PRODUCTION TO BEGIN ON "THE SUITE LIFE MOVIE" FOR DISNEY CHANNEL

Production will begin this month on the thrilling comedy/adventure, "The Suite Life Movie," a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) based on the pair of hit comedy series for the channel -- "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "The Suite Life on Deck" -- starring Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Debby Ryan and Phill Lewis. The movie is set to premiere in 2011 on Disney Channel.

"The Suite Life Movie" marks the seventh Disney Channel series to join the blockbuster DCOM franchise. The winning track record includes the most recent title, "Wizards of Waverly Place the Movie," which ranked as 2009's No. 1 scripted cable TV telecast among Total Viewers (13.5 million), and TV's No. 1 telecast among Kids 6-11 (5.32 million), and its No. 1 scripted telecast among Tweens 9-14 (4.64 million).

The writers for "The Suite Life Movie" are Michael Saltzman, who wrote the story for "The Pink Panther" movie and executive-produced "Murphy Brown," and Robert Horn, writer of Broadway's "13," writer/producer of "Designing Women" and writer of Disney Channel's upcoming "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure."

Sean McNamara is directing the movie. He executive-produced the hit series "Even Stevens," for which he also earned two DGA Award nominations, and produced "That's So Raven" for Disney Channel. He also directs the Disney XD series "Zeke and Luther." Pamela Eells O'Connell ("The Suite Life on Deck," "Family Matters"), Irene Dreayer ("The Suite Life on Deck," "Sister, Sister"), Jessica Rhoades ("Den Brother"), Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse are executive producers.

As the story goes, teenage twins Cody and Zack Martin receive an opportunity to participate in the prestigious Gemini Project at a high-tech research center that studies the dynamics between twins. Soon they find themselves connected in a way they've never been before: When one twin experiences a sensation, thought or feeling, the other twin feels it too. While this newfound power helps the boys see eye to eye for the first time, it ultimately puts them in more danger than they could have imagined.

Since the launch of its third season in July, "The Suite Life on Deck" ranks among TV's Top 5 series in target Kids 6-11 (1.4 million/5.7 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.3 million/5.5 rating). Source: NTI, 6/28/10-9/5/10, most current, based on minimum 5 telecasts.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.