National Geographic Books to Publish Official Companion Book to Angry Birds Star Wars Games from Rovio Entertainment Ltd. and Lucasfilm Ltd.

WASHINGTON (July 22, 2013)-National Geographic Books, entertainment company Rovio and Lucasfilm Ltd. announce today the companion book to the Angry Birds Star Wars games by Rovio Entertainment Ltd. The deal was acquired by National Geographic Editorial Director Janet Goldstein and Editor Bridget English, and this becomes the newest title in a line of Angry Birds books published by National Geographic Books.

We are thrilled to be able to work with the best partners in their fields and co-create a book aimed to delight the fans of all of our brands - and the amazing brand of Angry Birds Star Wars. Lucasfilm and the National Geographic Society have been working with Rovio Books to create a wonderful companion to the Angry Birds Star Wars app, with new material from the upcoming game. The book hits shelves two days before the launch of Angry Birds Star Wars II on Sept. 19, and we believe the fans are going to have a fun time with the book and the game, said Sanna Lukander, vice president of Book Publishing at Rovio Entertainment.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS: The Science Behind the Saga, by Amy Briggs (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-1302-1; Sept. 17, 2013; $13.95 paperback), unites Angry Birds, Star Wars and National Geographic to take fans on a galactic mission to uncover the true stories, technology and unbelievable science behind the science fiction. Readers will learn how life imitates art by exploring the discovery of Kepler-16b, a real Tatooine-like planet; learning how a hovercraft works and how it resembles the landspeeder; and finding out how close we are to creating a real-life lightsaber.

The new NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS book continues the commitment to fun in education that unites us with our partners Rovio and Lucasfilm. We hope readers will delight in learning about the popular characters and the science behind the iconic Star Wars story, said Melina Bellows, National Geographic's executive vice president and chief creative officer of Books, Kids and Family.

The book will be organized into chapters that correlate to the Star Wars saga and the levels in the games. To tell the story, the book will use artwork of iconic game scenes and sequences. To show the science, illustrations will feature call-outs that explain the scientific underpinnings of key elements. For instance, readers will learn:

Can we use starlight to power planes?

Will traveling through hyperspace be possible?

How close are we to discovering life on other planets?

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS is the fourth book in the ongoing collaboration between National Geographic, one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, and Rovio Entertainment, an industry-changing entertainment media company with a broader mission to make learning fun. A fifth book in the series, National Geographic Angry Birds Seasons: A Festive Flight Into the World's Happiest Holidays and Celebrations, is slated for release Jan. 7, 2014.

For more information on the new Angry Birds Star Wars II game, stay tuned to http://www.rovio.com/en/news/press-releases.

About National Geographic Books

National Geographic Books & Home Entertainment creates and distributes books, videos and other print and digital media that inform, engage and entertain diverse audiences about our world. Annually, the group publishes more than 125 new books for adults, families and kids and releases 250+ new DVDs and digital downloads of the Society's films and TV shows. These National Geographic titles are available in more than 35 local-language editions. While special photographic and film collections, travel books, nature shows, birding guides and atlases are a core focus of the Society's products, books and videos on subjects as diverse as animals, the human mind, history, world cultures and the cosmos are also produced. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

About Rovio Entertainment Ltd.

Rovio Entertainment Ltd. is an industry-changing entertainment media company headquartered in Finland, and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds characters franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release. Angry Birds has expanded rapidly into multifaceted entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand. Rovio's animated Angry Birds feature film is slated for July 1, 2016. www.rovio.com

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, Lucasfilm's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucasfilm Animation, which produces cutting-edge digital entertainment; and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

LINK:	http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/22/angry-birds-star-wars/...
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