LIONSGATE AND STUDIOCANAL EXPAND WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIP

Renew Longterm Library Distribution Agreement For Lionsgate To Distribute More Than 2,000 STUDIOCANAL Titles

STUDIOCANAL To Distribute Next Installment of Global Blockbuster THE HUNGER GAMES Franchise, CATCHING FIRE, In German Speaking Territories

CANNES, France, and SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, and media giant STUDIOCANAL have extended and expanded their partnership with a longterm renewal of the agreement under which Lionsgate distributes the STUDIOCANAL library of more than 2,000 titles as well as a new agreement for STUDIOCANAL to distribute the next installment of THE HUNGER GAMES franchise, CATCHING FIRE, in the German speaking territories, the two companies announced today at the Cannes Film Festival.

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The first film in the franchise, the global blockbuster THE HUNGER GAMES, has grossed nearly $400 million at the North American box office and is approaching $650 million at the worldwide box office, including more than $24 million at the box office in the German speaking territories.

"STUDIOCANAL exemplifies the global reach, market leadership and innovative thinking of the media companies with whom we are partnered around the world," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. "We're delighted to expand our longstanding STUDIOCANAL relationship with a renewal of our filmed entertainment library distribution agreement as well as an agreement for STUDIOCANAL to distribute CATCHING FIRE in the German speaking territories. Our STUDIOCANAL partnership has been an important part of our growth around the world, and we believe that they will become an even more important part of our future."

Olivier Courson, Chairman of STUDIOCANAL : "Lionsgate has always been a great partner to STUDIOCANAL. In the US they have distributed our library, from GRAND ILLUSION to TERMINATOR 2. They had a great success with LAST EXORCISM, opening it to over $20 million. In the UK we are partners in the leading independents home entertainment operation Elevation. And in Germany, we have a long term relationship on current films and are very happy to have THE HUNGER GAMES. Strengthening our partnership with an even stronger Lionsgate on a long term basis is a great opportunity for STUDIOCANAL."

"Lionsgate has been very successful in monetizing our library titles over the years, and we're pleased to extend that arrangement for many years to come," said STUDIOCANAL Germany CEO Rodolphe Buet. "Lionsgate's pipeline includes some of the most commercially exciting films in the world and we're delighted to follow up our successful relationship on THE HUNGER GAMES with distribution of the next exciting film in the franchise, CATCHING FIRE, throughout the German speaking territories. We believe that THE HUNGER GAMES phenomenon will continue to build worldwide and will resonate with our audiences for years to come."

The STUDIOCANAL library includes DVD, television, on demand and digital rights to some of the top titles from the former Carolco and DEG libraries, including TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, TOTAL RECALL, BASIC INSTINCT and RAMBO as well as classics such as TENDER MERCIES, CRIMES OF THE HEART, FRANCES and EVIL DEAD II and French masterpieces including Jean Renoir's GRAND ILLUSION and RULES OF THE GAME and Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE and THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE.

In addition to Lionsgate's distribution of the STUDIOCANAL library and STUDIOCANAL's distribution of THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE in the German-speaking territories, Lionsgate UK and STUDIOCANAL are partnered in the UK in Elevation Sales, a home entertainment sales and distribution joint venture.

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.

ABOUT STUDIOCANAL
STUDIOCANAL is a subsidiary of the CANAL+ Group. It is one of Europe's leading companies in the market for co-production, acquisition, distribution and sale of international feature films. STUDIOCANAL is the only studio operating simultaneously in three main territories across Europe: France, the United Kingdom and Germany. The company distributes a total of more than 50 films a year throughout Europe. Additionally, STUDIOCANAL owns one of the most important libraries in the world, with more than 5,000 international titles.

STUDIOCANAL's Production ambitions have recently included TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, based on John le Carre's bestseller, directed by Tomas Alfreson, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy and produced by Working Title. This film was number one in the box-office for 3 weeks in a row in the UK and grossed over $80 million worldwide. This year STUDIOCANAL will also entirely finance the Coen's INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, with Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman, Susanne Bier's SERENA, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and Dan Mazer's hotly anticipated comedy I GIVE IT A YEAR with Rose Byrne and Simon Baker, all currently in production.

STUDIOCANAL also has an exclusive deal with Belgian company nWave, European leader in 3D production. In 2012, STUDIOCANAL and nWave will release the sequel to SAMMY's adventures. SAMMY's first film, out in 2010, had grossed $80 million worldwide.

Finally, in January 2012, STUDIOCANAL became a major shareholder in Tandem Communications, one of the leading European companies for international primetime Event TV productions and worldwide distribution of quality television programs (Pillars of the Earth, Labyrinth, World Without End...).

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

STUDIOCANAL
Sophie Kopaczynski - [phone] - [email protected]
Caroline Grangie [phone] [email protected]

SOURCE Lionsgate

http://www.lionsgate.com

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