Tuesday, August 24 2004

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Paramount Pictures has announced details for the "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Air Combat Challenge" tournament, a three-week contest beginning on Monday, August 23, 2004. Playing the free downloadable game "Flying Legion Air Combat Challenge," contestants will vie against one another for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the London premiere of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," opening in theaters nationwide September 17, 2004.

"Thousands of gamers have been playing this Sky Captain game since its launch last month" says Gerry Rich, president worldwide marketing for Paramount Pictures. "We are astounded by the support from the gaming community, and we look forward to an intense three-week tournament as anticipation builds for the opening of 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.'"

Based on the upcoming movie, which stars Jude Law as Sky Captain, Gwyneth Paltrow as reporter Polly Perkins, and Angelina Jolie as Franky Cook, captain of an all-female amphibious squadron, "Flying Legion Air Combat Challenge" puts players in the cockpit as a member of aviator Joseph Sullivan's (aka Sky Captain) Flying Legion. During three missions, players can take control of their own fast and agile P-40 Warhawk to defend the world against a mysterious scientist named Totenkopf and his mechanical monsters.

Combatants will have three weeks to battle it out against the best of the best, scoring points and earning credits to customize the look of their plane from a variety of body and nose art. The pilot with the best overall score at the end of the tournament will win the grand prize, a trip for two to the United Kingdom to attend the London premiere of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." The contest will conclude Monday, September 13th.

In level one, pilots must navigate their planes through the streets of New York and destroy Giant Robots. In level two, players take to the open skies and battle the Flying Wings that are attacking the city. Level three takes place underwater, as your plane becomes submersible and you join the Amphibious Squadron – a specialized fleet of planes designed for combat under the sea in battle against sinister Giant Mechanized underwater creatures that roam the ocean floor.

Throughout each level, pilots must destroy enemies while making laps around courses based on the New York skyline and an environment based underwater. Points are awarded to pilots with the quickest times and the number of enemies damaged or killed.

For extra fun, the game contains a bonus level featuring a battle around Captain Franky Cook's Flying Fortress. However, points earned while playing this level are not included within the "Air Combat Challenge" tournament.

Taking place in an alternative reality; set in a future that might have been, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" tells the story of ace aviator Sky Captain, (Law) and reporter Polly Perkins, (Paltrow) as they risk their lives trying to stop the evil Dr. Totenkopf from destroying the earth. Also starring Giovanni Ribisi as Dex, the technical genius of Sky Captain's flying legion and Angelina Jolie as Captain Franky Cook, the film features state-of-the-art special effects never seen before. Shot entirely against a blue screen, this groundbreaking achievement in filmmaking is the brainchild of writer/director Kerry Conran, in collaboration with producer Jon Avnet.

To download the game, enter the tournament, and/or find out more about the movie, visit http://www.SkyCaptain.com.

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., which is one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies, and a leader in the production, promotion and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, and music.