MSN and Disneyland Resort to Webcast the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” Red Carpet World Premiere Live From Southern California

ANAHEIM, Calif. — June 21, 2006 — MSN® Video will broadcast live the world premiere of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” on Saturday, June 24, from 7–8:30 p.m. PDT to a worldwide audience on MSN Video at http://movies.msn.com/movies/pirates_webcast. Pirates of the Caribbean, the popular Disney theme park attraction that inspired the movie, is once again brought to the big screen in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” In a unique twist, the movie has now inspired the attraction, which will welcome new characters and elements — including the crafty Captain Jack Sparrow — from the blockbuster entertainment franchise as part of a spectacular, star-studded movie premiere. The attraction officially re-opens to guests June 26 at Disneyland and July 7 in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida.

The webcast will be hosted by the MSN “Dish Diva” Taylor Johnson along with a Disneyland historian and Disney Imagineer who will go live at remote locations along the red carpet at the premiere. The 90-minute webcast will include interviews from the A-list celebrities on the red carpet along with information about the fun and exciting history of Disney’s beloved attraction that inspired the movies.

“We’re thrilled to give our worldwide audience exclusive live access to the premiere event for one of this year’s most highly anticipated films,” said Rob Bennett, general manager of Entertainment and Video Services for MSN. “Our rich catalog of unique video content from leading producers like Disney is what makes MSN the best destination for online entertainment.”

Starring a humorous cast of rascals, scoundrels and villains, the world-famous attraction sends guests of all ages on a voyage through mysterious caverns where “Dead men tell no tales” and then into a colonial-era Caribbean seaport under siege by a band of fun-loving pirates. The attraction’s jaunty theme song, “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” sets the show’s light tone with its tongue-in-cheek depiction of high-seas lawlessness now featuring Captain Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and Davy Jones, stars from “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” Captain Jack Sparrow appears in the attraction on three occasions. In addition, the treacherous Barbossa can now be seen as the Captain of the Wicked Wench in the attraction’s famous battle scene. An apparition of the ghostly Davy Jones, a prominent character in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” can be seen in the attraction’s mysterious grotto labyrinth, materializing via a fantastic waterfall effect.

“The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and movie have brought a lot of enjoyment to kids and adults of all ages, and this webcast will continue to bring millions of Internet users worldwide into the magic,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Working with MSN and this exciting technology allows people the world over to experience the excitement and fun of a movie premiere at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth.’”

Disney Imagineers have also enhanced the attraction experience with an all-new dynamic digital sound design, the addition of musical cues from the movie soundtracks, enhanced theatrical lighting designs, and an improved battle sequence between a pirate galleon and Spanish fortress.

Featuring more than 120 Audio-Animatronics performers, lavishly decorated sets and special effects, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most spectacular attractions ever created for Disney Parks. More than 500 million people have experienced the rollicking fun of the immersive adventure in California and Florida during the past 39 years.

About “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley reunite in Walt Disney Pictures’, in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Films, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” an all-new epic tale chronicling the further misadventures of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, Captain Jack sets sail on an all-new adventure — filled with more intrigue, more spectacular special effects and more comedy — in July 2006.

About MSN Video

MSN Video is one of the largest video-only streaming services on the Web, watched by more than 11 million unique users per month. In addition to streaming news, entertainment and sports video clips from more than 45 content partners, MSN Video presents a broad array of live events to online audiences worldwide. More than 50 top advertisers support MSN Video, which is available to consumers at no charge. MSN Video is available on the Web at http://msnvideo.com to consumers in the U.S. MSN Video is also live in Australia, Canada and Japan, and in Spanish in the U.S.; the service also is in beta testing in the U.K.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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