Warner Bros. Consumer Products Brings Powerful Franchises To Licensing 2002 International

(June 6, 2002 – Burbank, CA) – The irreverence of the Looney Tunes, the magic of Harry Potter, the mystery of Scooby-Doo, the force of The Powerpuff Girls and much more encompass Warner Bros. Consumer Products line-up at Licensing 2002 International. With some of the strongest entertainment brands in the world, the company is helping redefine franchise opportunities for the licensing community. Licensing 2002 International is the annual trade show for the multi-billion dollar worldwide business of consumer product licensing, marketing and merchandising and the show continues to be the most important marketplace for concepts and creative ideas related to the biggest brands in the world. Consumers spend more than $95 billion on licensed products annually. “Warner Bros. Consumer Products has over a decade of commitment to Licensing Show. With unrivaled brands including Harry Potter, the Looney Tunes, The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo and the DC Comics superheroes, Warner Bros. Consumer Products packs a franchise punch,” said Dan Romanelli, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products. “With the theatrical support of feature films this year for Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo and The Powerpuff Girls along with content, marketing and promotional support heating up for the Looney Tunes, we are set to propel our business to an even higher level within the licensing community.” Located at booths #3019 and #3219, Warner Bros. Consumer Products is one of the largest exhibitors at this year’s show. The show is being held June 11-13 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York. Looney Tunes Looney Tunes continues its reign as one of the world’s most popular brands, with nearly 100% awareness in all age groups in the United States. Warner Bros.’ legendary Looney Tunes characters return to the world of NASCAR Winston Cup on Saturday, September 7, 2002, when they re-unite in the fast lane with their Team Monte Carlo drivers for the ultimate racing showdown, the Monte Carlo 400 With The Looney Tunes – The Rematch!, at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. Building on the success of last year’s event, the program will expand in 2002 as nine Looney Tunes-themed Monte Carlos take to the track. Additionally, Looney Tunes-themed cars will be featured in the NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday, September 6th. Kids around the country are ramping it up with Taz and their extreme sports heroes, as Warner Bros. Consumer Products unleashes the “2002 Taz Atti-Tour,” an interactive action sports youth event series. The Taz Atti-Tour will roll into select Wal-Mart stores and weekend hot spots in 19 cities between April and September 2002. The events feature top pro BMX bikers, skateboarders and inline skaters demonstrating huge airs and incredible stunts, and conducting group clinics for local action sports enthusiasts. The tour’s activities also include an open skatepark for kids to skate with the pros, amateur competitions, video games, music, autograph signings and more. Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Sanrio Company, Ltd., recently aligned for a groundbreaking collaborative agreement to bring together for the first time feature characters from two of the world’s leading licensing and retail merchandising companies. The two companies have entered into an agreement under which they will develop and launch co-branded merchandise featuring the popular characters Tweety and Hello Kitty. The agreement, which calls for merchandise to be sold exclusively at Sanrio locations throughout Japan and most of Asia, is the first time industry-leading companies have partnered to develop and market a co-brand featuring their popular characters. Merchandise featuring the new co-brand launched in March 2002 in Japan. The Looney Tunes brand is comprehensively supported worldwide by publishing, music, interactive, online, home video, advertising and branded food/beverages. Looney Tunes brand flavored milks, first distributed in China and now the U.S. and Mexico, have been guzzled by consumers all over the world. Harry Potter Anywhere in the world, it is unlikely to find a child or adult that has not been touched by the magical and enchanting world of Harry Potter. More than a children’s property, Harry Potter has cast a spell on children and adults around the world who yearn to believe that with a little imagination anything is possible. Breaking records in both the publishing and film worlds, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is one of the highest grossing films of all time, and last month, audiences brought the magic home as Warner Home Video (WHV) released the box-office hit, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for the first time on a spectacular DVD and VHS. Fans can join Harry, Ron and Hermione on their enchanting adventure with a captivating two-disc DVD including additional scenes that have never been seen before, self-guided tours, interviews with the filmmakers and interactive features that will leave fans spellbound. The film based on the second book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” will be released in theaters on November 15, 2002 in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and in other key territories throughout November and December. The renowned cast and crew return with the addition of many new faces and engaging new characters including Kenneth Branagh as the self-important Gilderoy Lockhart, Christian Coulson as Tom Riddle, Aragog the giant spider, Fawkes the Phoenix, and Dobby the house elf. