’s death, he finds that Sargon has overthrown the king, placing himself on the throne, and ruling Akkadia with the help of mysterious dark powers that protect him against all attacks. In order to defeat Sargon, Mathayas undertakes a supernatural quest for the legendary Sword of Damocles, the only weapon that can harm the evil king. Along with a small group of allies, he takes an unthinkable journey to the Underworld and back in a no-holds-barred adventure in which all of his abilities to survive will be tested to the limit.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and Entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.
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