UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures, in collaboration with Google, today announced "The Ultimate Search for Bourne with Google," an online game inspired by Universal's Bourne action series ("The Bourne Identity," "The Bourne Supremacy" and the most recent film in the series, "The Bourne Ultimatum"). Players will assume the persona of a former CIA operative as they track rogue agent Jason Bourne across three continents. The game, which launches Monday, July 16, simultaneously in seven countries, allows participants to answer clues that will bring them one step closer to uncovering Bourne's identity, in the weeks leading to the opening of "The Bourne Ultimatum" on August 3.
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Using Google(TM) tools including Search, Maps, Images, Translate and YouTube(TM), players will track Bourne online, in the hopes that what he knows will prove helpful in their own quests. With new clues and active game play provided to site visitors each weekday -- 15 in total -- the game concludes on the film's opening day. Along the way, registered users will have the chance to win amazing prizes, including the grand prize: a 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2, designed to the specifications of the car seen in the film, as well as a four-city trip to international destinations featured in the movie and $25,000.
"This is a great opportunity for us to bring the power of Google search products to help players across the globe hunt for Bourne online," said Dylan Casey, Google product manager. "We're always looking for creative and engaging ways to connect people with the information they're seeking, and this collaboration is a terrific example of that."
Participation is free, and contestants can sign up to play at http://www.google.com/bourne. Throughout the game, players will gain access to exclusive clips from "The Bourne Ultimatum" and will have the chance to win world-class prizes.
Four lucky winners will receive a trip of their choice to Tangier, Paris, London, New York City or Madrid. Each active day of the game, one player will receive a $1,000 MasterCard gift card and 10 players will receive the three-disc "Bourne Files" DVD collection. Additionally, players who complete each day's task will be offered the option to catch Bourne using a game "surveillance camera" they will be able to place on a Google(TM) map. Those who successfully sight Jason Bourne 25 times or more during the course of the game will be entered into the "Sightings Sweepstakes." From this pool, 10 lucky winners will be awarded the new Apple iPhone.
"Jason Bourne's story is an action thriller appealing to a broad audience," said Doug Neil, senior vice president, digital marketing, Universal Pictures. "Fans are eagerly anticipating the opening of 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' and this game provides an entertaining way to stoke that enthusiasm and show fans what it would be like to live in Bourne's world."
"The Ultimate Search for Bourne with Google" is open to residents of the United States and Canada (except Quebec), 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Additional details and official rules are available at http://www.google.com/bourne.
A variation of the game is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
About "The Bourne Ultimatum"
Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in "The Bourne Ultimatum." In the follow-up to 2002's "The Bourne Identity" and 2004's "The Bourne Supremacy" -- the smash hits that have earned over $500 million at the global box office -- acclaimed director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy) joins returning cast members Julia Stiles and Joan Allen and new additions David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez and Albert Finney.
All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was.
Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne -- all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" was shot in Morocco, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Universal Pictures Presents -- In Association with MP Beta Productions -- A Kennedy/Marshall Production -- In Association with Ludlum Entertainment -- A Paul Greengrass Film: Matt Damon in "The Bourne Ultimatum," starring Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, with Albert Finney and Joan Allen. Music is by John Powell; the costume designer is Shay Cunliffe. The film's editor is Christopher Rouse, ACE; the production designer is Peter Wenham. The director of photography is Oliver Wood. Executive producers on the action thriller include Jeffrey M. Weiner, Henry Morrison and Doug Liman. The film is based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, and it is produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley and Paul L. Sandberg. The Bourne Ultimatum is from a screen story by Tony Gilroy, and a screenplay by Tony Gilroy and Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi. It is directed by Paul Greengrass. (C)2007 Universal Studios http://www.thebourneultimatum.com/
About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.
Google and YouTube are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
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