PRESS RELEASE
DECIPHERÆ FAN CLUB STUDIO
For Immediate Release
Decipher Announces Fan Club for The Lord of the Rings
(NORFOLK, Va., September 26, 2001) — Decipher Inc. announced today that it has captured another key license for the year’s most coveted property, New Line Cinema’s epic adventure trilogy, The Lord of the Rings — adding the license for a worldwide Fan Club to the previously announced trading card game (TCG) and roleplaying games (RPG) licenses.
The fan club license from New Line Cinema grants Decipher exclusive worldwide rights to develop The Official Lord of the Rings Fan Club, which will include a bi-monthly movie magazine for Fan Club members. Decipher also will be operating a Fan Club web site, which will be linked from New Line Cinema’s lordoftherings.net and include an online retail store. The Fan Club store will offer fan club logo merchandise, exclusive collectibles and other Lord of the Rings products. Decipher also is in the process of developing partnerships with businesses outside North America to create local chapters of The Official Lord of the Rings Fan Club (and associated magazines and web sites) in countries around the world.
Decipher was granted the rights to develop the Fan Club and related components around the highly-anticipated screen adaptation of the classic fantasy work by J.R.R. Tolkien, including all three motion pictures: The Fellowship of the Ring (December 19, 2001), The Two Towers (December 2002) and The Return of the King (December 2003). The Official Lord of the Rings Fan Club is the first fan club license awarded to Decipher since its January 2001 acquisition of FANtastic Media, Denver, Colorado.
“With the addition of the Fan Club license, we couldn’t be prouder of our Lord of the Rings product line. Not only will we be introducing an incredible trading card game this November, we now have the rights to a fan club tied to the property that created the entire fantasy genre,” said Decipher Chairman & CEO Warren Holland.
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The Lord of the Rings Official Fan Club – Two
“Decipher is developing a fan club for The Lord of the Rings that is truly unprecedented in the history of cinema. The great thing about what they’re doing is that it benefits the fans, first and foremost. Decipher understands that the fans are what has made The Lord of the Rings such a powerful property,” added David Imhoff, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Licensing and Merchandising, New Line Cinema.
For more information about New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, go to www.lordoftherings.net.
About Decipher, Inc.
Founded in 1983 by Warren Holland, Decipher Inc. is a worldwide leader in the collectible card game industry and fan club industry. The company’s Trading Card Game Studio produces Star Trek™, Star Wars™, Austin Powers™, and The Lord of the Rings™(scheduled to release on November 6, 2001) trading card games. Decipher’s Fan Club Studio operates the official fan clubs for Star Trek™ and The Lord of the Rings™ which includes publishing official fan magazines and managing online stores. Decipher’s RPG (roleplaying games) & Miniatures Studio is responsible for the creation of the all-new Star Trek™ roleplaying games and The Lord of the Rings™ roleplaying games. Decipher’s Online Games Studio offers digital versions of its Star Trek™ and, soon, its The Lord of the Rings™ Trading Card Games. Decipher’s Games Studio produces leading party, card and board games such as How To Host A MurderÆ, How To Host A Teen MysteryÆ, PenteÆ, Scratchees,™and more. Decipher’s Boy Crazy! Studio markets the popular Boy Crazy!™ brand for girls which includes a magazine, web site at boycrazy.com, trading cards, and various publishing and licensing ventures (represented by the William Morris Agency).
Visit decipher.com for additional information.
About New Line Cinema
Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry’s leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units. More information about New Line Cinema can be obtained at www.newline.com.
