Lionsgate and Tyler Perry have announced the commencement of production of MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION. The film marks the prolific filmmaker and multi-media tycoon’s 14th feature film production with Lionsgate in seven years. The announcement was made by Perry with Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairs of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group.
Comic legend Eugene Levy (the AMERICAN PIE franchise, BEST IN SHOW) stars in the film as George, a high level CFO at the center of a Ponzi scheme in New York City who is enrolled in the Witness Protection program along with his family in the one place that absolutely no one will think to look for them: Madea’s house down South. Perry wrote the script, is directing and producing the film, and will reprise three of his best loved roles – as tough talking grandma Madea, as Madea’s indelicate cousin Joe, and as plain-spoken attorney Brian, who places the family with Madea, resulting in the hilarious scenario that unfolds under her roof.
Rounding out the cast are Emmy®-winning actress Doris Roberts as George’s mother, Tom Arnold as his business associate Walter, Denise Richards as his younger wife Kate, and Danielle Campbell and Devan Leos as the family’s youngsters – for whom Madea has plenty of valuable lessons lined up. Actor and rapper Romeo also has a role in the film, playing Jake, a friend of Brian who was affected by the scam. John Amos plays Jake’s father in the film, and Marla Gibbs appears as Madea’s neighbor.
The film began principal photography on Monday, January 30th in Atlanta,Georgia, at the filmmaker’s own 200,000 square foot studio compound, Tyler Perry Studios. Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Development and Production, will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. Ozzie Areu, President of Tyler Perry Studios, and Paul E. Hall are producing the film alongside Perry.
“This is the ultimate fish out of water story, and I believe the funniest Madea story yet,” said Paseornek. “We loved the witness protection concept from the second we heard it, but whenTylercast comedy icon Eugene Levy and put him under the same roof with Madea and Uncle Joe, he took this movie to a whole new level.”
When asked for her feedback on the project, Madea herself added,”Auh hell, now they want me to work with these white folks. Next thing you know they will be asking me to go on Dancing With The Stars. I need to talk to my agent.”
The film is being produced under Perry’s ongoing first look partnership with Lionsgate. Perry’s theatrical releases for Lionsgate have grossed more than $572 million at the North American box office alone, and his films, stage plays and DVDs are all distributed by the company. GOOD DEEDS, starring Perry with Thandie Newton, will be released by Lionsgate this February 24th, with THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR in theaters on July 27th, 2012.
Perry also produces two hit television shows, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” and its spinoff, “Meet The Browns,” which are distributed by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury and continue to establish new standards of distribution and syndication success. His third television show, “For Better or Worse” debuted on TBS in November.
With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate 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 franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23. Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.
About Tyler Perry
Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Perry’s strength, faith and perseverance would later form the foundations of his plays, films, books and shows. A simple piece of advice from Oprah set his career in motion as a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences led to his writing of a musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed, in 1992. Five years later with no money left, sleeping in seedy motels and his car, Perry’s faith in himself and God only got stronger, allowing him to forge ahead. In 1998, his perseverance paid off when the play began a limited church run.
The community came out in droves and Perry never looked back as he began an incredible run of eight plays in eight years. Madea first debuted in 2000’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself and spawned three more plays leading to Perry’s jump to the big screen with 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which debuted at #1 nationwide. He followed with Madea’s Family Reunion, Daddy’s Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, Meet the Browns, The Family That Preys, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Why Did I Get Married Too?, and For Colored Girls, which were all met with massive fan support and commercial success. Madea’s Big Happy Family, which was first a stage play, opened at over $25 million this past April. In 2006, Perry’s first book, Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries On Life and Love, shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and claimed two Quill Book Awards.
In 2007, Perry expanded his brand to television with the series House of Payne, the highest-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time and followed that up with Meet the Browns, the second highest debut ever on cable, after House of Payne. In November, Perry unveiled his newest television series on TBS, “For Better or Worse,” based on the characters from the popular “Why Did I Get Married” films.
