Blake Extends Contract with Sony Pictures Entertainment

CULVER CITY, April 17:
Jeff Blake has signed a long-term contract with Sony Pictures Entertainment
(SPE) to continue serving as chairman of worldwide marketing and distribution
for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group through 2012.

In addition to his role
overseeing the studio's worldwide marketing and distribution division, Blake
continues to serve as vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a position
he has held since October 2002. In his current role, Blake directs and oversees
the global marketing and distribution of all films from SPE'S motion picture
production entities, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar and Screen Gems. He
is currently overseeing launch campaigns for such upcoming projects as Hancock, the action-comedy starring Will Smith; Adam
Sandler's You Don't Mess with the Zohan; Step Brothers,
starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly; Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks and based on the bestselling
novel by Dan Brown; and Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond adventure starring Daniel Craig.

Blake was named chairman
of worldwide marketing and distribution at Columbia TriStar Motion Picture
Group in September 2005. Prior to that, he was the president of worldwide
distribution for Columbia Pictures and has headed the studio's film
distribution arm since 1992. He has held other positions at Sony Pictures,
including president of Sony Pictures Releasing and president of domestic
distribution for Columbia Pictures, a title he had held since joining SPE. Before
SPE, Blake worked at Paramount Pictures, where he served as executive VP and
general sales manager of domestic distribution from 1987 to 1992.

According to the company,
while Blake's current contract was not set to expire until the end of 2008, Michael Lynton, the chairman and CEO of SPE, and Amy Pascal, the co-chairman of SPE,
began discussing the extension of Blake's employment agreement many months ago.

"Jeff Blake has been
and will continue to be one of Sony Pictures' most valued senior executives and
strategists," said Lynton. "Jeff has built an unparalleled global
marketing and distribution network, which is recognized as the best in the
business. His leadership on films as diverse as Spider-Man, The Da Vinci Code, The Pursuit of Happyness, Superbad and Casino Royale has
been critical to the success of Sony's biggest hits. When it comes to knowing
how films will play in different corners of the world, Jeff's opinion and
counsel matters—not only to us but to the filmmakers and talent, who
respect and rely on his guidance."

"Jeff is one of the
smartest and most widely respected and admired executives in his field and the
numbers speak loudly in telling the story of his impact on our studio,"
said Pascal. "Under Jeff's leadership since 2002, Sony Pictures has
released 52 number one films, which is by far the best record in town. We are
also the only studio to have generated more than $8 billion in domestic marketshare
during that time. That is a true testament to his marketing and distribution
savvy and I believe those numbers demonstrate that he is unrivaled among his
peers."

"I've always been
lucky to work for and with great people and I'm especially proud to be a member
of the team here at Sony," added Blake. "I am grateful to all of the
talented marketing and distribution executives who work for Sony Pictures
worldwide, and, who I believe, are the best in the business and do an
extraordinary job. They make the difference and they truly do their best to
pull out all the stops on every film."

—By Irene Lew