Firefly

PRESS RELEASE
DATE: April 26, 2005
CONTACT:
Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd.
Margaret Weis/Jamie Chambers
Tel 262-248-2419
Fax 262-248-6103
E-mail games@margaretweis.com

MARGARET WEIS FINDS SERENITY

Margaret Weis Productions to Produce Roleplaying Game Book Based on Universal Pictures’ Upcoming Release Serenity

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, (April 26, 2005) - Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. is pleased to announce its agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to produce roleplaying game products based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming film Serenity. Written and directed by the Oscar®- and Emmy-nominated Joss Whedon, (creator of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel), Serenity is scheduled for release on September 30th, 2005.

Like the film, the roleplaying game book is set in the future and allows players to either re-create the action of the movie or experience new tales of adventure. The core book, the Serenity Roleplaying Game, is a self-contained roleplaying game using a new game system specially created for the line. The game book will be a full-color, hardcover book featuring still images from the film as well as original artwork. It will provide rules for play, character creation, and a short adventure along with information about the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship, Serenity. A release date for the Serenity Roleplaying Game is forthcoming and will be followed by supplemental roleplaying game books and an interactive website.

"The universe created for Serenity is amazing," says Margaret Weis, New York Times best-selling author and game publisher. "The movie presents a fascinating and intriguing view of the future. Serenity combines the best conventions of science fiction and westerns in a unique way, and is a natural fit for a roleplaying game."

Vice President of Margaret Weis Productions, Jamie Chambers, who leads a team of game designers and writers, including Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, James M. Ward, Tony Lee, and Andrew Peregrine, commented, "I could not be more enthusiastic about the new game. Everyone involved on this project has an excitement and passion for the material, one that shows in the quality of their work and the fun we’re having in early playtests." Chambers continued, "Our goal is provide a game that is easy to learn, fast to play, and encourages the kind of fast-paced action, fun, and character development that fans will see in theaters."

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About Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd.

New York Times bestselling author Margaret Weis, author of Dragonlance and the Death Gate Cycle, leads her company into ventures for book and game publishing. The company has card and roleplaying games scheduled for 2005, with exciting plans for the future. Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. is based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the birthplace of hobby roleplaying games. About Serenity

Joss Whedon- the Oscar®- and Emmy-nominated writer/director responsible for the worldwide television phenomena of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel-now applies his trademark compassion and wit to a small band of galactic outcasts 500 years in the future in his feature film directorial debut, Serenity.

Based on Whedon’s cult hit television series Firefly (which has taken on a second life following its December 9, 2003, DVD release, winning new fans and critical praise worldwide), Serenity will continue and expand upon the adventures of the memorable characters launched in the series, who will be joined by new characters created expressly for the motion picture adaptation. Whedon will act as both screenwriter and director, with Barry Mendel (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and The Life Aquatic) producing and Chris Buchanan and Alisa Tager (of Barry Mendel Productions) serving as executive producers. The Serenity cast will include such returning Firefly cast members as Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm ’Mal’ Reynolds, Gina Torres as Zoe Warren, Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra, Jewel Staite as Kaylee Frye, Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb, Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Tam and Summer Glau as River Tam.

The film centers around Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family - squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal.

When Mal takes on two new passengers-a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister-he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself.

This film has not yet been rated. Please consult www.filmratings.com or www.parentalguide.org for more information. About Universal Studios Consumer Products Group

Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand recognition of the extensive catalogue of NBC Universal properties. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit 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 the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, 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 Universal.

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