He can next be seen in the lead role in Good Deeds, and played the title character in the Rob Cohen film I, Alex Cross.Perry recently directed the upcoming Lionsgate drama based on his stage play of the same name, The Marriage Counselor.
Perry is represented by WME and attorney Matt Johnson from Ziffren Brittenham. Levy is represented by Anonymous Content and ICM. Talent deals for the film were negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Robert Melnik, EVP of Business and Legal Affairs.
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have together acquired U.S. distribution rights to Nicholas Jarecki’s ARBITRAGE. The announcement was made jointly by Steve Beeks, President and Co-COO of Lionsgate, and by Roadside Attractions’ Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. The acquisition was made following the well-received world premiere of the film at the Sundance International Film Festival.
ARBITRAGE is a taut and alluring suspense thriller about love, loyalty, and high finance starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta, and Nate Parker. The film was written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki, and is his first narrative feature. It was produced by Laura Bickford (Traffic, Duplicity), Kevin Turen, Justin Nappi, and Robert Salerno (A Single Man), and executive produced by Brian Young, Mohammed Al Turki, Lisa Wilson, Stanislaw Tyczynski, Lauren Versel, Maria Teresa Areda and Ron Curtis.
ARBITRAGE will be a Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions release, continuing the strong partnership between the two companies that led to the success of last year’s MARGIN CALL, also released by both companies. Also acquired at Sundance, that film struck a chord in the zeitgeist and was a commercial success in both its theatrical and VOD release formats. It was also nominated for an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay. The two companies have also jointly acquired EVERYTHING MUST GO and FRIENDS WITH KIDS.
“We are thrilled that we’ve found another film that is such a perfect fit for a Lionsgate / Roadside partnered release,” said Lionsgate’s President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Jason Constantine. “ARBITRAGE is an incredible directorial debut by Nicholas Jarecki. Richard Gere gives one of the best performances of his extraordinary career. Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Nate Parker, Brit Marling and Laetitia Casta all turn in incredible supporting performances. The film is an intense thriller set against the backdrop of a very specific time and place on Wall Street, but it’s also more than that- it shows so poignantly how interconnected we all are, and how a series of choices by a few people can affect so many.”
“This is a knockout performance by Richard Gere in Nicholas Jarecki’s smart and twisty Wall Street thriller. Following our great experience on MARGIN CALL, Roadside is thrilled to partner again with Lionsgate on another zeitgeisty film for grownups,” said Roadside Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff.
Added director Nicholas Jarecki, “I am overjoyed to be working with Roadside and Lionsgate and their pioneering teams. From the first day of this film I’ve felt an invisible hand guiding our luck forward; it was the collective dedication of our actors, crew, and now our new releasing partners. I can’t wait for people to see Richard and the cast’s beautiful, hauntingly electric work on-screen.”
Graham Taylor at WME Global negotiated deal on behalf of the filmmakers, with attorney Linda Lichter of Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler & Feldman. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Beeks and Constantine with Eda Kowan, SVP of Acquisitions, Wendy Jaffe, EVP Business and Legal Affairs, and Ron Schwartz, General Manager and EVP of Home Entertainment Distribution.
ARBITRAGE, the feature directorial debut of writer Nicholas Jarecki, is a taut and alluring suspense thriller about love, loyalty, and high finance. When we first meet New York hedge-fund magnate Robert Miller (Richard Gere) on the eve of his 60th birthday, he appears the very portrait of success in American business and family life. But behind the gilded walls of his mansion, Miller is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire to a major bank before the depths of his fraud are revealed. Struggling to conceal his duplicity from loyal wife Ellen (Susan Sarandon) and brilliant daughter and heir-apparent Brooke (Brit Marling), Miller’s also balancing an affair with French art-dealer Julie Cote (Laetitia Casta). Just as he’s about to unload his troubled empire, an unexpected bloody error forces him to juggle family, business, and crime with the aid of Jimmy Grant (Nate Parker), a face from Miller’s past. One wrong turn ignites the suspicions of NYPD Detective Michael Bryer (Tim Roth), who will stop at nothing in his pursuits. Running on borrowed time, Miller is forced to confront the limits of even his own moral duplicity. Will he make it out before the bubble bursts?
