NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - First came coffee, now comes Hollywood.

Latte giant Starbucks (Research) announced a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment Thursday to promote the studio's upcoming film "Akeelah and the Bee."

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Starbucks will promote the film in its U.S. and Canadian stores and will sell DVDs of the movie and CDs of its soundtrack in the U.S.

Company executives said in a statement that the company would run a series of in-store promotions including a sneak preview of the film slated for release on April 28, 2006.

The deal marks the next step in the company's plans to move into the entertainment market. Starbucks already sells CDs in its stores and expects to begin selling DVDs of select movies later this year.

"Given the success we've experienced with music, this is a logical extension to our entertainment strategy," Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment said in a statement released Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Starbucks will receive an undisclosed share of the movie's box-office proceeds as part of the deal with Lions Gate.

In the meantime, the company is already assessing additional scripts and meeting with Hollywood studios to launch film projects, according to the paper.

Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz also told the Journal that the company will also sell books either with a partner or through a self-publishing effort.

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