LIONSGATE AND GRINDSTONE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP RENEW FILM SLATE DEAL WITH EMMETT/FURLA AND CHEETAH VISION FOR ADDITIONAL 10 FILMS, EXPAND OVERALL RELATIONSHIP

Partnership Has Produced A String of Successful Features; Crime Thriller EMPIRE STATE, Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson And Liam Hemsworth, Is Next Film Slated For Release

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 7, 2012 /CNW/ - Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and its Grindstone Entertainment Group and Emmett/Furla Films, a prolific producer of filmed entertainment featuring some of the leading actors and filmmakers in the industry today, have renewed their slate deal for another 10 films and expanded their overall relationship, the companies announced today.

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The Grindstone collaboration with Emmett/Furla and Cheetah Vision has generated a string of successful features starring notable A list actors, including: the thriller SET UP, starring Bruce Willis, Ryan Phillippe and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson; the crime drama FREELANCERS, starring Robert DeNiro and Forrest Whitaker; the high octane FIRE WITH FIRE, starring Willis, Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson and Vincent D'Onofrio; and the serial killer thriller THE FROZEN GROUND, starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. The next film slated for release from Grindstone's partnership with Emmett/Furla is the crime thriller EMPIRE STATE, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, THE HUNGER GAMES' Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts.

"Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years, and their pipeline of commercially exciting, quality films from Emmett/Furla has been a key element of their success," said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. "Grindstone's partnership with Emmett/Furla is based on successful film distribution models that have achieved a consistent level of profitability and established Grindstone as an important brand in filmed entertainment."

"Our partnership with Emmett/Furla is on a roll, and we're delighted to extend our agreement for another 10 films," said Grindstone President Barry Brooker. "Randall Emmett and George Furla are among the most prolific producers of films in the world today, and they combine a strong financial sensibility and a natural eye for great filmmaking. The Emmett/Furla name is recognizable among audiences worldwide as a reliable source of exciting and entertaining films and is trusted by our distribution partners as a brand that consistently meets expectations and delivers results."

"We have partnered with the Lionsgate family on films for more than 10 years, and we're thrilled to see our partnership continue to grow with their success," said Emmett/Furla's Randall Emmett and George Furla. "Lionsgate is one of the most exciting, innovative and entrepreneurial entertainment companies in the world, and we're delighted to bring our longstanding relationship with Steve Beeks, Barry Brooker and the rest of the Lionsgate team to the next level."

Emmett/Furla has partnered with Lionsgate on such theatrical films as RAMBO, WONDERLAND, NARC and A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG, and they are producing the action thriller THE TOMB, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, for nationwide theatrical release by the Lionsgate family next year.

The deal was negotiated by Beeks for Lionsgate, Brooker and Stan Wertlieb for Grindstone and Emmett for Emmett/Furla.

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. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of primetime cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 16 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning "Mad Men," "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie," along with the powerful drama "Boss," the new network series "Nashville" and "Next Caller," the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," its spinoff "Meet the Browns," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?" and the upcoming "Anger Management," starring Charlie Sheen, and "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, which has already grossed nearly $650 million at the worldwide box office, "The Expendables," "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Cabin In The Woods," "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" and "Margin Call." With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company now has the two leading young adult franchises - the blockbuster "Twilight Saga," which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and "The Hunger Games." Recent Summit hits include "Red," "Letters to Juliet," "Knowing," the "Step Up" franchise and the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, "The Hurt Locker."

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 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 and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

For further information, please contact:

Peter D. Wilkes
Lionsgate
310-255-3726
[email protected]

SOURCE Lionsgate

http://www.lionsgate.com

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