Image Entertainment Nabs "CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES"

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Image Entertainment, an RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, has acquired the North American and UK rights to the thriller CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES on the eve of this year's  68^th annual Cannes International Film Festival.  The film is written by Robert Lowell and directed by Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Watchmen) who also co-stars along with Oscar nominee John Travolta (Pulp Fiction), Dan Stevens ("Downton Abbey"), Michael Pitt ("Boardwalk Empire"), Christopher Abbott ("Girls"), Rob Brown (Coach Carter) and Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class). CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES is set for a theatrical release Fall 2015.   Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment's Chief Acquisitions Officer for the Image brands, made the announcement today.  

"This is a smart, witty, extremely commercial thriller with elements of 'Boiler Room' and 'Reservoir Dogs' and an ending you don't see coming," said Ward.  "We're excited to bring this film with a star-studded cast to the big screen."

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES tells the story of four young men who, while acting on an inside tip, invest in a "sure thing" only to discover the deal going south while putting them in trouble with the mob. 

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES was produced by Wayne Rice, Howard Burd and Micah Sparks and executive produced by Rodger May, Gayle Nosal and Daniel Diamond.   The deal was negotiated by RLJE/Image Entertainment's Mark Ward and Matt Hooper and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers.  Diamond Pictures is handling international sales in Cannes.

ABOUT RLJ ENTERTAINMENT
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent owner, developer, licensee, and distributor of entertainment content and programming in primarily North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (feature films, stand-up comedy), UMC (urban), Acacia (fitness), Athena (documentaries), and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, and digital streaming.

Via its relationship with Agatha Christie Limited, a company that RLJE owns 64% of, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. RLJE also owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle's War.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, Acorn TV, Acacia TV, and UMC, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. Through its proprietary e-commerce web sites and print catalogs for the Acorn and Acacia brands, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.

SOURCE RLJ Entertainment, Inc./Image Entertainment