USA Network is taking its new hacker series, Mr. Robot to SXSW. The series premiere will screen at the Austin, Texas film & arts festival on Thursday, March 17th. Series stars, including Rami Malak and Christian Slater, will be in attendance.
Follow the jump for details. Mr. Robot will premiere on USA Network in June.
USA TO PREMIERE ITS INTENSE NEW HACKER DRAMA MR. ROBOT AT SXSW ON MARCH 17
Mr. Robot Among 5 TV series Selected To Debut at The Festival E! News Correspondent Marc Malkin to Moderate Panel and Q&A with Stars from the Series, Including Rami Malek and Christian Slater
AUSTIN, Texas – March 16, 2015 – USA Network will screen the world premiere of the new psychological thriller MR. ROBOT at the SXSW Film Festival on Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00pm at the Vimeo Theater, followed by a Q&A and panel discussion featuring the cast and executive producer Sam Esmail (“Comet”). The series, which stars Rami Malek and Christian Slater, was selected as one of five shows for the festival’s prestigious “Episodics” screening category, now in its second year.
In partnership with SXSW, the network will create custom beacon alerts rewarding consumers with free food and drinks, courtesy of “Mr. Robot.” Through Tuesday, March 17, festival-goers will be able to opt in to the official SXSW beacon network to receive push notifications alerting them to visit participating venues; giving attendees a sense that Mr. Robot is watching their activity and helping them “hack” SXSW. Locations include: Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace, Hideout Coffeehouse, Vimeo Theater and participating SouthBites food trucks.
Throughout the festival, USA is deploying brand ambassadors dressed as “hackers,” wearing all black and Mr. Robot style hoodies. During the activation, they will hand out “White” and “Black” cards to the crowds. The white cards will guide attendees to open the SXSW app to receive push notifications from Mr. Robot. White cards also serve as a platform for social amplification, as selfies taken with a Mr. Robot “operative” and #MrRobot, earn participants a black card. Black cards are $10 vouchers redeemable at participating SouthBites food trucks, the Intercontinental Terrance Bar & the Hideout Cafe.
MR. ROBOT, premiering June 2015, follows Elliot (Rami Malek, “24”), a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and as a vigilante hacker by night. Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader (Christian Slater, “Adderall Diaries”) of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the firm he is paid to protect. Compelled by his personal beliefs, Elliot struggles to resist the chance to take down the multinational CEOs he believes are running (and ruining) the world. The series also stars Portia Doubleday (“Her”), Carly Chaikin (“Suburgatory”) and Martin Wallström (“Simple Simon”).
From Universal Cable Productions, this contemporary and culturally resonant drama is executive produced by Esmail and Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin (“True Detective”) and Chad Hamilton (“Breakup at a Wedding”).
About USA Network:
USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com.