'Bad News Bears' Slated for Nationwide Release on July 22, 2005

'Bad News Bears' Slated for Nationwide Release on July 22, 2005

HOLLYWOOD, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- "Bad News Bears," starring Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear and directed by Richard Linklater will open nationwide on Friday, July 22, 2005 in over 3,000 theatres.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO )

When Billy Bob Thornton was Santa, he was bad. Now, as he becomes the coach of 12 bungling ballplayers, he's even worse.

In "Bad News Bears," grizzled former professional baseball player Morris Buttermaker (Thornton) is bribed by a straitlaced lawyer (Marcia Gay Harden) to coach the Bears, a woefully inept youth baseball team. Buttermaker's got to find a way to drive this gang of 12 misfits to a championship against their hated rivals: the Yankees and their overbearing coach (Greg Kinnear). From the director that brought you "The School of Rock" with the writing team behind "Bad Santa" comes a hilarious 2005 homage to an irreverent 1976 comedy.

Paramount Pictures presents a Media Talent Group production in association with Detour Filmproduction, a Richard Linklater film, "Bad News Bears." The film is directed by Richard Linklater from a screenplay by Bill Lancaster and Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, based upon the film written by Bill Lancaster. Producers are J. Geyer Kosinski and Richard Linklater and executive producer is Marcus Viscidi. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear and Marcia Gay Harden.

Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., 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.

Rating: PG-13 for Rude Behavior, Language Throughout, Some Sexuality & Thematic Reference

Contact: Susan Ciccone VP, Publicity (323) 956-5588

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/PARLOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Paramount Pictures

CONTACT: Susan Ciccone, VP, Publicity, of Paramount Pictures, +1-323-956-5588

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