ARBITRAGE is written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki and stars Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta and Nate Parker. Stuart Margolin, Chris Eigeman and Bruce Altman co-star and Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter appears as James Mayfield. Laura Bickford, Kevin Turen, Justin Nappi and Robert Salerno produced the project, with Brian Young, Mohammed Al Turki, Lisa Wilson, Stanislaw Tyczynski, Lauren Versel, Maria Teresa Areda and Ron Curtis serving as executive producers. The Arbitrage creative team includes director of photography Yorick Le Saux (I Am Love, Carlos), production designer Beth Mickle (Drive), editor Douglas Crise (Babel), costume designer Joe Aulisi (Charlie’s Angels, Taking Woodstock) and composer Cliff Martinez (Drive, Contagion).
About Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions is a film distribution company committed to championing independent films with a willingness to entertain. The company’s 2009 release, THE COVE, captured the Academy Award® for Best Feature Documentary, and in 2010, its 6 Oscar® nominations — four, including Best Picture, for Debra Granik’s WINTER’S BONE, and two, including Best Foreign Language Film, for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s BIUTIFUL, solidified its major position on the distributor landscape. In 2011, Roadside Attractions released J.C. Chandor’s Oscar®-nominated MARGIN CALL starring Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany and Jeremy Irons; along with Robert Redford’s THE CONSPIRATOR starring James McAvoy and Robin Wright; Oscar®-winning filmmaker James Marsh’s PROJECT NIM; Miranda July’s THE FUTURE and Maryam Keshavarz’s CIRCUMSTANCE. Up next is the Academy Award® contender ALBERT NOBBS starring Glenn Close and Janet McTeer, which garnered three Oscar® nominations, three Golden Globe nominations and two SAG Award nominations; followed by FRIENDS WITH KIDS with a stellar ensemble cast including Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, ChrisO’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns.
Transaction Expected to be Significantly Accretive to Lionsgate Shareholders
Brings Together Hunger Games and Twilight Young Adult Movie Franchises
Lionsgate andSummit Entertainment today announced that Lionsgate has completed a transaction to acquire Summit for a combination of cash and stock valued at $412.5 million. The transaction unites two leading studios with powerful brands and complementary assets, solidifying Lionsgate’s position as the world’s largest and most diversified independent entertainment company. By acquiring Summit, Lionsgate enhances its feature film and home entertainment offerings and further broadens its 13,000 title filmed entertainment library to include such titles as The Twilight Saga, The Hurt Locker and Red. The integration of both Summit’s domestic and international theatrical film operations will significantly enhance Lionsgate’s production and distribution capacity, while also extending the Company’s worldwide reach and creating a dominant international sales organization.
The transaction brings together Summit’s Twilight Saga feature film franchise, which has already grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and Lionsgate’s highly anticipated Hunger Games franchise, which opens on March 23, 2012. Lionsgate will also continue to benefit from its premier television production and distribution business, its array of branded film and television properties, its suite of branded channels and its success as an innovator in creating and distributing content for digital platforms. Both the Lionsgate and Summit labels are expected to continue and be active in the production and distribution of films, although the combined company expects to realize significant synergies through the consolidation of administrative and other costs.
“This transaction continues Lionsgate’s long-term growth strategy of building a diversified worldwide media company through a combination of disciplined, accretive strategic acquisitions and organic growth while maintaining a solid balance sheet,” said Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer and Vice Chairman Michael Burns. “We are uniting two powerful entertainment brands, bringing together two world-class feature film franchises to establish a commanding position in the young adult market, strengthening our global distribution infrastructure and creating a scalable platform that will result in significant and accretive financial benefits to Lionsgate shareholders. Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger have built a remarkable organization, and we’re pleased to welcome Summit’s talented team to the Lionsgate family. Lionsgate’s growth has been built over the years in part by the successful acquisition and integration of companies like Trimark, Artisan, Redbus, Debmar-Mercury, Mandate and TV Guide Network and, in each case, Lionsgate has emerged stronger and the Company’s brand has become more resonant.”
