Participant Productions Teams With Warner Bros. Pictures On “Syriana,” “Class Action”

(September 22, 2004 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. Pictures and philanthropist Jeff Skoll’s Participant Productions have announced a partnership that will provide co-financing for “Syriana” and “Class Action,” both feature films on the 2005 slate at Warner Bros. Pictures. The announcement was made today by Alan Horn, President & Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros., and Jeff Skoll, founder and Chairman of Participant Productions. As eBay’s first full-time employee and first President, Jeff Skoll championed the power of the individual and eBay’s community as vital to the company’s success. He founded Participant Productions in January, 2004, as a Los Angeles-based production company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films and documentaries. These projects all center on important social issues that awaken, inspire and empower their audiences to make a difference. “Syriana,” written and directed by Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan, produced by Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney and Michael Nozik, and starring Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Peet, is inspired by Robert Baer’s non-fiction best-seller “See No Evil: The True Story of A Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism” and is a story of espionage and intrigue that revolves around the international oil trade and the political future of the Middle East. It is currently in production for worldwide release by Warner Bros. Pictures. “Class Action” is inspired by “Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law,” by Claire Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler. The screenplay is by Michael Seitzman and the film is to be directed by Oscar nominee Niki Caro starring Oscar-winners Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand. It follows the story of a group of female mine workers who file suit against the men who are sexually harassing them. The film is expected to go into production in early 2005 for worldwide release by Warner Bros. Pictures. Said Skoll, “We are passionate about illuminating the need for positive change in the world through popular media, which reaches the widest possible audience. These two movies are being made with some of entertainment’s most prestigious talent and tell riveting stories about issues we currently face on both large and intimate scales. We are proud and pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Warner Bros. on these productions.” Stated Alan Horn, “Warner Bros. Pictures releases a varied and extensive slate of movies every year, some of which are great stories driven by important social issues. We are proud to be making ‘Syriana’ and ‘Class Action,’ two of these types of films, for release in the coming year, and extremely pleased to be partnered with Participant Productions on the financing of these movies. We appreciate what Jeff and Participant Productions are doing by supporting the creative process.” # # #