PR: The Professional on DVD & Blu-ray Nov 17

Studio:
Year:
Cast:
Director:
Release Date: October 29, 2009, 6:58 am
Rating: for
Run Time:

The Blu-ray will include the "International Version" which features 23 minutes of footage not included in the original U.S. theatrical version. Written and directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Luc Besson (Arthur and the Invisibles, The Fifth Element), Léon: The Professional is a no-holds-barred tension-fraught flick full of bloodlust and deceit, driven by a friendship between a hired gun and a little girl.

Movie Grade:

DVD Grade:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CORRUPTION. VENGEANCE. ADOLESCENCE.

Oscar® Nominees Natalie Portman & Danny Aiello
Star with Gary Oldman and Jean Reno In

Leon: The Professional

AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY DISC™ NOVEMBER 17, 2009

Includes Both US and International Versions of the Film,
Three Featurettes and a Retrospective with the Cast & Crew!



Culver City, Calif. (September xx, 2009). For the first time on high definition Blu-ray™, the suspense-laden thriller Léon: The Professional is unleashed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on November 17, 2009 for the SLP of 24.95. The Blu-ray will include the "International Version" which features 23 minutes of footage not included in the original U.S. theatrical version. Written and directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Luc Besson (Arthur and the Invisibles, The Fifth Element), Léon: The Professional is a no-holds-barred tension-fraught flick full of bloodlust and deceit, driven by a friendship between a hired gun and a little girl.

When 12-year-old Mathilda's (Natalie Portman, Oscar® nominee Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Closer, 2005) family is gunned down by a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman, Bram Stoker's Dracula), she has nowhere to go but to her reclusive neighbor Léon (Jean Reno, The Da Vinci Code). Fortuitously, the neighbor happens to be a hitman. When the young woman learns of his profession, she coaxes him to teach her the tricks of his trade in order to exact revenge on her family's killer.

The feature also stars Oscar® nominee Danny Aiello (Oscar® nominee Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Do the Right Thing, 1990) as Léon's ruthless mob boss Tony. This Blu-ray release also marks the first time that both the U.S. Theatrical version and the extended, unrated "International Version" will be included on the same disc. Special features include featurettes on Jean Reno ("The Road to Léon") and Natalie Portman ("Starting Young") as well as a retrospective with the cast & crew.

The Professional Synopsis
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello star in The Professional, a go-for-broke thriller about a professional assassin whose work becomes dangerously personal. Calling himself a "cleaner," the mysterious Léon (Reno) is New York's top hitman. When his next-door neighbors are murdered, Léon becomes the unwilling guardian of the family's sole survivor - 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman). But Mathilda doesn't just want protection; she wants revenge. Training her in the deadly tricks of his trade, Léon helps her track the psychotic agent (Oldman) who murdered her family.

Bonus Features Include:
· Three Featurettes
o 10 Year Retrospective: "The Cast and Crew Look Back"
o Jean Reno: "The Road to Léon"
o Natalie Portman: "Starting Young"
· Fact Track - Exclusive to the Extended Cut
· 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

The Professional was written, directed and co-produced by Luc Besson (Arthur and the Invisibles, The Fifth Element); executive produced by Claude Besson (La Femme Nikita); and stars Natalie Portman (Closer, The Other Boleyn Girl), Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula), Jean Reno (The Da Vinci Code) and Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing).

The Professional> has a run time of 110 minutes and is rated R for scenes of strong graphic violence and for language. The International Version has a run time of 133 minutes and is Not Rated.

"Oscar ®" is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Professional
Catalog #: 32918
UPC Code: 043396329188
Order Date: 10/15/09
SLP: $24.95

The Blu-ray Disc version of Leon: The Professional is BD-Live™ enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond the discs via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player.
The Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club rewards consumers in the U.S. for purchasing and registering BD-Live enabled Sony Blu-ray movies. Members can redeem accumulated points for cool Sony products, plus enter to win cash and prizes in daily sweepstakes and more. For details visit www.sonyrewards.com/bluray.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. SPE is a division of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com. For more information on Blu-ray Disc, visit www.sonypictures.com

News Editor October 29, 2009, 6:58 am