SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading diversified independent movie studio, and Tyler Perry continue to be an unstoppable force in Hollywood as Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls debuted at number one on the DVD sell through charts, selling nearly one million units in its first week of release. Based on the collection of choreopoems by Ntozake Shange and the award-winning play, the landmark film, which grossed $38 million during its theatrical run, brings together one of the most impressive casts of African-American actresses ever assembled including Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Kimberly Elise, Macy Gray, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington and Whoopi Goldberg. Under Perry's direction, the powerhouse film weaves together the lives of nine women with a range of emotions, each speaking her truth.

The partnership between Lionsgate and Perry has proven successful across film, DVD and television. Perry has released ten films theatrically through Lionsgate since Diary of a Mad Black Woman in February 2005, and they have collectively grossed $519 million at the North American box office. Lionsgate will be releasing Perry's next film, Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, the adaptation of the popular play, on April 22, 2011. Additionally, Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury television syndication company has delivered over 350 episodes of his highly successful television series, "House of Payne" and "Meet The Browns" which currently air in dual windows on TBS and in Fox station group-led syndication.

For the past four years, Lionsgate has achieved the top conversion rate in the industry. This debut caps a strong run for Lionsgate in which the theatrical title Kick-Ass ranked first on the DVD, Blu-ray and digital charts when it debuted in August and The Expendables was the number one new release in its first week as well as the top converting major title in 2010's fourth quarter.

"With his multitude of successful plays and films, Tyler Perry has proven time and again that he is one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. In For Colored Girls, he shows that he can achieve the same emotion and power with a release based on someone else's work," said Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate Home Entertainment General Manager and Executive Vice President. "In bringing this landmark play to life, Perry assembled the most formidable ensemble of African-American actresses to ever appear on screen at one time to create a movie filled with raw emotion, tremendous sincerity. Released during Black History Month and filled with wonderful special features, the home entertainment release provides people with another opportunity to watch this forceful movie."

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 and new channel platforms.  The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with recent series such as "Blue Mountain State" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns", "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?".

Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as THE EXPENDABLES, which was #1 at the North American box office for two weeks, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 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 brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

SOURCE Lionsgate

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