JON M. CHU’S GROUNDBREAKING ORIGINAL WEB SERIES‘THE LEGION OF EXTRAORDINARY DANCERS’ RETURNS FOR SECOND SEASON ON HULU, OCTOBER 27
The LXD: Secrets of the Ra Pits Powerful Villains Against The LXD in the Epic Adventure
LOS ANGELES, CA (November 11, 2010) – Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that the second season of the hit original series “The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers” (THE LXD) from visionary director Jon M. Chu (STEP UP 3-D, STEP UP 2: THE STREETS) will premiere October 27th exclusively on Hulu. The premiere episode of season two of THE LXD launches on October 27th, with new episodes debuting every Wednesday throughout the fall.
THE LXD, created by Jon M. Chu and produced by Chu and Hieu Ho in partnership with Agility Studios, chronicles the journey of seemingly ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary powers and must choose their place in an epic conflict between good and evil. The characters are called to join The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers to fulfill their destiny through their superpowers of dance. In the latest installment of the series, “Secrets of the Ra,” the dark villains of Organization X are introduced as the history of the feud unfolds. Paramount Digital Entertainment is the distributor of the series.
The first season of THE LXD, “The Uprising Begins”, launched domestically on July 7, 2010 to rave reviews and reached the #1 overall video spot several times on Hulu. The series is currently the #1 original series on Hulu and has achieved weekly rankings in the top 10 most popular shows (though THE LXD premiered on Hulu as an original, and not on TV), and exceeded viewership expectations by several times projections.
“The first season of THE LXD was a big hit on Hulu this past summer. The combination of compelling storytelling and stunning choreography made our viewers reach for the "share" button to let their friends know they simply had to check out this show,” Andy Forssell, Senior Vice President of Content Acquisitions and Distribution for Hulu, said. “We're thrilled to be the first place fans can find the second season of this pioneering online dance adventure series.”
In September, “The Uprising Begins” started its international rollout to over 350 million viewers worldwide. With breakout stars such as Harry Shum, Jr. (“Glee,” STEP-UP 3D) and Chadd Smith (STEP-UP 3D), the series has garnered a large, loyal fan base and has generated incredible praise from critics. The Los Angeles Times said THE LXD was “one of the most ambitious web series, a unique fusion of dance and trans-media;” Advertising Age called it “the most beautifully filmed, elaborately staged web series in the history of the medium”; and Vanity Fair said it was “fully amazing.”
“Fans have been so incredibly supportive of this project and they won’t be disappointed this season as we introduce them to the enemies of THE LXD, Organization X,” said Chu. “Now they’ll get to see exactly who our heroes are fighting against in this battle of good versus evil.”
“The success of season one THE LXD is a testament Jon’s unique creative vision that keeps audiences returning every week to watch new episodes,” said Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. “THE LXD captured the right formula of great storytelling, cinematic production quality and loyal fan base to propel it to success.”
“The overwhelming response we’ve received to this series demonstrates the power of dance as an international cultural phenomenon that fans want to connect to and interact with,” said Scott Ehrlich, CEO of Agility Studios. “With an epic story and amazing visuals, THE LXD has shown that when it comes to the success of original web series, content still remains king.”
Ubisoft’s Just Dance® 2 video game and Puma are sponsors of Season 2 of THE LXD, “Secrets of The RA.” Touchstone Pictures’ / Summit Entertainment STEP UP 3-D and Puma were sponsors of the first season of THE LXD, “The Uprising Begins.”
The scripted adventure series, choreographed by Harry Shum Jr. and Christopher Scott, features some of the world’s best dancers including Luis “Luigi” Rosado as Trevor Drift, Christopher Scott as Copeland, Harry Shum Jr. as Elliot Hoo, Christopher “Lil-C” Toler as Z, Daniel “Cloud” Campos as Illister, Richard “Steelo” Vazquez as Spex, Aja George as Stereo, Terence Dickson as Minijack, Straphanio “Shonnie” Soloman as Phono, Chadd “Madd Chadd” Smith as Sp3cimen, Jeremy Marinas as Justin Starr, Travis Wong as Jimmy Angel, and Roger Aaron Brown as the Narrator.
THE LXD cast performed as the opening act during the sold out “Glee” Live Tour this summer, at the 82nd Academy Awards®, the 2010 TED Conference and was most recently featured on Season Seven of “So You Think You Can Dance.”
For more information on THE LXD please visit THELXD.com or www.hulu.com/thelxd.
About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, virtual worlds and emerging technologies.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Worldwide Television Distribution.
About Agility Studios
Agility Studios is a boutique studio committed to transforming digital media properties into viable businesses by supporting content creators with services that include creative development, financing, distribution, sponsorship and advertising sales, production infrastructure, business affairs and back office support. Founder and CEO Scott Ehrlich, a multi-hyphenated executive, has over three decades of experience in new media and traditional media production and distribution as well as brand and advertiser sponsorship and integration.
About Hulu
Hulu is an online TV service whose mission is to help people find and enjoy the world's premium content when, where and how they want it. As we pursue this mission, we aspire to create a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love. Hulu was founded in 2007 and is operated independently by a dedicated team with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Beijing. NBC Universal, News Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Providence Equity Partners, and the Hulu team share in the ownership of the company. (www.hulu.com)
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