July 1, 1998

BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 1, 1998--

Fans of fireworks should get more than their share of spectacular entertainment over the 1999 Fourth of July weekend when Warner Bros.' "Wild Wild West," starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek, opens nationwide. The Peters Entertainment/Sonnenfeld-Josephson Worldwide Entertainment film, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and produced by Jon Peters and Sonnenfeld, combines comedy, action and fantasy in a fast-paced adventure. Stated D. Barry Reardon, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Theatrical Distribution, "The tone, the action and the event-movie quality of `Wild Wild West' make it a natural for summer release. Although it is still in production, it's clear already that this movie is going to be a lot of fun on a big scale. "And Will Smith has already built a track record of two hit films opening at this time -- `Independence Day' and `Men in Black.' We think that when he's joined by a terrific group of stars like Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek, fans of all ages are going to be thrilled by the results." Barry Sonnenfeld, who previously directed the worldwide blockbuster "Men in Black," added, "I grew up watching `Wild Wild West' and loved it. It was like James Bond in the West with all these cool gadgets and sexy women each week. Now it's really fun for me to put my own spin on the feature film. "With help from Will, Kevin, Kenneth and Salma, we hope to make it hip, smart and sexy, and the state-of-the-art technology we're using increases the scope of the movie tremendously." "Wild Wild West" follows special government agent James West (Smith), long on charm and wit, and special government agent Artemus Gordon (Kline), a master of disguises and a brilliant inventor of gadgets large and small, who are each sent to track down the brilliant and diabolical Dr. Arliss Loveless (Branagh). Loveless is plotting to assassinate the President of the United States with the aid of his monstrously huge, walking weapon-transport vehicle called The Tarantula. West and Gordon begin as competitors but soon pool their talents to become a wily team of operatives who trust each other...most of the time. Romance, humor, fantastic weapons and devices and hair-raising confrontations and escapes enliven their adventures as they daringly outwit their enemies. Producer Peters asserted, "`Wild Wild West' rocks from start to finish -- I think it's going to be the ultimate entertainment for next summer." "Wild Wild West," inspired by the hugely popular TV series, has a screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter Seaman; the executive producers are Bill Todman Jr., Joel Simon, Kim LeMasters, Tracy Glaser and Barry Josephson, and the co-producer is Graham Place.

CONTACT: Warner Bros. Inc., Burbank 818/954-6290