50,000 People Pledge to see Waiting for ‘Superman’!

HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 3, 2010) – Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 50,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” when it opens this fall, making it the third goal reached on the campaign’s “Pledge Progress Meter.” As a result, First Book and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are teaming up to distribute 250,000 new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country. The books will be generously provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and distributed through First Book’s award-winning book distribution channels. In addition, the duo will donate an additional $100,000 worth of new books once the “Pledge Progress Meter” reaches 60,000.
 
“We are thrilled that by pledging to see the film, 50,000 people have already started an important dialogue about addressing the needs of America’s students,” said Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of First Book. “First Book’s mission is to provide the access to educational resources that is proven to be vital in literacy development. We are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate this pledge milestone by distributing 250,000 new books to students who need them most.”
 
WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures.  It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better.
 
The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools. First Book was the first organization to take the pledge.
 
The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.
 
The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.
 
For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.WaitingForSuperman.com or text “PLEDGE” to 77177
 
To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman 
 
What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman 

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