Columbia Pictures' ``Stuart Little'' Debuts With Major Event at Toy Fair '99.

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Feb. 8, 1999--

Film's Stars Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki

and Director Rob Minkoff Kick Off Major Marketing Campaign;

"Stuart Little" Merchandise From Hasbro, HarperCollins

and Learning Curve Also Highlighted

The stars and director of Columbia Pictures' anticipated motion picture "Stuart Little" are kicking off this year's Toy Fair Monday with a major media event to announce specifics related to the film's marketing, licensing and franchise plans.

Appearing are Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki along with director Rob Minkoff. Top-level representatives from Columbia Pictures and its consumer products division, Sony Signatures, are also expected to make announcements.

Based on E.B. White's classic children's book, "Stuart Little" is the story of a mouse who is raised by the Littles, a human family who learns to dream big and live large.

"Stuart Little" features the voices of Michael J. Fox (as Stuart Little), Gene Wilder, Jennifer Tilly and Bruno Kirby, and the production of the film and characters represents one of the most ambitions ventures to date into photo-real, performance-based digital character creation.

This ground-breaking visual effects technology by Sony Pictures Imageworks is being highlighted at the Toy Fair event.

"It is a pleasure to introduce Stuart Little as the latest, one-of-a-kind addition to Sony's growing stable of exciting characters," said Robert Levin, president of Worldwide Marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"By joining forces with Hasbro, HarperCollins and Learning Curve, we have developed a top-notch, multi-tiered marketing and publicity campaign to build consumer awareness of Stuart."

Sony Signatures' two-tiered campaign will begin with the launch of an upscale program in fall 1999, followed by broad mass distribution for holiday 1999. Signatures recently announced licensing partnerships with Hasbro (master toys), HarperCollins (publishing) and Learning Curve (specialty toys) for "Stuart Little," each of whom will be revealing product for the first time at Toy Fair '99.

Also being announced is the launch of the "Stuart Little" Web site, www.StuartLittle.com.

"For over 50 years, the story of Stuart Little has been a treasured part in the lives of so many people, young and old," said Peter Dang, executive vice president of licensing, merchandising and consumer products for Sony Signatures. "The character of Stuart lends itself to a world of licensing and merchandising possibilities, and we believe this is another character franchise in the making for Sony."

Columbia Pictures is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures' global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.

Sony Signatures is the consumer products division of SPE, and its Los Angeles-based Film and Television Licensing division manages the merchandising and branding efforts for some of the most recognized properties in film and television, including "Godzilla," "Men In Black," "The Mask of Zorro," "Godzilla: The Series," "Men In Black: The Series," "Dawson's Creek" and "Extreme Ghostbusters."

Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com.