LIONSGATE® ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION AGREEMENT WITH JANET JACKSON'S JDJ ENTERTAINMENT

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, and Janet Jackson's jdj Entertainment have entered into an agreement for Jackson to select, develop and produce a theatrical motion picture project in cooperation with Lionsgate.  

The announcement was made today by Michael Paseornek, President of Motion Picture Production and Development. The deal was negotiated by Robert Melnik, Lionsgate's Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs, and Neil Ollivierra, Lionsgate's Director of Business & Legal Affairs and, on behalf of Janet Jackson, Tom Hoberman and Don Steele of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, & Richman, Rush & Kaller, LLP.

"My experiences of working with the creative group at Lionsgate have been powerful and exciting," explains Jackson of her decision to produce a film with the studio. "We've made three films together so far, directed by the gifted and prolific Tyler Perry.  There is genius at this studio in every department. They don't just make films, they nurture artists who want to make great films. From story to marketing and promotion, Lionsgate is a great organization, and I am proud that they will be the new home for jdj Entertainment."

"While developing a relationship with Janet Jackson over the course of three films, we recognized her instincts for storytelling," said Paseornek.  "She is a powerful on-screen presence, with a vast audience, and we believe she will be an equally powerful presence behind the scenes.  We are honored to be able to provide a home for her ideas, passion, and immense talent."

Jackson has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music.  She began her film career with the breakthrough role as Justice in John Singleton's "Poetic Justice," and starred in Lionsgate's "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married," "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too," and "For Colored Girls," all directed by Perry.  The films were all successes, making a combined total of over $152 million at the U.S. box office.  Jackson is currently in the midst of her largest ever 35 city world tour, entitled "Number Ones: Up Close And Personal." Jackson's self-help book, "True You: A Journey To Finding And Loving Yourself," recently topped the New York Times Best Seller List. 

Jackson is managed exclusively by Jaime Mendoza of jdj Entertainment and Jason Winters of Sterling Winters Company.   She is represented at WME by Ari Emanuel and Charles King, and her legal team includes Tom Hoberman and Don Steele of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller LLP and Seth Lichtenstein of Hertz & Lichtenstein LLP.

About JDJ Entertainment

jdj Entertainment is the parent company for Janet Jackson's entertainment business endeavors. jdj is responsible for all of Janet Jackson's film and television projects. Since its creation, jdj has collaborated with Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate, and every major television network. jdj was instrumental in the shaping of the MTV video culture with Jackson's award winning music videos. jdj's alliance with Lionsgate is Jackson's first venture as a film producer. 

About Lionsgate 

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms.  The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with recent series such as "Blue Mountain State" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns", "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?".

Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as THE EXPENDABLES, which was #1 at the North American box office for two weeks, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 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 remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

SOURCE Lionsgate