PARAMOUNT+ TO PREMIERE "BLACK GOLD" FROM OSCAR-NOMINATED DARREN ARONOFSKY ON MAY 17

Produced by TIME Studios, PROTOZOA and CBS News

Documentary to Be Released Theatrically by Iconic Events Releasing, Ahead of Streaming Debut

April 27, 2022 - Paramount+ today announced that the gripping three-part documentary BLACK GOLD, from Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky's PROTOZOA and TIME Studios will premiere on Tuesday, May 17. The official trailer and key art were also revealed today.

Directed by Emmy Award winner Gabrielle Schonder and Oscar nominee Zach Heinzerling, the documentary will premiere in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, May 11, presented by Iconic Events Releasing, ahead of its streaming release on Paramount+.

"We are incredibly excited to bring such a captivating documentary from such a renowned filmmaker to Paramount+," said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount+. "BLACK GOLD offers viewers the opportunity to gain insight and immerse themselves in the investigation into a global conspiracy that is relevant to today's current events."

"BLACK GOLD is the truly epic story of a scientific discovery that rocked the world and a conspiracy to cover it up that threatens our existence," said Darren Aronofsky. "I am thrilled to be working with TIME Studios, Paramount+ and Iconic to bring it to theaters and screens around the world."

BLACK GOLD is the story of the cover-up of the century - of the boss atop a trillion-dollar industry who discovered a shocking truth 40 years ago, created a black ops conspiracy to hide the evidence, and would stop at nothing to keep the money flowing as the world burned. A CEO nicknamed Iron-Ass, whistleblowers from Exxon's own labs, professional climate deniers and spin doctors, a NASA scientist and a U.S. vice president are among the characters in this thriller based on a decades-long plot to trade our planet for profit.

"TIME has been at the forefront of covering the climate change crisis for decades. BLACK GOLD tells a crucial piece of the history of today's climate crisis, and TIME Studios is proud to partner with Darren Aronofsky and PROTOZOA, CBS News, and Paramount+ along with Iconic Events to bring this urgent story to audiences around the world," said Ian Orefice, president and COO of TIME and TIME Studios.

CBS News partnered with TIME Studios to produce BLACK GOLD, leveraging the reporting and access of TIME in combination with the rich archive of CBS News to chronicle the decades-long conspiracy.

"TIME is one of the most trusted names in news. When TIME Studios came to us with this bombshell of a documentary, we were stunned and wanted as many people to see this as possible," said Steve Bunnell, chief executive officer of Iconic Events Releasing. "Anyone filling up their gas tank these days and wondering about the price at the pump should want to see this movie immediately. This is excellent quality investigative journalism, and it's as real, timely and topical as any issue facing this country and our world today. Iconic is proud that this specially created theatrical version will be presented as a cinema event prior to its platform debut."

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world's biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream the company's other live channels: CBS News Streaming Network, the 24/7, premiere global-to-local streaming news service CBS News Streaming Network for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About TIME Studios

From one of the most globally iconic brands, TIME Studios is an Emmy Award-winning television, film and immersive studio focusing on the development, production and distribution of truth-based premium unscripted and scripted storytelling that moves the world. With technical innovation and a brand defining visual language that dates back 99 years, Time Studios aims to impact communities and the world at large with ideas that forge true progress. Combining the industry's leading creators with Time, one of the most trusted brands that reaches an audience of over 100 million people globally, Time Studios is uniquely positioned to bring massive audiences to the world's most impactful stories. Recent projects include: "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" (Netflix), "Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space" (Netflix), "Katrina Babies" (HBO), BLACK GOLD (Paramount+), "Big Vape" (Netflix), "John Lewis: Good Trouble" (CNN Films), "Amazing Grace" (Neon), "Right to Offend" (A&E), RICKY POWELL: THE INDIVIDUALIST (Showtime), "Mass Effect: The Story of YouTube," "Kid of the Year" (Nickelodeon/CBS), "TIME 100" (ABC) and the first scripted project for Time Studios, "Women of the Year" (Amazon).  

About PROTOZOA

Darren Aronofsky's PROTOZOA is a film and television production company based in Chinatown, NYC. Their credits include Aronofsky's π, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Noah, mother! and his upcoming film The Whale; they also produced Catch the Fair One, Jackie, White Boy Rick, Some Kind of Heaven, and Pacified. Upcoming features include The Good Nurse and The Territory. Their TV credits include One Strange Rock and Welcome to Earth for NatGeo. Upcoming TV credits include Kindred for FX, Limitless for NatGeo, and BLACK GOLD.

About Iconic Events Releasing

A fast-growing name in event cinema, Iconic Events Releasing brings live and filmed entertainment of all types to movie theatres as special limited engagement events, so that fans can watch their favorites on the big screen. Programming includes live pay-per-view sports, e-sports competitions, anime, music and comedy events, award-winning television specials, Broadway productions, exciting holiday specials, family events, live events for album releases, rock concerts, and music docs that celebrate diversity. Iconic's theater network represents some of the country's preeminent cinemas offering enhanced guest experiences, high-quality food and beverage service and reserved seating to ensure families can enjoy a night out at their local movie theatre. The company recently has enjoyed significant successes with "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy," "Bo Burnham: Inside," "David Byrne's American Utopia," UFC fights, and WWE SummerSlam, and upcoming has a varied slate, including theatrical events celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Selena" and the North American premiere of the anime film "Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis" as part of AX Cinema Nights Presents in a partnership with the Anime Expo.