LIONSGATE ACHIEVES RECORD SALES AT 2013 CANNES MARKET WITH SLATE OF NINE FILMS LED BY MOCKINGJAY 1 & 2, STEP UP 5 AND THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

CANNES, France, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) continued to dazzle its International distribution partners with its lineup of films for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, achieving a Company record of more than $250 million in sales for nine titles that included MOCKINGJAY 1 and 2, the third and fourth installments of the global blockbuster HUNGER GAMES franchise, STEP UP 5 and upcoming Lionsgate and Summit titles such as DRAFT DAY, THE LAST WITCH HUNTER and Lionsgate UK's A LITTLE CHAOS.

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The record total surpassed last year's mark by more than 50% and doesn't include the expected revenue from territories where Lionsgate distributes directly, such as the UK, or through distribution partnerships such as its 50/50 joint venture with IDC in Latin America and its partnership with Universal Pictures in India.

"Our strong performance at Cannes this year is attributable in part to the international framework we've set in place combining output deals around the world with self-distribution in key territories such as the UK and Latin America," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chair Patrick Wachsberger.  "This infrastructure gives us enormous flexibility and is already delivering remarkable results."

Wachsberger also noted that Lionsgate fielded one of its strongest slates ever at Cannes, and the Company built anticipation among its distributors by showing them elements of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE campaign and a sneak preview of footage from one of its upcoming young adult franchises, Summit Entertainment's DIVERGENT.  Distributor enthusiasm was fueled by the presence in Cannes of CATCHING FIRE stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth and director Francis Lawrence, who met international press and attended a gala party for the film's distributors. 

The titles on this year's slate included the third and fourth installments of THE HUNGER GAMES franchise, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PARTS 1 & 2, Summit Entertainment's DRAFT DAY; Roman Polanski's VENUS IN FUR (R.P. Productions, Monolith Films) which is in competition for this year's Palme d'Or ; JOHN WICK (Thunder Road); THE LAST WITCH HUNTER (Mark Canton Production, One Race Entertainment, Emmett/Furla); A LITTLE CHAOS (Potboiler Productions, The Bureau); REAWAKENING (Blumhouse Productions, Mosaic); and the latest installment in Summit's global dance franchise, STEP UP 5.

Wachsberger led a team that included Wendy Reeds, Executive Vice President of Content Sales and Distribution at Celestial Tiger Entertainment, and Crystal Bourbeau, Senior Vice President of International Sales at Lionsgate as well as recently named Lionsgate International Chief Operating Officer Andrew Kramer.

Details include:

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PARTS 1 & 2 (ColorForce, Lionsgate)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland
Director: Francis Lawrence
Writer: Danny Strong
Producers: Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
Logline: In MOCKINGJAY PARTS 1 & 2, we follow heroine Katniss Everdeen's journey as she leads the districts of Panem in a rebellion against the tyrannical and corrupt Capitol. As the war that will determine the fate of Panem escalates, Katniss must decipher for herself who she can trust and what needs to be done, with everything she cares for in the balance.

Notable non-output partner sales include:

• Volga – CIS/Baltics
• Impuls – Switzerland
• Forum – Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Ex-Yugo, Bulgaria, Israel
• Eagle – Middle East
• Fida – Turkey
• Long Shong – Taiwan
• Lark - Hong Kong
• Universal – India, Italy

DRAFT DAY (Montecito Picture Company, OddLot Entertainment, Summit)
Cast: Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Combs, Terry Crews, Chi McBride, Frank Langella, and Chadwick Boseman
Director: Ivan Reitman
Producers: Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck, Ali Bell, and Gigi Pritzker
Logline: On the day of the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver (Costner) has the opportunity to save football in Cleveland when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he's willing to sacrifice in pursuit of perfection as the lines between his personal and professional life become blurred on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with dreams of playing in the NFL.

Territory sales include:

• Metropolitan – France
• Belga – Benelux
• Impuls – Switzerland
• Acme – Baltics
• Monolith – Poland
• Eagle – Middle East
• IDC – Latin America
• Golden Harvest – Taiwan, Hong Kong

VENUS IN FUR (R.P. Productions, Monolith Films)
Cast: Emmanuelle Seigner and Louis Garrel
Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Roman Polanski and David Ives
Producer: Basil Iwanyk
Logline: A director becomes enslaved by desire after reluctantly agreeing to audition one last actress for the lead role of his play. The film is an adaptation of David Ives's play Venus in Fur, a Broadway and off-Broadway success, that received a Tony® nomination for Best Play and garnered a Tony for Nina Arianda as Best Actress. 

