THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D Revs Up

Production on Latest Installment Set to Begin in June

Santa Monica, CA, May 09, 2011– LIONSGATE, a leading global entertainment company, today announced that THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D, the next installment in the long standing franchise, is set to commence production. The film is a collaboration between Lionsgate and frequent production partner Nu Image, with Lionsgate assuming U.S. distribution rights and Nu Image handling international sales beginning at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The announcement was made jointly by Joe Drake, President of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, Mike Paseornek, President of Motion Picture Development and Production, and Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions.

John Luessenhop (TAKERS) is in discussions to direct the film, which is to be produced by Carl Mazzocone.  Production is slated to begin in June, 2011. Mazzocone, who served as President of Production at Twisted Pictures for four years before returning to independent producing, pursued the underlying rights to the property and ultimately secured an overall deal to make up to six future sequels. Nu Image’s Avi Lerner and Mark Burg will be executive producing.

Said Paseornek of the project, “This is a franchise with such enduring opportunity, and Nu Image is the perfect partner with which to realize that opportunity.” Adds Constantine, “We have had much success in working with Nu Image to revitalize existing genres or characters – from The Expendables, which was our highest grossing film ever, to this Summer’s Conan The Barbarian 3D. We’re thrilled that Carl Mazzocone has chosen us to help him carry out his vision for this great property. It feels very much like home to be again collaborating with Mark Burg after all of our shared successes with the Saw films.”

“I’m excited to re-conceive this iconic horror classic in a contemporary setting for a new generation of horror fans to enjoy,” said producer Mazzocone. “Our story picks up where the original left off. Both John Luessenhop and I intend to deliver a new chapter derived from Tobe Hooper’s 1973 masterpiece with the goal of making it as horrifying as the original — in 3D!”

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 recent 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.