Lionsgate U.K. Picks Up Three Hot Market Titles (Cannes)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-uk-picks-up-three-188272#start

Lionsgate U.K. Picks Up Three Hot Market Titles (Cannes)
11:02 AM 5/13/2011 by Stuart Kemp

"Playing The Field," "Medallion" and "Trap For Cinderella" picked up for U.K. distribution.


CANNES -- Lionsgate U.K. hustled deals for British rights to a trio of hot market titles led by romantic comedy Playing The Field, starring Gerard Butler alongside Jessica Biel and Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Judy Greer and Dennis Quaid.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino, Playing The Field is currently shooting and details the story of an ex-professional football player and his relationship with his young son after his marriage falls apart.

Lionsgate also snared U.K. rights to Medallion in a deal with seller Nu Image. Directed by Simon West, Medallion reteams West with Nicolas Cage for the first time since Con Air. Set during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Robbie Fox penned script tells the tale of a double crossed master thief who gets sent to jail before emerging with the ambition of rebuilding his relationship with his daughter but finds himself caught up in one last heist.

Lionsgate also grabbed Iain Softley's psychological thriller Trap For Cinderella, in a deal with Ealing Metro.

An adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot's novel, it explores the mystery surrounding two women, one rich, one poor, trapped inside a beach house fire, which renders one of them burnt beyond recognition.

Tuppence Middleton, Alexandra Roach, Kerry Fox and Frances de la Tour star in the movie currently shooting in the U.K. Robert Jones, Dixie Linder and Softley are producing.

Lionsgate U.K. CEO Zygi Kamasa said the mix of acquisitions indicate the distributors "scale and diversity of our acquisitions activity" as it looks for commercial, mainstream movies for the U.K.

http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/lionsgate-uk-takes-two-from-nu-image/5027477.article

Lionsgate UK takes two from Nu Image
13 May, 2011 | By Geoffrey Macnab

Lionsgate UK has been on the acquisitions trail picking up deals on a number of titles including rom com Playing The Field with Gerard Butler and Simon West’s action thriller Medallion, starring Nicholas Cage, from Nu Image.


Playing the Field (which also stars Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta Jones) and Medallion continue Lionsgate UK’s relationship with Nu Image/Millennium Films after acquiring last year’s Summer blockbuster The Expendables and previously releasing The Mechanic and Bad Lieutenant.

“These are big commercial cast-led movies,” Lionsgate UK Ceo Zygi Kamasa said of the pick-ups of the Nu Image titles. “Simon West did Con Air, Tomb Raider and The Mechanic. It’s a great action heist script. And Playing The Field has a great cast. They’re very big, glossy commercial films. That really fits into the kind of movies we’re trying to do.”

Lionsgate UK has also pre-bought the Iain Softley thriller Trap For Cinderella from Ealing Metro International. An adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot’s novel, it explores the mystery surrounding two women who are trapped inside a beach house at a French resort which is unexpectedly gutted by a suspicious fire.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate UK is to handle the UK release of Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth (sold by Sierra/Affinity in the market.) The film is being written and directed by Jon S. Baird. It is being produced by Ken Marshall through Steel Mill Pictures and executive produced by Will Clarke. (Icon will be distributing the film in Australia).

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118037009?refCatId=19

Lionsgate U.K. nabs a trio of films By Diana Lodderhose

EXCLUSIVE-- Lionsgate U.K. has snapped up Brit theatrical rights to "Playing the Field," "Medallion" and "Trap for Cinderella."

Gerard Butler star from "Playing the Field," currently lensing, is a romantic comedy about a former professional soccer player trying to repair his relationship with his young son after his marriage falls apart.

Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Judy Greer and Dennis Quaid star alongside Butler while "Pursuit of Happyness" helmer Gabriele Muccino directs.

Kevin Misher, Jonathan Mostow, Alan Siegel, Butler, Heidi Jo Markel and John Thompson are producing while Robbie Fox penned the script.

Lionsgate also picked up U.K. rights to action thriller "Medallion," which reteams director Simon West and thesp Nicolas Cage for the first time since "Con Air."

Pic, set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, is the story of a master thief who is double-crossed in a heist gone awry and sent to prison for eight years.

Both pics were sold by Nu Image/Millennium Films.

And Lionsgate took Brit rights for psychological thriller "Trap for Cinderella," helmed by Iain Softley ("Wings of the Dove").

The psychological thriller, also in production, is an adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot's tome of the same name that explores the mystery surrounding two women -- one rich, one poor -- who are trapped inside a beach house at a French resort that is gutted by a fire of suspicious origin.

Ealing Metro Intl. is shopping the pic in Cannes.