LOS ANGELES – September 27, 2000 – Today Cosmos Studios announced its
launch as part of OneCosmos Network, the joint venture between Ann Druyan of
Carl Sagan Productions and Internet executive Joe Firmage. Cosmos Studios also
announced imminent availability of Carl Sagan’s history-making television series,
updated for 2000, to be released on DVD, VHS, along with the Music of Cosmos on
a dual CD, through http://www.onecosmos.net.
Unveiled as Project Voyager earlier this year, OneCosmos Network is a 21st
century media company working to create science-based entertainment and learning
that touches the heart and soul. (See related press release from today, “Project
Voyager Becomes OneCosmos Network.”)
Focusing on television and cinematic productions, Cosmos Studios is committed to
building on the compelling legacy of the late Carl Sagan, and breaking new ground
by blending science discovery with entertainment. The studio will create
productions for many different types of media, in dramatic as well as documentary
formats.
“This is the golden age of scientific discovery. Yet, our most dazzling
entertainment capabilities are reserved for material that is often substance-free,”
said Ann Druyan, CEO of Cosmos Studios and co-writer of COSMOS. “Meanwhile
the real-time unfolding of the grandeur of the universe is treated as an aside:
blandly reported, if at all.”
“There is a sea change occurring in the climate of television and related media,”
said Kent Gibson, president of Cosmos Studios. “Long hallowed rules that guide
network decision making are falling to the wayside. Documentaries now are
profitable and command a significant audience. Witness the response to “Walking
With Dinosaurs,” a cable documentary whose ratings beat out the Networks.
Cosmos Studios hopes to serve this audience with a steady stream of exhilarating
entertainment.”
Cosmos Series Re-mastered for 2000
Some 600 million people in more than 60 countries have seen COSMOS since it
originally aired 20 years ago – making it arguably the most popular science program
ever produced. COSMOS is the story of how the human species came to establish
its coordinates in space and time. A seamless blend of solid intellectual content
combined with potent emotional and spiritual uplift, COSMOS was a global
phenomenon that transcended every conceivable demographic. This vast
international audience can now let their children experience the inspiration of
COSMOS – and impressively, after twenty of the most eventful years in the history
of science, COSMOS requires virtually no revisions and has proven to be strikingly
prophetic.
Cosmos Studios will release the following flagship productions later this year:
Beginning November 2000, “The Collector’s Edition of COSMOS” will be
available on DVD and VHS as a handsomely packaged boxed set. This
edition is a digitally restored, re-mastered and enhanced version of the
original thirteen hours. It contains updates by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan
as well as science bulletins and an array of new astronomical images.
Remarkable for its attention to the international audience, the new edition
is a region zero DVD – playable on any player on earth. It contains seven
different subtitle language selections and features newly re-mixed Dolby
Digital 5.1 AC3 Surround audio. The DVD also contains a Dolby Digital
Music and Effects track.“The Best of COSMOS,” a two-hour distillation of the greatest moments
of the thirteen hour series, with hundreds of new images and a new digital
version of the compelling soundtrack.“The Music of COSMOS – Collector’s Edition” will be available November
2000. This two CD set of world music compiles the original works that
made the series famous with never before available selections. Most
notably, it contains old and new music by Vangelis, the composer of the
haunting COSMOS theme.
Using an electronic distribution model, the DVD, VHS and CD of COSMOS will be
distributed via the Internet through onecosmos.net and carlsagan.com. Dealing
directly with the public via the Internet allows Cosmos Studios and OneCosmos to
establish closer connections with its core community by providing exceptional
entertainment through on- and offline productions informed by science.
Cosmos Studios to Attend MIPCOM
Ann Druyan, Joe Firmage and Kent Gibson will attend MIPCOM 2000 in Cannes,
France starting October 2nd. COSMOS in its original release enjoyed an
overwhelming response in the international marketplace, and the founders of
Cosmos Studios intend to ensure that a world audience is well served.
At MIPCOM, Public Relations responsibilities will be handled by Steve Syatt, SSA
Public Relations (818-501-0700). Business affairs for Cosmos Studios are handled
by Kent Gibson with the aid of Vice Presidents Jerry Gottlieb and Valerie
Cavanaugh (818-752-5200, info@carlsagan.com). International sales for Cosmos
Studios will be handled by WGBH International (Tom Koch: 617-300-3893).
About OneCosmos Network
OneCosmos Network is a 21st century media company working to create
science-based entertainment and learning that touches the heart and soul. The
company’s founders are Ann Druyan, CEO of Carl Sagan Productions and Joe
Firmage, founder and former CEO of USWeb, and chairman of the California Institute
for Physics and Astrophysics. The company has accepted $23 million in seed
capital from SOFTBANK Venture Capital, SOFTBANK Latin America Ventures and
Crosspoint Ventures. Check for our company announcements on the web at
http://www.onecosmos.net.
Contact: James Espinas, OneCosmos Network, jespinas@onecosmos.net or
650-289-6657.