Lionsgate has finally set a release date for their upcoming novel adaptation of Hunger Games. The best selling book was written by Suzanne Collins, and the feature film version will be directed by Gary Ross. Over at THR, they’ve received the official release information for the movie straight from the studio…
Gerard Butler will continue his assault on the action drama with his upcoming film, Machine Gun Preacher. The title makes it sound like a campy comic adaptation but its actually a fact-based drama. According to Deadline, Lionsgate has acquired the North American distribution rights to the film that will feature Butler in the starring role.
In the second of today’s completely-irrelevant-and-more-than-a-little-annoying celebrity feud news stories (the first is here, and note that we’re using the word celebrity very loosely here), CNBC broadcast a snippy back and forth slapfight between Lionsgate studio vice president Michael Burns and shareholder Carl Ichan, the man who Deadline Hollywood is reporting is “attempting a $575 million buyout offer” of the movie studio.
The two men both called in live to CNBC to take potshots at one another, producing a back and forth volley of insults and denigrations that were, well, really, really boring to anyone who doesn’t wake up clutching a copy of Variety.
The Sundance Film Festival has been going on for a few days now, and major studios are starting to snatch up films left and right. The latest purchase comes from Lionsgate who’s decided to take on the claustrophobic Rodrigo Cortes thriller, Buried. It stars Ryan Reynolds, and his performance along with the overall story must have made quite an impression because it’s landed the film a distribution home.
Last year the rights for the Terminator movie franchise that launched over 25 years ago went up for sale. The former owners of the property could no longer afford to hold on to it, and after a lot of Hollywood red tape and multiple lawyers, Termiantor hit the chopping block. And according to the Los Angeles Times, Lionsgate currently has the upper hand in the studio bidding war.
If you’re interested in a heart-warming story of triumph in the face of adversity, look no further than More Than A Game. The film echoes the sentiments of the 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams, by following five young basketball players, and their pursuit for a high school national championship. The story is inspiring, uplifting, and features NBA phenomenon Lebron James like you’ve never seen him before.
Check out our review of More Than A Game…
I knew this would happen sooner or later. According to the LATimes, major film studios have been courting internet giant YouTube for movie distribution. Instead of using Netflix or going to Blockbuster, could you imagine renting movies via your YouTube account? The concept isn’t far from reality, and may go into effect sooner than you think.
Two films I can’t wait to see next year are Matthew Vaughn‘s Kick-Ass and Sylvester Stallone‘s The Expendables. As of today Lionsgate has formally announced the release dates for both. The future of Kick-Ass was uncertain until the film studio stepped in a few weeks ago to become its domestic distributor. So, when can we see these two powerhouses in theaters?
Why would they do such a thing? Have we learned nothing from the “awesomeness” that was Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights? Every remake can’t have that spark that occurred over 20 years ago. They say nobody puts Baby in a corner, but Lionsgate is about to do it again. According to Empire the studio is ready to follow in the steps of Footloose, and give Dirty Dancing another go.
