VIZ MEDIA TO HOLD SPECIAL GALA PREMIERES AND CELEBRITY RECEPTIONS IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES ON JUNE 2ND FOR THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENTS OF NARUTO™ THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW

Two Charity Gala Premieres Of Hit Movie Never Before Seen On The Big Screen in North America Will Benefit Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation

San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2007 — VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced special theatrical engagements and celebrity receptions for the New York and Los Angeles screenings of the first NARUTO™ feature film — NARUTO™ THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW – on Saturday, June 2, 2007.

The New York screening will take place at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 at 1998 Broadway with a special pre-show reception at 10:30am and the film’s debut at 12:00pm. The Los Angeles event will be held at the Harmony Gold Theatre at 7655 Sunset Blvd with a screening at 12:00pm and a gala reception to follow afterward. Celebrities already planning on attending include stars from High School Musical, Disney's That's So Raven, Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 and Ned's Declassified, Discovery Kids’ Flight 29 Down and more.

These special red carpet premieres will benefit Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, whose mission is to help seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. VIZ Media will welcome several dozen Starlight Starbright children and family members to be special guests at the premieres.

NARUTO THE MOVIE is rated “T” for Teens and will play in select theaters through National CineMedia’s Fathom in every major market across the country. A complete list of cities is located on www.NARUTO.com.

NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW is a theatrical side story based on the continuity of the animated TV series and was a box office hit upon its initial release in Japan. New and existing fans of the hit title will not want to miss this exciting latest chapter in the NARUTO saga.

The general storyline of both the NARUTO manga and animated series depict the adventures of a young boy named Uzumaki Naruto who trains to become a ninja. Naruto, cursed with the spirit of the nine-tailed fox demon sealed within his body, is forced to live a bullied life discriminated against by his fellow villagers. But Naruto is resilient and undaunted and his determination often inspires those around him. Through the adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right vs. wrong.

In the movie, Naruto and his team are sent on a mission to guard Yukie Fujikaze, a popular actress starring in the hit movie “The Adventures of Princess Gale.” The crew is heading toward the Land of Snow, a land forever covered in snow, to shoot the final scenes of the film. When Yukie refuses to go and escapes from the set, she is brought back by force by Naruto and his teammates. . But little do they know there are three rogue Snow Ninja lying in wait with a sinister purpose that forces Yukie to make a crucial decision and face her hidden past.

“The NARUTO phenomenon is sweeping the nation and captivating fans of all ages,” states Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, VIZ Media.  "NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW is the latest addition and VIZ Media is thrilled to hold two special gala premieres in New York and Los Angeles to benefit the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation. They are committed to improving the quality of life for millions of seriously ill children and their families, and we are excited at the opportunity to utilize the tremendous popularity of anime and NARUTO to further this mission.”

NARUTO is now one of the most popular and successful manga and anime properties in North America. The edited animated version of the NARUTO TV series captivates millions of loyal fans each week on Cartoon Network while the T-rated manga version (also published by VIZ Media) has become one of the best selling and most popular graphic novels throughout North America, regularly placing in both Graphic Novel and Overall General Fiction categories on noted literary sales rosters including BookScan and the USA Today Top 150. The manga series was also the recent winner of the 2006 Quill Award for Best Graphic Novel, a first for the manga genre. For more information go to www.naruto.com. 

About Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than two decades, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight Starbright’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Serving more than 180,000 children each month, Starlight Starbright’s array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings provide ongoing support for children and families — before, during and after medical treatment. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

Supporters can use PayPal’s Text to Give program to donate $10 to Starlight Starbright today by texting STAR10 to 78787!

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546–7073; Fax (415) 546–7086; and web site at www.viz.com.

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