“Jon Feltheimer, Michael Burns and the rest of the Lionsgate team have built an exciting and entrepreneurial content leader over the past 12 years, and we’re delighted to join together these two great companies,” said Summit Entertainment’s Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. “We believe that the combined entity will be even greater than the sum of its parts and our dramatically enlarged media platform will create tremendous opportunities for all of us within the Summit and Lionsgate families. We want to thank our employees, whose hard work and creativity have led to the successful evolution of Summit into a leading worldwide studio, and the combination of Lionsgate and Summit will be the next chapter in creating a true global media powerhouse.”
“As demonstrated by this acquisition, Lionsgate remains focused on preserving a strong balance sheet while pursuing its long-term growth strategy,” said Dr. Mark H. Rachesky, Co-Chairman of the Lionsgate Board of Directors. “We are big believers in the increasing value of content and this transaction strengthens Lionsgate’s asset base while providing significant financial benefits, including highly visible cash flow and revenue. We are looking forward to realizing the value of a Lionsgate-Summit combination for all Lionsgate shareholders.”
The majority of the purchase price was funded with cash on the balance sheet at Summit. The remainder was funded with $55 million of existing Lionsgate cash, $45 million of cash received from a newly issued series of Lionsgate convertible notes, $50 million of Lionsgate common stock and an additional $20 million of cash or stock to be issued at Lionsgate’s option within 60 days. At closing, Summit’s existing term loan was refinanced with a $500 million debt facility, secured by the collateral of the Summit assets. Although the term loan matures in 2016, the Company anticipates repaying the loan well before the maturity date, due to the significant cash flow the business is expected to generate. In addition, this expected cash flow will facilitate the Company’s financial objective of further deleveraging Lionsgate’s balance sheet. The transaction is expected to be significantly accretive in Lionsgate’s 2013 fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012.
JP Morgan, Barclays Capital, and Jefferies served as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners on financing the acquisition for Lionsgate. JP Morgan, Barclays Capital, and Jefferies also served as financial advisors to the Company. Barclays Capital provided a fairness opinion to Lionsgate. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as outside legal counsel for Lionsgate. Liner Grode Stein LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as outside legal counsel for Summit.
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 critically-acclaimed drama “Boss” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne”, its spinoff “Meet The Browns”, “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?”.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, MARGIN CALL, THE EXPENDABLES, 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 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.
About Summit Entertainment, LLC
Summit Entertainment, LLC is a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio. The studio handles all aspects of marketing and distribution for both its own internally developed motion pictures as well as acquired pictures. Summit Entertainment, LLC also represents international sales for both its own slate and third party product. Summit Entertainment, LLC releases on average 10 to 12 films annually. Summit’s previous film releases include Knowing; Red, an action-comedy starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman; the Academy Award® winning film The Hurt Locker; Source Code; and current award contenders 50/50 and A Better Life. The studio’s upcoming slate includes Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks; the next installment in the worldwide smash Step Up franchise Step Up 4; the film Warm Bodies; and the astonishing conclusion to the Twilight Saga series, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
Maya Rudolph and Jennifer Westfield in FRIENDS WITH KIDS, written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden
FRIENDS WITH KIDS, written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (KISSING JESSICA STEIN, IRA & ABBY), is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. Check out the laughs in the trailer below.
The last two singles in the group – Westfeldt and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, STEPBROTHERS), observe the effect that kids have had on their friends’ relationships and wonder if there’s a better way. They decide to have a kid together – and date other people.
There are big laughs and unexpected emotional truths as this unconventional ‘experiment’ leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, finally, true love.
The film stars Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox, and Edward Burns
Lionsgate acquired Red Granite Pictures’ FRIENDS WITH KIDS following its debut screenings at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Due in theaters this spring, the release will be handled jointly by Lionsgate and partner company Roadside Attractions.
Lionsgate has released a preview of their upcoming slate for 2012. Some of their upcoming films are THE POSSESSION, SAFE, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS and the highly anticipated THE HUNGER GAMES.
