VIN DIESEL TO RECEIVE CINEMACON ACTION STAR OF THE YEAR AWARD

UNIVERSAL PICTURES TO RELEASE “FAST FIVE” ON APRIL 29, 2011

Washington D.C. (March 28, 2011) – Vin Diesel will receive the “CinemaCon Action Star of the Year Award,” it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of CinemaCon, the annual event that will be held March 28-31, 2011, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Diesel will be presented with this special honor at the inaugural “CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards” ceremony to take place on Thursday evening, March 31, in The Colosseum of Caesars Palace. The Coca-Cola Company, Official Presenting Sponsor of CinemaCon, will host the final night gala awards program.

“Since his star-making turn in ‘The Fast and the Furious,’ Vin Diesel has continued to build an impressive film resume that includes the cult favorite ‘Pitch Black,’ action-thriller ‘xXx,’ the science-fiction feature ‘The Chronicles of Riddick,’ the drama ‘Boiler Room’ and the comedy ‘The Pacifier,’” noted Neuhauser. “With the upcoming all-star reunion in ‘Fast Five,’ sure to thrill audiences around the world, we are excited to be able to honor him with the ‘CinemaCon Action Star of the Year Award.’”

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in “Fast Five,” which will be released by Universal Pictures on April 29, 2011. Newly joined by Dwayne Johnson, they take the series that hooked the world on adrenaline and amp up the action and spectacle on a global scale. In “Fast Five,” former cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) in a very unfamiliar place: the opposite side of the law in exotic Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Elsa Pataky joins Johnson and returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderón and Don Omar in an ultimate high-stakes heist.

After Diesel caught the eye of Steven Spielberg with “Multi-Facial” – a short Diesel wrote, produced, directed and starred in – Spielberg created a role for him in “Saving Private Ryan.” Since then, he has gone on to star in blockbuster films such as “The Fast and The Furious,” “xXx,” “The Pacifier” and “Fast & Furious.” In addition to these starring roles, Diesel has worn many hats on the set, serving as a producer on both “Fast & Furious” and “Fast Five.” He has also continued to write and direct, most recently releasing the short “Los Bandoleros” on the “Fast & Furious” DVD. Another recent endeavor is his video game company, Tigon Studios, which created and produced the top-selling X-Box game of 2004, “The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.” In addition to “Fast Five,” Diesel will headline and produce the third chapter of the “Chronicles of Riddick” franchise – tentatively titled “Riddick,” and will collaborate with his Tigon Studios and Midway Games to release the film and video game for “The Wheelman.”

About CinemaCon

Held March 28-31, 2011 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, CinemaCon is expected to play host to more than 6,000 motion picture theater industry professionals. Additional information on CinemaCon, the Official Convention of NATO, can be found at www.cinemacon.com.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 30,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 50 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too. For more information visit www.natoonline.org or email nato@natodc.com.

Media Contacts:

Heather Lewandoski
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8147
hlewandoski@rogersandcowan.com

Jessica Erskine
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8129
jerskine@rogersandcowan.com