Dead Gentlemen Productions, LLC, creators of the world famous cult hit The Gamers, announces today that they have signed with Anthem Pictures to be the exclusive domestic distributor for their long-awaited feature, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising.
"The guys at Anthem Pictures really enjoyed the film and are excited about it. That was really important for us in our search," said Don Early, Executive Director for Dead Gentlemen Productions. "We were looking to form a long-term ally in distributing to the larger markets."
"Working with the Dead Gentlemen has been an amazing experience," says John Frank Rosenblum, an Executive Producer of the film. "Fantasy is more than just serious elves on serious quests and we at Epic Level are looking to tell all sorts of tales in a variety of ways. The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is an amazingly funny film which has a real heart. We are so proud to be involved with it!"
Charles Adelman, the president of Anthem Pictures, described their acquisition of The Gamers: Dorkness Rising in one word: "Awesome!" Adelman noted that Anthem Pictures sells to a number of retailers and rental companies, including Netflix, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Best Buy, Amazon.com, Target, and Borders. They will also be selling DVDs to Paizo Publishing, LLC, who will be the primary sub distributor for The Gamers: Dorkness Rising into the hobby game industry.
The Gamers: Dorkness Rising follows Lodge, Dungeon Master and budding writer, who wants his gaming group to finish their adventure. Unfortunately, they're more interested in seducing barmaids, mooning their enemies, and setting random villagers on fire. Desperate to rein in his players, Lodge injects two newbies into the fray: a non-player character controlled by Lodge, whom the power gamers immediately distrust, and the rarest gamer of all — a girl. Can the group overcome their bickering to save the kingdom, or will the evil necromancer Mort Kemnon triumph unopposed? A parody of fantasy films and the adventure gaming community, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is a hilarious romp through the world of sword and sorcery — in this case, a world of exploding peasants, giant house cats, and undead roast turkeys. The trailer can be found at www.the-gamers.com.
Shot in high definition, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is the most ambitious feature film that Dead Gentlemen Productions has produced to date. It was test screened in 2006 at the Gen Con game fair to standing ovations and standing room only. Creators of the Dragonlance novels and New York Times Bestselling authors, Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, called it "A critical hit!... Original and funny—a real treat for fans of both fantasy and gaming." You can find other responses to the film and add your own on their listing at IMDb.
The movie will be released for sale on DVD through Paizo at the Gen Con game fair in Indianapolis on August 14th, 2008.
ABOUT DEAD GENTLEMEN PRODUCTIONS
Dead Gentlemen Productions is an independent film company specializing in genre-comedies. Their short film, The Gamers, has been screened to rave reviews in dozens of film festivals and game conventions worldwide, garnering an award for Best Fan Film of 2003 at Gen Con Indy. Their Demon Hunters series was recently adapted into an RPG by Margaret Weis Productions. They are based out of Tacoma, WA with an office in Los Angeles, CA. Dead Gentlemen Productions' website is located at www.deadgentlemen.com.
ABOUT ANTHEM PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
As a small label, Anthem is always looking for quality original films and programming. With a growing retail presence in North America, Anthem is quickly becoming the choice of the independent film industry for distribution. Anthem Pictures International sells to every territory in the world. Anthem Pictures website is located at www.anthemdvd.com.
ABOUT EPIC LEVEL ENTERTAINMENT
Epic Level Entertainment specializes in producing speculative fiction concentrating on Fantasy and Science-Fiction for film, television and new media distribution. Epic Level Entertainment's website is located at www.epiclevel.com.
ABOUT PAIZO PUBLISHING
Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the five years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than a dozen major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry.