ONE FOR THE MONEY
Release Date: January 27, 2012
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, and Debbie Reynolds
Directed by: Julie Anne Robinson
Screenplay by: Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius
Based on the Novel by: Janet Evanovich
SYNOPSIS:
Katherine Heigl brings Stephanie Plum – the popular heroine of Janet Evanovich’s worldwide best-selling eighteen-book mystery series – to vibrant life in Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment’s ONE FOR THE MONEY.
A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum’s got plenty of attitude, even if she’s been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company…as a recovery agent. True, she doesn’t even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn’t stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny’s biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli – yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.
Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback – and a hefty payday – but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who’s the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn’t airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself…well, suddenly Stephanie’s new job isn’t nearly as easy as she thought.
Starring Katherine Heigl, ONE FOR THE MONEY is a fresh, funny action-comedy directed by Julie Anne Robinson and also starring Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds and Debra Monk. Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment Lionsgate Wendy Finerman Sidney Kimmel Entertainment production in association with Abishag Productions. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson. Screenplay by Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius. Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich.
Starring: Tyler Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson, with Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union.
Written, Produced and Directed by: Tyler Perry
SYNOPSIS
A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what’s expected of him, whether it’s assuming the helm of his father’s company, tolerating his brother’s misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancee, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. When he offers to help her get back on her feet, the chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in Wesley. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that’s expected of him for the life he’s always really wanted.
A moving, uplifting drama about coincidence, courage, and the defining choices we make on our paths to happiness, TYLER PERRY’S GOOD DEEDS is written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry, and stars Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson, with Phylicia Rashad, and Gabrielle Union. Lionsgate and TPS present, a TPS/Lionsgate production.
Twitter: @GoodDeedsMovie
THE HUNGER GAMES
Release Date: March 23, 2012
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Amandla Stenberg, with Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.
Directed by: Gary Ross
Screenplay by: Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray
Based on the Novel by: Suzanne Collins
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, and produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following. Lionsgate presents, a Color Force / Lionsgate production.
Twitter: @TheHungerGames
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Release Date: April 13, 2012
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.
Directed by: Drew Goddard
Written by: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard
SYNOPSIS
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.
If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.
Produced by Whedon and directed by Goddard from a script by both, the film stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert John Burke, Chris Sarandon, Anson Mount, and introducing Catherine Chan
Written and Directed by: Boaz Yakin
SYNPOPSIS
A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change – until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed.
But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action – and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a “counter.” He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for.
Realizing he’s the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city’s brutal underworld to save an innocent girl’s life – and perhaps even redeem his own.
Lionsgate and IM Global present in association with Automatik a Lawrence Bender production in association with Trigger Street Productions and 87Eleven, Inc. Written and directed by Boaz Yakin.
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Ben Falcone, Joe Manganiello
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Written by: Shauna Cross and Heather Hach
Inspired by the book by: Heidi Murkoff
SYNOPSIS
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood.
Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don’t stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy’s husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who’s expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler. Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn’t so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a “dudes” support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is. And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco’s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date?
A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Ben Falcone and Joe Manganiello. Lionsgate presents in association with Alcon Entertainment, a Phoenix Pictures production, a Lionsgate production. Directed by Kirk Jones. Written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach. Inspired by the book by Heidi Murkoff.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, also Jean Claude Van Damme, with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Directed by: Simon West
Written by: Sylvester Stallone
Based on the characters by: David Callaham
SYNOPSIS
The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal…
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) – with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard – are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time – six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.
That is done the Expendables way….
From Lionsgate and Millennium Films, THE EXPENDABLES 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the summer 2010 worldwide box-office success ($274 million worldwide). The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with newest cast members Liam Hemsworth, martial arts legends Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme, and Chinese actress Yu Nan as the first female EXPENDABLE. The film is directed by Simon West, written by Sylvester Stallone and based on characters created by David Callaham, and produced by Avi Lerner, Danny Lerner, Les Weldon, and Kevin King Templeton.
