UPDATE - The highly anticipated sci-fi movie featuring Tetris has been cancelled.  

Tetris the movie, based on legendary video game franchise, to be $80 million Chinese co-production via new company

May 17, 2016 —  Los Angeles, CA – Producer Larry Kasanoff’s Threshold Entertainment Group and Bruno Wu’s Seven Star Works today announced a joint venture to develop and finance film projects for the world market under the new Threshold Global Studios banner.

The new company’s inaugural project will be a film adaption based on the iconic video game brand Tetris®, with an $80 million budget attached. This is one of the biggest US-China co-production films with plans to film in China and features Chinese cast in the ensemble.

The team has been working with The Tetris Company for over a year, and with the formation of Threshold Global Studios, financing has been secured, the story has been created, and now Wu and Kasanoff will co-produce.

“Threshold Global will make cross-cultural movies for the global market,“ said Kasanoff and Wu, in a joint statement.

“Tetris, one of the most recognized video game franchises of all time, is a perfect first project for this strategy,” adds Kasanoff, the first producer to develop a hit movie based on a video game, with two number-one Mortal Kombat films to his credit. “For our debut project, Threshold Global Studios will bring one of the most beloved, cross-generational gaming brands in the world to the big screen as an epic, sci-fi thriller.”

“Today there are so many great sources on which to build a movie blockbuster and video gaming is certainly an amazing category with its huge international following, so to have this legacy brand, Tetris, is a great, first project for us with Larry, who knows his way around this landscape,” says Wu.

Threshold’s Jimmy Ienner is executive producing with The Tetris Company and Seven Stars. Line Producer Dane Smith (Transformers, Harry Potter, Spiderman) will be responsible for implementing the unique Tetris VFX developed especially for the film.

“Just like playing the game, all the pieces are falling into place with bringing an epic, sci-fi thriller based on Tetris to the big screen,” says Maya Rogers, CEO of Blue Planet Software, Inc., sole agent for the Tetris brand. “Threshold Entertainment and Seven Stars have been great partners to work with, and we look forward to continuing the momentum we’ve built as the film moves through the creative process. We’re very excited to bring Tetris fans worldwide this epic tale in the form of a major motion picture.”

As the first producer to develop a hit movie based on a video game, and a slew of related media and merchandising, including a live action television series, Kasanoff is widely regarded for his success in intellectual property management and development.

Wu is founder, Co-Chairman and CEO of Sun Seven Stars Media Group, one of the biggest private media and entertainment investment companies in China with some 60 film production companies in its portfolio.

About the Tetris® Brand
The Tetris® brand is one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands and franchises in the world, with over half a billion mobile downloads and billions of games played online per year. In the game’s 32-year history, hundreds of millions of players have experienced the Tetris Effect. Tetris is loved globally by people of all ages and all cultures. Working with Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sega, and many others, the Tetris game continues to be one of the most widely recognized video games of all time. Tetris Holding, LLC is the owner of Tetris rights worldwide and The Tetris Company, LLC is its exclusive licensee. For the latest information about the Tetris brand and Tetris products, please visit www.tetris.com.

Become a fan of Tetris on Facebook and follow Tetris on Twitter (@Tetris_Official) and Instagram (@Tetris_Official).

About Threshold Entertainment Group
Threshold Entertainment Group makes Live Action and CGI Films, TV, and Location Based Entertainment largely based on some of the world’s biggest brands, including Spiderman, Star Trek, Justice League, Marvel, Lego, Mortal Kombat, Star Wars and more. Threshold also owns Blackbelt TV, a 24/7 linear sports and entertainment TV Channel broadcasting in over 60 countries. Threshold’s management has, as studio heads or producers, been involved in the production of over 250 films including Terminator 2, True Lies, Dirty Dancing and Platoon. Collectively, in the music world, they hold over 100 Gold and Platinum records.

About Seven Stars
Seven Star Works is a subsidiary of Seven Stars Entertainment, the global content flagship company of Sun Seven Stars Media Group, established by Chinese entertainment personality and businesswoman Lan Yang and international tycoon Bruno Wu. Seven Stars owns nearly 60 film production companies via acquisition and joint ventures, and produces around 20 English-language films, 300 hours of English-language TV, and over 150 variety and reality shows distributed to 64 countries.

Since Seven Stars launched its international entertainment initiatives four years ago, its projects have earned more than 10 awards from The Motion Picture Academy, the Television Academy and BAFTA. One of its joint ventures produced the American TV series, Scorpion, which was one of the most-watched TV shows in America during its first season.

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