LIONSGATE CLOSES ON THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, acquired worldwide distribution rights to the horror film THE CABIN IN THE WOODS from MGM and scheduled the film to be released on April 13, 2012, it was announced today jointly by Joe Drake, President of the Motion Picture Group, and Jason Constantine, President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions.  The company will be distributing the film in North America and the UK, with Lionsgate's international sales team handling overseas sales.

The film was co-written by Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FIREFLY, the upcoming Marvel film THE AVENGERS) and writer Drew Goddard (CLOVERFIELD, LOST, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), and marks Goddard's directorial debut.  Whedon also produced the film, which he has described as "the horror movie to end all horror movies." The film is wildly imaginative and intensely horrific, toying with every convention of its genre while at the same time raising their stakes exponentially.  

THOR's Chris Hemsworth stars as a young professional who visits a quaint cabin in the woods with a group of friends and ends up scratching the surface of something so massive and horrific that they can only begin to fathom it as time quickly runs out.

Richard Jenkins (LET ME IN), Bradley Whitford (THE WEST WING), Kristen Connolly (THE HAPPENING), Brian J. White (STOMP THE YARD), Amy Acker (ANGEL), Fran Kranz (DONNIE DARKO), and Jesse Williams (BROOKLYN'S FINEST) also star in the film. 

"This is a movie that operates on many levels, and it works gloriously on every one of them," said Joe Drake.  "There is intense fan anticipation for this film, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver what we're sure will be a major zeitgeist movie and an instant horror classic- and on a Friday the 13th no less."

Added Constantine, "Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard are two filmmakers who I have long admired, and it's an honor and a delight to be in business with them.  They've made an incredibly terrifying, mind-blowing movie that simultaneously celebrates and innovates the genre that they both know and love so well."

Said Goddard, "Lionsgate's passion and enthusiasm for our movie has been so overwhelming, I had to go back and make sure we didn't accidentally screen The Godfather for them.   Fortunately, we did not.  We couldn't be happier at our new home."

Added Whedon, "I'm thrilled that Cabin has landed at Lionsgate because they get and love the film and I'm excited to be working with them on the release."

Negotiations on behalf of Lionsgate were overseen by Constantine along with Lionsgate's SVP of Acquisitions Eda Kowan and EVP of Business & Legal Affairs Wendy Jaffe.

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  the comedy "Blue Mountain State, " the upcoming drama "Boss" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns",  the upcoming "For Better or Worse," "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 successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, 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 8% market share and 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 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.

For further information, contact:
Kate Hubin Piliero
310-255-4064
[email protected]

For corporate inquiries, please contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate

SOURCE Lionsgate