The box is real, its curse is legendary. Award-winning Ole Bornedal directs the tale of the horrific nightmare unleashed on one family who unwittingly brings a cursed box into their home. The real-life box gained notoriety in 2004 when it sold on eBay after causing inexplicable bad fortune to its owners which were attributed to a dibbuk – a malevolent spirit of Jewish folklore trapped in the haunted box. Directed by Ole Bornedal. Screenplay by Juliet Snowden & Stiles White. A Lionsgate and Ghost House Pictures presentation.
In Theaters March 2, 2012, check out the trailer for Lionsgate’s SAFE, written and directed by Boaz Yakin (REMEMBER THE TITANS).
A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change…until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed.
But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action…and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a “counter.” He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for.
Realizing he’s the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city’s brutal underworld to save an innocent girl’s life…and perhaps even redeem his own.
Lionsgate and IM Global present in association with Automatik a Lawrence Bender production in association with Trigger Street Productions and 87Eleven, Inc.
Lionsgate has announced an exclusive partnership with ABC’s Good Morning America to world premiere the highly anticipated trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES.
The debut will be hosted in person by actor Josh Hutcherson (THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT), who plays the pivotal character of Peeta Mellark in the film, in the top rated 8:00 hour of the show on Monday, November 14th. In addition to airing nationwide, the trailer will also be shown in its entirety on Good Morning America’s jumbotron in New York City’s Times Square.
The partnership, which further distinguishes the film as a major motion picture event, will mark the first time ever that audiences will be exposed to sights and sounds from the film such as Katniss’ home District 12 and the opulent Capitol. With 16 million copies of The Hunger Games in circulation, a vast audience of book fans will also undoubtedly tune in for the first chance to hear the beloved characters speak iconic lines of dialogue from its pages.
About THE HUNGER GAMES
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in theUnited States alone, has developed a massive global following.
LIONSGATE and Alcon Entertainment (THE BLIND SIDE, DOLPHIN TALE, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS) have agreed to co-finance the Lionsgate feature WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING. The two companies will be equally sharing the production and marketing costs on the film. The announcement was made jointly by Lionsgate’s Co-COO and Motion Picture Group President, Joe Drake, with Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, the Co-Founders and Co-CEO’s of Alcon Entertainment. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is scheduled for release on May 11, 2012.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Sean Kisker, EVP of Strategic Planning and Operations for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, and Wendy Jaffe, EVP Business & Legal Affairs for Acquisitions, and for Alcon by Scott Parish, the company’s COO/CFO and Alcon’s outside counsel Nigel Pearson and Michael Rosner of Loeb and Loeb.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING will be Alcon’s first investment outside of Warner Bros., where Alcon has a long-standing distribution relationship that has resulted in multiple successful films. Alcon’s participation as “passive financiers” of the project signifies the Company’s strategy to generate additional film output, and as such Johnson and Kosove will not take producer credits.
Lionsgate has historically worked with a wide range of producers and financiers with whom it partners on select releases. Alcon makes an outstanding addition to a family of partners that has included Lakeshore Entertainment, Relativity, Crest Animation, and others.
Said Drake of the partnership, “Andrew and Broderick have impeccable taste and they’re astute businessmen- their interest in partnering with Lionsgate is immensely flattering from both a creative and a financial perspective.” He continued, “This co-financing deal is ideal for both of us because it aligns our interests; there is a true sharing of risk capital including P&A on films that we both see great value in making. This deal provides a way for Lionsgate to pursue risk mitigation while allowing Alcon to have broader access to commercial content beyond the product they develop themselves.”
Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said jointly, “We are very excited to be investing in this terrific project. We have immense respect for the many business successes Lionsgate has had throughout their history and we have no doubt that WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING will continue that tradition.”
About WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood.
A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world.  The film is directed by Kirk Jones (NANNY MCPHEE, WAKING NED DEVINE) and stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, and Chris Rock.
