Lionsgate(R) Scores MORE THAN A GAME

Lionsgate(R) Scores MORE THAN A GAME

Studio Acquires Worldwide Rights To Documentary Portrait Of 'Fab Five' Youth Basketball Team That Launched NBA Superstar LeBron James

Fall 2009 Release Planned

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LIONSGATE(R) (NYSE:LGF) , a leading next generation filmed entertainment studio, today announced that it has acquired worldwide distribution rights from St. V, LLC to the documentary MORE THAN A GAME. Directed by Kristopher Belman and produced by Harvey Mason Jr. and Belman, MORE THAN A GAME tells the true story of five talented young basketball players, including future NBA superstar LeBron James, and their remarkable journey from Akron, Ohio to the national high school championship series. The film is written by Brad Hogan and Belman; joining Mason and Belman in producing are Matthew Perniciaro and Kevin Mann. The executive producers are Maverick Carter, LeBron James and Jimmy Iovine. The announcement was made jointly by Jason Constantine, Lionsgate President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Tom Ortenberg, Lionsgate President of Theatrical Films.

Lionsgate in association with Harvey Mason Media and Interscope Records plans to release MORE THAN A GAME in Fall 2009. The film made its world premiere at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, where the audience responded with a five-minute standing ovation. Lionsgate will be joined in marketing MORE THAN A GAME by the NBA and by LeBron James' brand partners, State Farm(R), Nike and Coca-Cola.

Said director/co-writer/producer Belman, "I have tremendous admiration for the films Lionsgate has released, so it's very exciting to have this studio behind MORE THAN A GAME. I know this movie's in the best possible hands."

Speaking on behalf of the film's producers, Mason commented, "We are thrilled that Lionsgate has joined the MORE THAN A GAME team. They have an amazing track record and we feel very fortunate to be joining forces. As a marketing and distribution partner, Lionsgate is the studio equivalent of the Fab Five: very talented, hard-working and possessed of real heart."

Said Constantine and Ortenberg, "MORE THAN A GAME is so much more than a documentary. It's a film that appeals simultaneously to niche viewers and broad audiences. That's not an easy feat to pull off, but thanks to great filmmaking, a great story and a great cast, MORE THAN A GAME is a slam dunk."

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Constantine, Ortenberg, Eda Kowan, Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Wendy Jaffe, Executive Vice President Business & Legal Affairs, Acquisitions and Co-Productions. The film's sale was represented by Endeavor Independent.

SYNOPSIS

Five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio star in MORE THAN A GAME, a remarkable true-life coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity. Coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player's father, and led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, the "Fab Five's" improbable nine-year journey leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested -- both on and off the court -- as James' exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they've set out to achieve together. MORE THAN A GAME combines a series of unforgettable one-on-one interviews with rare news footage, never-before-seen home videos, and personal family photographs to bring this heart-wrenching and wholly American story to life.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is the leading next generation filmed entertainment studio with a major presence in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company is leveraging its content leadership and marketing expertise through a series of partnerships that include the operation of the highly successful FEARNet branded VOD and Internet horror channel with Sony and Comcast, the announcement of the fall 2009 launch of a new premium entertainment channel with partners Viacom, Paramount Pictures and MGM, investment in the leading young men's digital distribution platform Break.com, ownership of the premier independent television syndication company Debmar-Mercury and an alliance with independent filmed entertainment production and distribution company Roadside Attractions. Lionsgate also has forged partnerships with leading content creators, owners and distributors in key territories around the world, including Televisa in the U.S. and Latin America, StudioCanal in the UK, Hoyts and Sony in Australia and Eros International in India.

The Company has generated more than $450 million at the North American theatrical box office in the past 12 months and has forged leadership positions in television and home entertainment with the production of such critically-acclaimed television series as "Weeds" and "Mad Men," the distribution of "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," "Family Feud," "South Park," "Trivial Pursuit" and "The Dead Zone," and nearly 8% market share and the industry's leading box office-to-DVD conversion rate in home entertainment. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 12,000 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 is synonymous with entrepreneurial innovation and original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.

ABOUT ST. V, LLC

St. V, LLC is a limited liability company whose principals are Harvey Mason, Jr., CEO of Harvey Mason Media, and Kristopher Belman. St. V, LLC has partnered with Interscope Records, LeBron James, Coach Dru Joyce II, Dru Joyce III, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, and Willie McGee.

   www.lionsgate.com      For further information, contact:    Sarah Greenberg   310-255-3856   sgreenberg@lionsgate.com     For corporate inquiries, please contact:    Peter D. Wilkes   pwilkes@lionsgate.com   310-255-3726  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: cfish@lionsgate.com

Source: Lionsgate

CONTACT: Sarah Greenberg, +1-310-255-3856, sgreenberg@lionsgate.com, or
Peter D. Wilkes, +1-310-255-3726, pwilkes@lionsgate.com, both of Lionsgate

Web Site: http://www.lionsgate.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment