LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2004) - New Line Cinema has acquired the drama script The Farnsworth Invention from award-winning writer Aaron Sorkin and hired director Thomas Schlamme to helm the project, it was announced today by Toby Emmerich, president of production for New Line Cinema.

Sorkin will produce the project along with his longtime collaborator Schlamme. The two have previously teamed on both The West Wing and Sports Night. Emmerich is overseeing the production for New Line.

The Farnsworth Invention tells the story of Philo Farnsworth, a boy genius from Utah who, at 22, invented television only to become involved in an all-or-nothing battle with David Sarnoff, the young president of RCA and America's first communications mogul.

"Aaron is a fantastic writer, but what really makes this script stand out is that it features two incredible roles in the characters of Farnsworth and Sarnoff," said New Line production president Toby Emmerich. "So rarely do you read a script with two roles that are this compelling. The toughest decision the actors will have to make is, 'Which role do I want to play?'"

Sorkin and Schlamme, who have developed a reputation for crafting quality stories with mass appeal in a variety of mediums, are excited at the opportunity to continue their successful partnership on this upcoming project.

"I think Tommy and I have brought out the best in each other these last few years and I'm excited about making this movie with him," said Sorkin. "I appreciate the confidence that Toby and New Line have shown in the script."

Schlamme added, "I can't wait to sink my teeth into Aaron's brilliant script, a classic American tale driven by the conflict between a mormon farmer and a Russian immigrant over the ownership of the most influential cultural invention of the 20th Century."

Sorkin is one of a select few writers who have achieved success in the mediums of film, television, and theatre. He has won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his work as creator of television's The West Wing, and his series Sports Night was also a critics' favorite. His screenplays for the feature films A Few Good Men, based on his original Outer Critics Circle award-winning stage play, and The American President each earned him Golden Globe nominations, while his work on Malice garnered him a nomination for the Edgar Allen Poe Award by the Mystery Writer's Association of America.

Schlamme, who will produce the project through his company, ShoeMoney Productions, remains a celebrated and creative force in the world of television. He has developed a very identifiable visual style, that shaped such series as Spin City, The Larry Sanders Show, David E. Kelley's Boston Public, along with Sports Night, and The West Wing, winning him multiple Director's Guild and Emmy Awards. His feature film credits include Miss Firecracker with Holly Hunter and the Mike Myers comedy So I Married An Axe Murderer, among others.

About New Line Cinema Corporation:
New Line Cinema is the oldest and most successful independent film company in the world. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, licensing, merchandising and international marketing and distribution. New Line has been a pioneer in franchise filmmaking and its Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the most successful film franchise in history. Together with its subsidiary, Fine Line Features, New Line is a unit of Time Warner.