About Alcon Entertainment
Alcon Entertainment co-founders and co-CEO’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson founded the Company in 1997 with financial backing from Frederick W. Smith, the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx. Alcon, which is named after a mythological archer and ally of Hercules, has financed, and/or co-financed/produced over 19 films, including “My Dog Skip,” “Dude, Where’s My Car?”, “Insomnia,” “Racing Stripes,” the Academy Award nominated Best Picture “The Blind Side,” which earned Sandra Bullock a Best Actress Oscar; “The Book of Eli,” starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman; “Insomnia,” starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank and directed by Chris Nolan; “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and “P.S. I Love You,” starring Hilary Swank, among many others.
The Company most recently released the box office hit family film, “Dolphin Tale,” starring Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Kris Kristofferson, on September 23, 2011. Alcon’s next release “Joyful Noise,” a music driven comedy starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton is slated for release January 13, 2012.
All Star Cast Includes Jurnee Smollett, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones,
Vanessa Williams, Kim Kardashian, Brandy Norwood, Ella Joyce, and Jerry Stiller
SANTA MONICA, CA (November 2, 2011) – LIONSGATE, together with Tyler Perry, today announced the commencement of production of THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR. The film, which is based on Perry’s beloved stage play of the same name, marks the prolific filmmaker and multi-media tycoon’s 13th feature film production with Lionsgate in seven years. The announcement was made by Perry and Joe Drake, Lionsgate’s co-COO and Motion Picture Group President.
The film is currently shooting inAtlanta,Georgia, at the filmmaker’s own 200,000 square foot studio compound Tyler Perry Studios. Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Development and Production, will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. Ozzie Areu, President of Tyler Perry Studios, and Paul C. Hall are producing the film.
Jurnee Smollett (“Friday Night Lights”, EVE’S BAYOU, THE GREAT DEBATERS) plays the central character in the film. Her character is caught between Lance Gross (MEET THE BROWN’S, OUR FAMILY WEDDING, “House Of Payne”) and Robbie Jones (HURRICAINE SEASON, “One Tree Hill”). Smollett’s Judith is an Ivy League educated relationship expert who gives marital advice for a living, yet can’t seem to follow that advice in her own marriage to Bryce (Gross). Bored with her life, she breaks her professional code and begins an affair with a smooth talking client (Jones). After the initial excitement of their torrid relationship wears off, Judith realizes that she’s made a grave mistake. It will take every ounce of courage and forgiveness for Judith to escape the dangerous situation she finds herself in.
Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Williams (SOUL FOOD, “Ugly Betty,” “Desperate Housewives”) in the role of Janice, the owner of the firm where Judith practices, and Kim Kardashian as Ava, Judith’s sassy co-worker. Accomplished singer and actress Brandy Norwood, better known to some as simply Brandy, will play Melinda, Bryce’s co-worker, whose personal life ends up intersecting with Judith’s in an unexpected twist. Ella Joyce will play Sarah in the film, with Jerry Stiller (“Seinfeld,” “The King Of Queens”) also slated to make an appearance.
The film is being produced under Perry’s recently extended multi-year first look partnership with Lionsgate. Perry’s 11 theatrical releases for Lionsgate in the past six years have grossed more than $572 million at the North American box office alone, and his films, stage plays and DVD’s are also distributed by the company. Perry also produces two hit television shows, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” and its spinoff, “Meet The Browns,” which are distributed by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury and continue to establish new standards of distribution and syndication success. His third television show, “For Better or Worse” debuts on TBS in November.
“I have a great relationship with Lionsgate and am proud to be making my thirteenth film with them. I always appreciate the artistic freedom they afford me, but will particularly appreciate it on this project, which explores family life even more up close and personally than I ever have before and speaks about so many universal issues and challenges that are dear to my own heart,” said Perry of the project, adding “I also couldn’t be more excited to be working with some fantastic actresses and some fellow multi-hyphenates for the first time on this project. I know that we are going to have the time of our lives making this film together.”