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” promises more excitement, adventure, magic and humor for Harry Potter fans. With four books in the series thus far, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books have been sold in over 115 countries and translated into more than 40 languages. More than 162 million copies have been published worldwide. The global merchandising program for Harry Potter includes both literary and film based programs. Worldwide licensees such as Mattel, Electronic Arts, Wizards of the Coast and Mars are capturing the magic of Harry Potter in a range of products based on the books and films. Additionally, Coca-Cola is the sole promotional partner supporting both the film and the video/DVD release. Support for the Harry Potter property spans across all divisions of AOL Time Warner. Scooby-Doo Be afraid. Be somewhat afraid. On June 14, 2002 everyone’s favorite crime-fighting, cowardly canine comes to life in the first-ever, live-action film based on Scooby-Doo. The film stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (“She’s All That”) as ringleader Fred; Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Cruel Intentions,” TV’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) as Daphne; Matthew Lillard (“Scream”) as Shaggy; Linda Cardellini (TV’s “Freaks and Geeks”) as Velma and, of course, Scooby-Doo in full 3D CGI for the very first time. In addition to a fully integrated theatrical marketing campaign, promotional partners and a soundtrack featuring Sugar Ray, Outkast, Shaggy, Baha Men and Simple Plan, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has created a licensing and merchandising program that will extend through Fall. Zoinks!! Kids' WB! is proud to announce the production and pick-up of What’s New Scooby-Doo?, featuring the timeless and loveable Scooby gang in all-new adventures. This new animated comedy from Warner Bros. Animation is a joint pick-up by Kids' WB! and Cartoon Network. The all-original series is slated to debut on Kids' WB! in Fall 2002 and will air subsequently in the 2002-2003 season on Cartoon Network. The highly successful and popular “SCOOBY-DOO IN STAGEFRIGHT - LIVE ON STAGE” starring Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma recently wrapped up its Eastern region tour and will continue its U.S. run in 2003. The live touring show has been well received by enthusiastic kids of all ages. Scooby-Doo is one of the top licensed characters in the U.S. and growing tremendously popular worldwide where he is seen in more than 100 countries, speaking 15 languages. With over 300 episodes, “Scooby-Doo” is one of the longest-running cartoons ever and will also add to his four successful direct-to-video movies with two new direct-to-video releases in 2003. The property is also a major global force in publishing, interactive entertainment, music, online and more. The Powerpuff Girls The Powerpuff Girls is the winner of last year’s International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) License of the Year. The world’s first female kindergarten superheroes, The Powerpuff Girls, will fly onto the big screen in their very first theatrically animated feature film on July 3, 2002, produced by Cartoon Network Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. A comprehensive licensing campaign, including prime product placements and extensive retail promotions will support the film’s release. “Saving the world before bedtime,” Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles are three little girls created from sugar, spice and everything nice, combined with a secret ingredient, Chemical X. These cute-as-a-button superheroes guard the city of Townsville against a colorful gallery of villains. Created by Craig McCracken, the Emmy® Award-winning animated series, “The Powerpuff Girls” is a ratings powerhouse, airing multiple times daily on Cartoon Network and reaching more than 35 million viewers per week. The Powerpuff Girls also continues to attract strong new licensees. This year, Cartoon Network will launch a new advertising campaign during the back-to-school and holiday seasons supporting The Powerpuff Girls consumer products. Other highlights of 2002 include new interactive game releases across multiple gaming platforms and the home video/DVD launch of The Powerpuff Girls Movie, schedule for holiday ’02. Several of The Powerpuff Girls books have hit the USA Today Top 100 List. In 2002, The Powerpuff Girls reading club is set for official launch. Publishers around the world are also supporting The Powerpuff Girls. Warner Bros. Consumer Products is a division of Warner Bros., an AOL Time Warner Company, and is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world. # # #