Lionsgate enters fiscal 2005 with its
trademark slate of approximately 15 star-driven
theatrical releases combining commercial
box office firepower and great potential
for critical recognition.
Lionsgate plays to its strengths
with a balanced mix of in-house productions
and acquisitions. We have planned a fiscal
2005 slate that includes approximately eight
specialty films, four genre pictures, franchise
films with partners like Marvel and about
four teen and urban comedies.
The Company maximizes revenue by retaining rights in most media wherever appropriate, although its international team typically presells foreign rights to significantly cover production costs and minimize risk. By owning a high proportion of rights, Lionsgate has been able to capitalize on revenues for its theatrical releases from the DVD revolution and its highly competitive output agreement with Showtime.
During the past year, Lionsgate earned
four Academy Awarde nominations for THE
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and THE COOLER,
giving the Company 17 Oscar nomination nods
in six years, more than any other independent
studio. This year, Lionsgate enters awards
season in particularly strong shape with
Michael Moore’s incendiary Palme d’Or-winning
documentary FAHRENHEIT 9/11, STAGE BEAUTY,
starring Billy Crudup, Claire Danes and
Rupert Everett, BEYOND THE SEA, featuring
perennial Oscar contender Kevin Spacey and
Kate Bosworth, and FIERCE PEOPLE, starring
Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland, all positioned
to be award contenders.
The Lionsgate logo won applause from audiences
across America this year with the remarkable
success story of FAHRENHEIT 9/11. Lions
Gate Films, with its codistributor IFC Films,
released it nationwide on June 25, 2004,
a mere three weeks after securing distribution
rights, and the film rewrote the record
books, becoming the highest-grossing documentary
of all time (outgrossing the previous top
10 non-concert, non-Imax, non-compilation
documentaries combined), capturing tremendous
critical acclaim and achieving more than
$100 million at the North American box office
by midsummer.
The Company also continues to build a powerful
position in the horror/thriller genre, achieving
hits with fiscal 2004’s CABIN FEVER
and HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and featuring
an upcoming slate that includes the eagerly-anticipated
shark thriller OPEN WATER, the terrifying
SAW, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, Rob Zombie’s
follow-up to his instant cult classic HOUSE
OF 1000 CORPSES, the French horror/thriller
HAUTE TENSION and FLIGHT OF THE DEAD.
Lionsgate is also cementing its position
in the urban film genre, following up releases
such as THE WASH and STATE PROPERTY with
the Labor Day release of THE COOKOUT, starring
Queen Latifah and a strong ensemble cast,
and Tyler Perry’s heartwarming comedy
DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN.
Lionsgate's reputation for bold,
daring and provocative material and its
willingness to allow creative talent to
expand their repertoire in films positioned
for both commercial and critical success
has helped attract an A-list roster of stars
including Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Nicole
Kidman, Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Diane
Lane and Queen Latifah.
The recent television-to-video boom, which
makes up approximately 10% of all DVD sales
and is the fastest-growing segment of the
DVD market, has added another dimension
to Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The NBC
comedy smash WILL AND GRACE: SEASON 3 is
poised to join WILL AND GRACE: SEASONS 1
and 2, titles from NBC’s SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE franchise and Lionsgate Television's
own THE DEAD ZONE as best-sellers.
Lionsgate Home Entertainment is recognized
as an innovator in the creation of DVD special
features, collectible packaging and exploitation
of new technologies, winning the 2003 Microsoft
Innovator of the Year award. DVD special
features for catalog cult classics such
as RESERVOIR DOGS, THE KING OF NEW YORK
and ANGEL HEART add further luster to
a home video powerhouse that ranks first
behind those of the major studios.
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