“This film is another wonderful outgrowth of our longstanding relationship withTyler. Tyleris on an exciting trajectory across his expanding array of platforms, and his filmmaking is no exception,” said Drake. “With GOOD DEEDS and now THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR, he is exploring issues that affect so many people, like balancing career and family, freedom and responsibility, and passion and duty- all while maintaining his signature style and his singular voice. He’s assembled an amazing cast, and we can’t wait to see what they create together.”
Perry is represented by WME and attorney Matt Johnson from Ziffren Brittenham, with Kardashian also represented by WME, and Gross by WME and managers at The Schiff Co. Smollett is represented by ICM, with Jones represented by The Gersh Agency, Williams by UTA and Geordie Frey,Norwoodby APA, and Stiller by The Kohner Agency.
About Tyler Perry
Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Perry’s strength, faith and perseverance would later form the foundations of his plays, films, books and shows. A simple piece of advice from Oprah set his career in motion as a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences led to his writing of a musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed, in 1992. Five years later with no money left, sleeping in seedy motels and his car, Perry’s faith in himself and God only got stronger, allowing him to forge ahead. In 1998, his perseverance paid off when the play began a limited church run.
The community came out in droves and Perry never looked back as he began an incredible run of eight plays in eight years. Madea first debuted in 2000’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself and spawned three more plays leading to Perry’s jump to the big screen with 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which debuted at #1 nationwide. He followed with Madea’s Family Reunion, Daddy’s Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, Meet the Browns, The Family That Preys, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Why Did I Get Married Too?, and For Colored Girls, which were all met with massive fan support and commercial success. Madea’s Big Happy Family, which was first a stage play, opened at over $25 million this past April. In 2006, Perry’s first book, Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries On Life and Love, shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and claimed two Quill Book Awards.
In 2007, Perry expanded his brand to television with the series House of Payne, the highest-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time and followed that up with Meet the Browns, the second highest debut ever on cable, after House of Payne. In November, Perry will unveil his newest television series on TBS, “For Better or Worse,” based on the characters from the popular “Why Did I Get Married” films.
He can next be seen in the lead role in Good Deeds, and played the title character in the recently wrapped Rob Cohen film I, Alex Cross.Perry is set to direct the upcoming Lionsgate drama based on his stage play of the same name, The Marriage Counselor.
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.
Impressive Cast Joins Arnold Schwarzenegger In High Octane Chase Story
Santa Monica, CA, October 17, 2011– LIONSGATE is pleased to announce the start of production on Kim Jee-Woon’s THE LAST STAND, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The announcement was made by the President of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group Joe Drake, and President of Production Michael Paseornek.
The shoot, which begins on October 17, 2011, will take place across locations in New Mexico and Nevada.
Rounding out the cast are Zach Gilford (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Forest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND), Luis Guzman (CARLITO’S WAY, BOOGIE NIGHTS), Rodrigo Santoro (CHE, I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS), Johnny Knoxville (The JACKASS films), Jaimie Alexander (THOR), Eduardo Noriega (OPEN YOUR EYES), Peter Stormare (FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) and Harry Dean Stanton (AILIEN, THE GREEN MILE).
Korean action-suspense master Kim Jee-Woon (A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) is directing the film, which is based on a spec script by Andrew Knauer that was subsequently rewritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff. Lionsgate has domestic and international distribution rights, with the film having pre-sold well in several overseas territories prior to its production. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing the film through his di Bonaventura Pictures.
Schwarzenegger stars as Sheriff Owens, a man who has resigned himself to a life of fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction after leaving his LAPD post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with failure and defeat after his partner was crippled. After a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the hemisphere is hurtling toward the border at 200 mph in a specially outfitted car with a hostage and a fierce army of gang members. He is headed, it turns out, straight for Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement will have their last opportunity to make a stand and intercept him before he slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility for one of the most daring face offs in cinema history.
Schwarzenegger, Knoxville and Jee-Woon are represented by CAA. Santoro and Stormare are represented by ICM, with Guzman represented by the Gersh Agency, and Whitaker and Gilford represented by WME. Stanton is represented by Bresler-Kelly and Associates. The cast deals were negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Robert Melnik, Executive Vice President of Business Affairs.
