SHOWTIME(R) SETS PREMIERE FOR "HEIST 88" STARRING TWO-TIME EMMY(R) WINNER COURTNEY B. VANCE AND INSPIRED BY ONE OF THE LARGEST BANK ROBBERIES IN U.S. HISTORY

Photo Credit: Parrish Lewis/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky, HEIST 88 Will Stream Exclusively on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME in the U.S. on Friday, September 29 Before Making Its Linear Debut on SHOWTIME Sunday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

August 28, 2023 - SHOWTIME will debut HEIST 88, led by two-time Emmy Award winning actor Courtney B. Vance (The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Lovecraft Country) and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky. Inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history, the film will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME starting on Friday, September 29, and on SHOWTIME Sunday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Inspired by true events, HEIST 88 is the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, who decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system. The film takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today. It also reunites Vance with Keesha Sharp, who portrayed Dale Cochran in the award-winning limited series The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside Vance in the drama series 61st Street. HEIST 88 also stars Keith David (The Nice Things), Xavier Clyde (City on Fire), Nican Robinson (Beef) and Precious Way (Days of our Lives). Additional character descriptions include:

· Keesha Sharp will play Bree Barnes, an elegant, smart, political consultant that possesses a criminal mind and is Jeremy's love interest.

· Keith David will play Buddha Ray (Raymond Oliver), a master safecracker and mentor to Jeremy.

· Xavier Clyde will play Danny Pugh, a nerdy, comic book collector who is brilliant with numbers and data and loves research but has given up on his job at the bank.

· Bentley Green will play Marshall King, a cocky, energetic, house music DJ and Jeremy's nephew.

· Nican Robinson will play Rick Windom, a young loyal bank employee working in "the back of the bank" for nearly six years with dreams of becoming a stockbroker.

· Precious Way will play LaDonna Sanders, a beautiful, bright, bank employee who is ambitious but unseen at First Chicago Bank.

HEIST 88 is written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran (Minor Adjustments) with Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood) serving as director. The film is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Lynnette Ramirez and Dwayne Johnson-Cochran for Bassett Vance Productions and Van Toffler and Barry Barclay for Gunpowder & Sky. Amal Baggar, Mychael Chinn, and Donny Hugo Herran serve as executive producers for MTV Entertainment Studios, with Carlos Lugo serving as executive in charge of production.

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(TM). 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. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME(R) content, including scripted hits, critically acclaimed nonfiction projects, SHOWTIME SPORTS(R) (including industry-leading SHOWTIME BOXING(R)) and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more, plus streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis. For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks is a preeminent media entity that connects with global audiences through its iconic brands, popular and acclaimed series as well as the three time Oscar(R)-nominated MTV Documentary Films.

BASSETT VANCE PRODUCTIONS

Bassett Vance Productions is a multimedia entertainment company amplifying the voices of creators whose stories are inventive in nature and distinctive at their core. The company identifies and develops projects that are diverse, thought-provoking and told through a contemporary lens.

GUNPOWDER & SKY

Since its inception in 2016, Gunpowder & Sky has released more than 60 feature films and series in theaters, on TVOD and on leading services such as HBO, Netflix, MTV, Hulu, Sky, Showtime, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Audible, Roku and Discovery.

Recent projects include the Emmy-nominated The Notorious B.I.G. Sky's The Limit: A VR Concert Experience, a state-of-the-art immersive concert and narrative experience, in conjunction with Meta and The Notorious B.I.G. estate, featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Sean "Diddy'' Combs in true-to-life avatar form; the three-part hair metal documentary series with Paramount+, I Wanna Rock: The '80s Metal Dream; another three-part documentary series with Paramount+ exploring the history of soft rock, Sometimes When We Touch; Last Exit: Space, a doc written and directed by Rudolph Herzog and executive produced / narrated by Werner Herzog, premiered on discovery+; Call Me Miss Cleo, an eye-opening film chronicling the rise, fall, and reinvention of controversial and revered '90s television psychic Miss Cleo, featuring testimonials from actresses Raven-Symoné and Debra Wilson, debuted on December 15 on HBO Max; Gaming Wall Street, a two-part documentary narrated by Kieran Culkin exploring the historic 2021 short squeeze of GameStop, and how a group of armchair investors and online vigilantes ultimately helped expose the dark underbelly of Wall Street, premiered on HBO Max; and Sheryl, the intimate story of song and sacrifice of musical icon Sheryl Crow, premiered on Showtime and was nominated or an HCA for 'Best Broadcast Network or Cable Documentary TV Movie.' Additional projects in recent years have included the 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez and Lil Peep - Everybody's Everything.

With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Gunpowder & Sky was founded by Van Toffler and Floris Bauer.