LOS ANGELES - The first look at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby pictures
is going to cost some lucky newspaper or magazine a bundle -- but the money will
go to charity.
The couple announced on Monday that they have agreed to
let photo agency Getty Images market pictures of their newborn, Shiloh Nouvel
Jolie-Pitt, with all proceeds going to help the less fortunate.
Experts said worldwide rights to the pictures could sell for anywhere from $5
million to $7 million.
Shiloh was born on May 27 in a hospital in the southern African nation of
Namibia, where an army of paparazzi had descended hoping to capture their own
photos of the child.
In a joint statement, Pitt and Jolie said, "While we celebrate the joy of the
birth of our daughter, we recognize that 2 million babies born every year in the
developing world die on the first day of their lives. These children can be
saved, but only if governments around the world make it a priority."
Getty Images spokeswoman Deb Trevino said, "These are highly anticipated
images, and they will be out there quickly."
Details of the licensing deal were not revealed and Trevino would not say
when the pictures were taken or how publication rights were being offered to
newspapers and magazines.
Marc Kurschner, a senior vice president of Wired Image, said that in the last
two to three years prices for exclusive photos of celebrity families have gone
through the roof.
He said celebrities would turn to an agency like his or Getty to take the
pictures and market them because they are seen as being celebrity friendly.
Jonathan Klein, chief executive officer and co-founder of Getty Images, said
in a statement: "We are honored that the Jolie-Pitt family has recognized our
long-term commitment to these critical issues as well as our ability to use the
power of imagery to make a difference in the lives of many."
Jolie, 30, who won an Oscar for her role in the 1999 movie "Girl,
Interrupted," is a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees.
She and Pitt, 42, also are the parents of two adopted children,
Cambodian-born son Maddox, 4, and daughter, Zahara, an Ethiopian native who is
about 15 months old.
Jolie, Pitt and Shiloh participated in a private photo
shoot recently. The pictures taken at the shoot were purchased by Getty Images,
which will distribute them. Pitt and Jolie stated that the money earned from the
photos will be going to an undisclosed charity.
