LIONSGATE AND THUNDER ROAD PICTURES ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE COLLABORATION WITH GAME PUBLISHERS STARBREEZE AND 505 GAMES ON EXCLUSIVE "JOHN WICK" DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT FOR PAYDAY 2 GAME

VANCOUVER and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing to build its presence in the game space, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, and Thunder Road Pictures will collaborate with Starbreeze Studios (FN: STAR) and 505 Games, two independent creators, publishers and distributors of computer and video games, on exclusive downloadable John Wick content (DLC) for the PAYDAY 2 game worldwide, the companies announced today.  The unique package of branded game content will be released tomorrow, October 22^nd, two days ahead of John Wick's October 24^th launch in theatres around the world.

The exclusive content produced by OVERKILL Software – a Starbreeze Studio, based on the professional hit man from the movie, adds a playable John Wick character to the PAYDAY gang. The DLC will be released as a free update for the PAYDAY 2 game on the Steam platform two days ahead of the film's worldwide theatrical launch to mark the PAYDAY 2 community reaching the final 1.5 million member Crimefest milestone. Beginning tomorrow, moviegoers purchasing tickets to John Wick on Fandango will receive a free download of PAYDAY 2 on Steam.

"We're big fans of PAYDAY 2 and the team at Starbreeze, and we're thrilled to kick off our partnership with such a cool movie," said Lionsgate EVP of Digital Marketing Danielle DePalma. "The hyper-real action sequences in the film almost make you feel like you're watching an insane video game, so we cannot wait to see John Wick in theaters as well as experience him in the game."

"We continue working with great partners, this time with Lionsgate and their movie John Wick," said Starbreeze Chief Executive Officer Bo Andersson Klint.  "We've finally got a real hitman on our team. Being able to play as John Wick in PAYDAY 2 ahead of the movie's release is a great reward for our loyal PAYDAY 2 community, which reached the final milestone of 1.5 million members in our PAYDAY 2 Steam group before our 12-day Crimefest event."

"Lionsgate's entry into the game space is continuing to build momentum with the addition of another great partner and a tremendous piece of IP," said Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin.  "We're delighted to capitalize on this opportunity to collaborate with a world-class partner like Starbreeze whose unique action community includes millions of our target fans."

The exclusive package of DLC includes --

• John Wick, a new playable character in PAYDAY 2
• A new perk system called Hitman, which includes features such as Akimbo, the ability to dual wield weapons, a favorite of John Wick himself
• A new pistol with accompanying weapon modifications and a new knife melee weapon
• Three cool-looking sunglasses to customize and wear

Lionsgate has also recently announced partnerships with game developers Kabam and Next Games.  The John Wick film is already generating rave reviews and has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

For more information about the PAYDAY 2 Crimefest event, please visit:

www.overkillsoftware.com/crimefest

For more information about the John Wick movie, please visit:

www.johnwickthemovie.com/

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate, home to The Hunger Games, Twilight and Divergent franchises, is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 different 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 comedy Anger Management, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the first installment of the Divergent franchise, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted Man, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films' Addicted and Pantelion Films' breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

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 16,000 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. www.lionsgate.com

ABOUT STARBREEZE

Starbreeze is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. At Starbreeze we create games by our own design and through licensed content, establishing franchises that can live and prosper outside the game itself. We live and die by gameplay.

Starbreeze is pioneering digital self-publishing, currently hosting the largest community group on the digital distribution platform Steam. Starbreeze's most recent products include PAYDAY 2, our adrenaline fuelled bank robbing co-op game and the critically acclaimed adventure game Brothers –A Tale of Two Sons.

Starbreeze AB is publicly traded on Nasdaq OMX First North Premier under the ticker STAR and the ISIN code: SE0005992831. Starbreeze's brands include OVERKILL Software and the PAYDAY series.

See www.starbreeze.com for more information.

ABOUT THUNDER ROAD PICTURES

Basil Iwanyk is the founder and owner of Thunder Road Pictures, and his films have collectively grossed $1.8 billion worldwide. Thunder Road's upcoming films include the actioner John Wick and the fantasy adventure "Seventh Son" directed by Sergei Bodrov, which stars Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore. Thunder Road is currently in post-production on the tentpole film Gods of Egypt for Lionsgate directed by Alex Proyas and Sicario directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Benecio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin. Also upcoming for Thunder Road is a feature version of the highly successful video game Splinter Cell directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Hardy. 

Thunder Road's past films include the epic action adventure Clash of the Titans, the sequel, Wrath of the Titans, three installments of The Expendables, Brooklyn's Finest, We Are Marshall and Firewall. Thunder Road most notably produced the critically acclaimed drama The Town, directed by Ben Affleck.

ABOUT 505 GAMES

505 Games is a global video game publisher focused on offering a broad selection of titles for players of all ages and levels.  The company publishes games on leading console and handheld platforms as well as for mobile devices and social networks. Product highlights include, Sniper Elite 3, PAYDAY 2, Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons, Terraria, How To Survive, Defense Grid 2, and the upcoming ABZU and Adr1ft.

505 Games has offices in Los Angeles, Milton Keynes, UK, Lyon, Munich, Milan and Madrid and a network of distribution partners within the Nordic territories and Australia.  For more information on 505 Games and its products please visit www.505games.com.

For more information please contact:

Bo Andersson Klint, CEO, Starbreeze AB
Tel: +46(0)8-209 208, email: [email protected]

Julie Fontaine, EVP Publicity, Lionsgate
Tel: 310-255-4970, email: [email protected]

Brandon Cox, 505 Games
Tel: 818-257-3622, email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Lionsgate

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