Lionsgate's Grindstone Entertainment Expands and Extends Partnership with Emmett/Furla for Additional 10 Films

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, April 9, 2015 /CNW/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, and its Grindstone Entertainment Group have extended their successful long-term partnership with Emmett/Furla Films for another 10 movies, several of which will be released through the newly-launched Lionsgate Premiere label, the two companies announced today.

Grindstone's collaboration with Emmett/Furla has generated a string of successful star-driven event films, including the Bruce Willis/Josh Duhamel/Rosario Dawson action adventure Fire With Fire, the crime thriller Empire State, starring global superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and The Hunger Games franchise's Liam Hemsworth, and the serial killer thriller Frozen Ground, featuring Nic Cage and John Cusack.

The partnership's eagerly-anticipated upcoming slate includes the heist film Bus 657, starring Robert DeNiro and Kate Bosworth, the CIA action thriller The Extraction, teaming Bruce Willis, Kellan Lutz and Gina Carano, and the thriller Daughter of God, featuring an all-star cast led by John Wick's Keanu Reeves and Mira Sorvino.  Several films from the Grindstone collaboration with Emmett/Furla will be released through Lionsgate's new Premiere specialty distribution label, kicking off with The Extraction.

"Grindstone is an important contributor to the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and they have established one of the industry's most enviable track records of consistency and profitability as well as a dynamic pipeline of star-driven event films," said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks.  "We're delighted to extend their productive collaboration with Emmett/Furla for another 10 films that we expect to be distinguished by the high-octane excitement, A-list talent and commercial success that have become their trademarks."

"Randall Emmett and George Furla are among the most consistently exciting film producers in the world today, and we're thrilled to extend and expand our partnership for another 10 films," said Grindstone President Barry Brooker and Grindstone Partner Stan Wertlieb.  "Emmett/Furla is recognized by audiences around the world as a truly global brand synonymous with big stars, box office excitement and outsized commercial results.  Our pipeline of films from world-class producers like Randall and George, combined with our access to Lionsgate's tremendous marketing and distribution infrastructure, is an unbeatable combination."

"We've been part of the Lionsgate family since the earliest days of the studio, and our partnership has grown with their success," said Emmett and Furla.  "Lionsgate has emerged as a powerful creative force in the global marketplace, and we're thrilled to continue our collaboration with Steve Beeks, Barry Brooker and the rest of the Lionsgate team as well as to help launch Lionsgate Premiere, the Company's newest label."

Emmett/Furla has partnered with Lionsgate on the theatrical films Rambo, Wonderland, Narc and last year's Escape Plan, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in an action thriller that became a box office blockbuster in China and Russia on its way to grossing nearly $140 million around the world.

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

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate 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, channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company 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, the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black and new series such as The Royals, Manhattan, Deadbeat, Casual and Chasing Life.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first three installments of The Hunger Games franchise, the first two installments of the Divergent franchise, Now You See Me, John Wick, CBS Films/Lionsgate's The DUFF, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted Man, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films' Addicted and Pantelion Films' 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 rates. 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 EMMETT/FURLA FILMS

Founded in 1998 by company principals Randall Emmett and George Furla, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films is an independent film production company dedicated to the development, financing and production of top tier filmed entertainment for the theatrical marketplace. The company is a major supplier of quality commercial projects for the studios and major independents worldwide. The company has produced more than 80 films which have generated over $1 billion in worldwide box office to date.

Films produced by Emmett/Furla include: the blockbuster Lone Survivor, 2 Guns, End of Watch, Escape Plan, Frozen Ground, Alex Cross, Broken City, Empire State, The Amityville Horror, Rambo, Righteous Kill, 16 Blocks and Bad Lieutenant, among many other titles.  Emmett/Furla is currently shooting Martin Scorsese's Silence, has completed production on 90 Minutes in Heaven with Hayden Christenson and Kate Bosworth and is readying Tupac with Open Road and Monopoly, based on the iconic game property, with toy giant Hasbro.  

For further information, please contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
Lionsgate
310-255-3726
[email protected]

Hilda Somarriba
Prism MG
323-633-7079
[email protected]

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SOURCE Lionsgate