Lionsgate Acquires Home Entertainment Distribution Rights to the All-New Marvel Animated Television Series 'Wolverine & The X-Men'

NEW YORK, SANTA MONICA, Calif., and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) , the premier independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that it has acquired the home entertainment distribution rights the new animated series from global entertainment licensing company Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) -- "Wolverine & The X-Men". Under the terms of the arrangement, Lionsgate retains the United States home distribution rights to all 26 action-packed half-hour episodes of "Wolverine & The X-Men",(a co-production with Toonz Entertainment Pte Ltd., Singapore and First Serve International Ltd.), a brand new animated series that is scheduled to air on Nicktoons Network beginning in January 2009. The announcement was made by Lionsgate Executive Vice President of Marketing and Family Entertainment Anne Parducci and Marvel Animation President Eric Rollman. The deal was negotiated by Marc Danon, Lionsgate Senior Director of Home Entertainment Acquisitions and Business Development and Sam Wollman, Lionsgate Executive Director of Business & Legal Affairs and Marvel Executives Eric Rollman, David Galluzzi and Josh Silverman.


"As evidenced by the recent success of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in theatres, there is nothing hotter in Hollywood than Marvel's amazing lineup of Super Heroes," said Parducci. "We have had tremendous results with our Marvel animated features and this deal reflects the next chapter in our on-going relationship. These series' are based upon proven entities on the big screen and DVD and they will feature a similar animation style to the Marvel DVD's we are currently releasing."


"Lionsgate has an impressive team of executives in the home entertainment division and their passion for Marvel product has been evidenced through their award winning execution on our animated features," said Rollman. "We have developed a very respectful and complimentary relationship which we are thrilled to continue to build on with this important animated series."


Lionsgate was selected as the distribution partner following the tremendous success of its current development, production, and distribution relationship with Marvel for original animated direct-to-DVD features based upon specific characters in the Marvel Universe. Signed in 2004, the companies have currently released the first four titles -- ULTIMATE AVENGERS 1 & 2, DOCTOR STRANGE and THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN -- under the agreement. Each of these titles has debuted as the number one children's non-theatrical release for the week and cumulatively they have shipped more than three million units. The next Marvel animated features -- NEXT AVENGERS: HEROES OF TOMORROW -- will be released on September 2nd.


Additionally, the companies have a theatrical relationship, which began in April 2004 with Lionsgate's release of The Punisher starring Thomas Jane and Rebecca Romijn. Lionsgate will also be releasing THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, a re-imagining of The Punisher in theatres this December.


The announcement also continues Lionsgate's momentum in the family genre, as it comes on the heels of the studio's recent multiyear agreements with family entertainment leader HIT Entertainment, leading developer of technology-based learning products LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. and leading consumer entertainment products company MGA Entertainment for the ever-popular Little Tikes(R) brand. With these agreements in place, Lionsgate expects its family home entertainment market share of non-theatrical product to grow to approximately 15%, positioning the Company as one of the three industry leaders in that space. In addition, Lionsgate releases to DVD a virtual who's-who in family entertainment brands, including Speed Racer and Speed Racer: The Next Generation, Marvel(TM) Animated Features, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, MGA's Bratz(TM), Scholastic's Clifford the Big Red Dog, American Greetings' The Care Bears,. HIT Entertainment's Thomas & Friends(TM), Bob the Builder(TM), Barney(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM), Cookie Jar Entertainment's The Doodlebops and Nelvana's Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.