Countdown begins for star-filled June 29
'Armageddon'
world premiere at Kennedy Space Center
Florida Today/Touchstone Pictures Burbank News Release
June 2, 1998.
BURBANK, Calif. - Marking the imminent arrival of its spectacular new motion picture
"Armageddon," Touchstone Pictures has invited 500 VIP guests to the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida on Monday, June 29, for a world-premiere screening, a private party and a power-packed
performance by legendary rock band Aerosmith (who have four songs on the film's soundtrack), it
was announced Monday by Richard Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.
Joining the select group of celebrities and media will be "Armageddon" stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob
Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Steve Buscemi, as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer and
director Michael Bay. Commenting on the announcement, Cook said: "Jerry Bruckheimer and
Michael Bay have created an extraordinarily entertaining film with 'Armageddon,' and we wanted to
give it a 'send-off' that would capture the excitement and spectacle. The Kennedy Space Center is
the perfect site.
"With its unique blend of adventure, humor and emotion, we believe that 'Armageddon' holds a
special place among the summer releases and is sure to be a major crowd pleaser with a wide
range of moviegoers."
The screening will take place in a special state-of-the-art theater, which is being constructed just for
the evening outside the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Before and after the film, guests will have a chance
to see many of the sites actually used in the film and explore a wide range of exciting NASA
artifacts and displays.
The evening will conclude with an exclusive appearance by Aerosmith, during which the band will
perform "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," their new smash-hit single from the soundtrack of
"Armageddon," for the very first time. The film is scheduled to hit theaters everywhere on July 1.
In preparation for the event, Disney's technical wizards are building a state-of-the-art theater in a
tent just outside the Apollo/ Saturn V area at the Kennedy Space Center. As part of this, a
20-by-44-foot screen, 35mm projection equipment and a fully operational Dolby Digital sound
system are also being installed just for the occasion.
After the screening, guests will be seated under an enormous 363-foot Saturn V rocket for dinner,
following which they will go outside to enjoy Aerosmith's special guest performance.
"Armageddon" follows the fiery trail of an asteroid the size of Texas that is heading directly toward
Earth at 22,000 miles per hour. NASA's executive director, Dan Truman (Thornton), has only one
option -- to send up a crew to destroy the asteroid. He enlists the help of Harry S. Stamper (Willis)
-- the world's foremost deep-core oil driller -- to drill into its surface and drop a nuclear device into
the core.
On this heroic journey, they face the most physically and emotionally challenging conditions ever
encountered ... to save the world and prevent ARMAGEDDON.