Territory sales include:

• Ascot Elite – Switzerland
• Rai – Italy
• e1 – Benelux
• Pris – Portugal
• West – CIS
• Acme – Baltics
• Eagle- Middle East
• Gussi – Latin America
• Showgate – Japan
• Long Shong – Taiwan
• Delta Mac – Hong Kong

JOHN WICK (Thunder Road)
Cast: Keanu Reeves
Directors: David Leitch and Chad Stahelski
Writer: Derek Kolstad
Producer: Basil Iwanyk
Logline: From the producer of CLASH OF THE TITANS and THE TOWN comes a tale of adrenaline-fueled revenge and redemption. When a retired hit man is forced back into action by a sadistic young thug, he hunts down his adversaries with the skill and ruthlessness that made him an underworld legend.           

Territory sales include:

• Studio Canal – Germany
• Metropolitan – France
• MK2 – Italy
• A-Film – Benelux
• West – CIS
• Acme – Baltics
• Monolith – Poland
• Media Pro – Czech, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria
• Imagem – Latin America
• Golden Harvest – Taiwan, Hong Kong

THE LAST WITCH HUNTER (Mark Canton Production, One Race Entertainment, Emmett/Furla)
Cast: Vin Diesel
Director: Breck Eisner
Writer: Cory Goodman
Producers: Mark Canton, Bernie Goldman, and Vin Diesel
Logline: In THE LAST WITCH HUNTER, an immortal witch hunter (Diesel) partners with his natural enemy, a female witch, to stop the covens of NYC from unleashing a plague on humanity.

Territory sales include:

• e1 – Canada, UK, Australia
• Studio Canal – Germany
• Ascot Elite – Switzerland
• SND – France
• Aurum (e1) - Spain
• Nordisk – Scandinavia
• Belga – Benelux
• Central Partnership – CIS
• Monolith – Poland
• Jaguar – Middle East
• IDC – Latin America

A LITTLE CHAOS (Potboiler Productions, The Bureau)
Cast: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Alan Rickman
Director: Alan Rickman
Writers: Alison Deegan, Alan Rickman, and Jeremy Brock
Producers: Gail Egan, Andreaa Calderwood, and Bertrand Faivre
Logline: A passionate love affair challenges a beautiful landscape gardener both personally and professionally as she navigates the sexual and political intrigues of the Versailles court.

Territory sales include:

• Tobis – Germany/Switzerland
• Metropolitan – France
• Eagle Pictures – Italy
• Volga – CIS
• Monolith – Poland
• Jaguar – Middle East
• Kadokawa – Japan

REAWAKENING (Blumhouse Productions, Mosaic)
Cast: Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass
Director: David Gelb
Writer: Luke Dawson and Jeremy Slater
Producers: Blumhouse's Jason Blum and Mosaic Media Group
Logline: In REAWAKENING, a team of research students discovers the secret to bringing subjects back from the dead however their actions result in a series of sinister consequences.

Territory sales include:

• Lionsgate UK – UK
• Wild Bunch – Germany
• Impuls – Switzerland
• Metropolitan – France
• Belga – Benelux
• West – CIS
• Monolith – Poland
• Eagle – Middle East
• Fida – Turkey
• IDC – Latin America
• Golden Harvest – Taiwan, Hong Kong

STEP UP 5
Director: Trish Sie
Writer: John Swetnam
Logline: Fifth installment of Summit Entertainment's successful STEP UP franchise.

Territory sales include:

• Constantin – Germany
• MK2 – Italy
• Nordisk – Scandinavia
• Belga – Benelux
• Central Partnership – CIS
• Monolith – Poland
• Jaguar – Middle East
• Niners Entertainment – Korea
• Universal – UK, Australia, Switzerland, France, Latin America

ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has 28 television shows on 20 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the new comedy Anger Management, the network series Nashville, the syndication successes Tyler Perry's House of Payne, its spinoff Meet the Browns, For Better Or Worse, The Wendy Williams Show, Are We There Yet? and the upcoming Orange Is The New Black, an original series for Netflix.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first installment of The Hunger Games franchise, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Tyler Perry's Temptation, Warm Bodies, Snitch, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Expendables 2, The Possession, Sinister, The Cabin in the Woods and Arbitrage. Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

For more information, please contact:
Hans-Dieter Kopal
[email protected]
323-658-1555

SOURCE Lionsgate