Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to Host 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards

Show to Air on AMC on Friday, May 25th at 10:30 p.m.

Burt Reynolds, Gerard Butler and Jeanne Epper to Be Honored

LOS ANGELES, April 18 -- The Taurus World Stunt Foundation is pleased to announce that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will host the 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards taking place on Sunday, May 20th at Paramount Pictures. The show, which will air domestically on Friday, May 25th at 10:30 p.m. EDT/PDT on AMC, is the entertainment industry's only award show that honors and celebrates Hollywood's top stunt professionals who consistently push the limits thrilling movie goers throughout the world. Now in its sixth year, the Taurus World Stunt Awards has solidified its stature as the highest achievement that a stunt person can earn.

Johnson previously hosted the Taurus World Stunt Awards in 2005 and will next be seen in Disney's "The Game Plan," due out this Fall. In addition, Johnson is currently shooting "Get Smart" opposite Steve Carrell for Warner Bros.

"I have the utmost respect for the stunt community, which is why I am so happy to be hosting the TWSA for the second time. As actors, we truly appreciate all that they do as they literally put their life on the line for the sake of filmmaking. The stunt community is like family to me and I'm proud to be a part of honoring them."

"AMC is pleased to be broadcasting the Taurus World Stunt Awards and believe it will be a valuable addition to our programming slate," said Rob Sorcher, AMC's Executive Vice President of Programming & Production. "We look forward to honoring the industry's outstanding stunt men and women who contribute a great deal to the world of action feature films, and to providing our viewers with access to one of Hollywood's most exciting events."

This year, the Taurus World Stunt Awards will honor Gerard Butler, star of the blockbuster hit film "300" with The Action Movie Star of the Year Award. In his powerful portrayal of King Leonidas, Butler did many of his own stunts in the film which retells the story of the battle of Thermopylae. In preparation for "300," Butler trained extensively for seven months; including training with stunt men from the film.

Butler said, "It is such a special honor to receive this award from the stunt community. In each action film I'm a part of, I am continually amazed by their remarkable talent. While I am proud to receive this accolade, I am keenly aware of who the real action heroes are."

Burt Reynolds will receive the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award for an Action Star. Throughout his career, Reynolds has been an avid supporter of the stunt industry. He became a fixture behind the wheel during iconic car chase scenes from such hit films as "Cannonball Run" and the "Smokey and the Bandit" franchises. Reynolds joins an exclusive club of actors to be recognized with this honor that includes Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Harrison Ford.

Reynolds said, "I have the highest respect for the stunt professionals who risk their lives every day. I want to thank the Taurus World Stunt Awards for not only bestowing me with this honor, but taking the time to honor these professionals and the amazing work they do."

In addition, the Taurus World Stunt Awards will be honoring movie star and stunt icon Jeanne Epper with the highly coveted Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award. Epper becomes the first woman to be recognized by the stunt industry's most prestigious honor for her action-packed career spanning more than 50 years. Epper's work can be seen in more than 200 film and television productions including "Wonder Woman," "Charlie's Angels," "Romancing the Stone," "Fletch," "Armageddon," and "Kill Bill Vol. 2." A pioneer as a woman in the field, Epper's life and career was chronicled in the 2004 award winning documentary, "Double Dare."

Epper said, "It is an amazing gift to be honored by my peers with this award. It is especially gratifying to be the first woman to be honored with the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award. I want to thank Red Bull and Dietrich Mateschitz for their continuing support of the stunt industry and bringing this show to life each year."

The Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award is voted on by a Blue Ribbon Committee consisting of nineteen (19) stunt men and women who are leaders within their field. Epper joins an exclusive club of stunt icons who have been paid tribute with this distinction including Ronnie Rondell, Buddy Van Horn, Hal Needham, Terry Leonard and Vic Armstrong.

In addition to airing on AMC, the Taurus World Stunt Awards has become a global fixture and airs in more than 160 countries worldwide, captivating millions of viewers. The Taurus World Stunt Awards is the only show completely devoted to recognizing these behind-the-scenes heroes and their death defying work. Winning the 'Taurus' has proven to be the most prestigious honor a stunt professional can take home.

In the coming weeks, the Taurus World Stunt Awards will be announcing the nominees in nine (9) categories including: Best Fight, Best Fire, Best High Work, Best Work with Vehicle, Best Specialty Stunt, Hardest Hit, Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman, Best Action in a Foreign Film and Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director.

The Taurus World Stunt Awards will also announce the Taurus World Stunt Awards Foundation recipient and a star-studded list of presenters in the coming weeks. Past presenters include David Arquette, Michael Bay, Jason Biggs, Vin Diesel, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Gandolfini, Jennifer Garner, Brad Garrett, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kelly Hu, Johnny Knoxville, Kristanna Loken, Matthew McConaughey, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jonathan Mostow, Kevin Nealon, Bill Paxton, Keanu Reeves, Michelle Rodriguez, Seann William Scott, Jason Statham, Quentin Tarantino, Gabrielle Union, Vince Vaughn, and many more.

The show will be executive produced by Michael Dempsey (MTV Movie Awards, VH1 Big in '06, TV Land Awards), as well as Mitch Geller and Andrew Stefan.

About AMC

AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE tv and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 90 million homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."

About The Taurus World Stunt Awards

The Taurus World Stunt Awards benefits the Taurus World Stunt Awards Foundation, which was envisioned by Red Bull(R) Energy Drink CEO Dietrich Mateschitz. The Foundation was established by an endowment from Mateschitz to provide financial assistance to stunt performers who experience a debilitating stunt related injury.

SOURCE Taurus World Stunt Awards