LIONSGATE SIGNS NEW MULTI-YEAR DEALS WITH GRINDSTONE PRINCIPALS BARRY BROOKER AND STAN WERTLIEB, EXTENDS GRINDSTONE RELATIONSHIP

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Mar 20, 2014, 12:30 ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, has extended its relationship with its Grindstone Entertainment Group and signed new multi-year agreements with Grindstone President and CEO Barry Brooker and principal Stan Wertlieb, it was announced today by Lionsgate Co-COO and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks.

Grindstone is one of the most prolific film producers in the industry, and its long-term partnership with Lionsgate has generated a string of profitable films including such recent successes as the thrillers Empire State, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Frozen Ground, starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack.

"We're delighted to extend our successful partnership with Grindstone and its principals Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb," said Beeks. "They are an important part of the Lionsgate family and a key component of our slate. We expect them to continue to serve as a reliable source of profitable films featuring world-class talent in the years to come and, as they continue to evolve as a label, we look forward to elevating our Grindstone relationship to the next level."

"We're very proud to renew our longstanding partnership with Lionsgate, one of the most prestigious, exciting and innovative entertainment brands in the world," said Brooker and Wertlieb. "We're pleased to continue building our Grindstone business within the Lionsgate family."

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, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has 34 television shows on 22 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, A Madea Christmas, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Expendables 2, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions' Mud and Pantelion Films' breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 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 and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

ABOUT GRINDSTONE

Grindstone Entertainment Group operates in partnership with Lionsgate to release over 30 acquired and/or produced films per year. As a fully integrated company with marketing and technology expertise, Grindstone excels in turnkey acquisitions while utilizing the Lionsgate brand to maximize results on all platforms. A leader in high-quality filmed entertainment, Grindstone's production partnerships enable them to enlist the highest-caliber talent, resulting in such recent successes as Fire with Fire starring Bruce Willis, Josh Duhamel and Rosario Dawson; The Frozen Ground, starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens; and Empire State, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Liam Hemsworth. Upcoming releases include The Prince, starring Bruce Willis, John Cusack and Jason Patric and Vice, starring Bruce Willis, Thomas Jane and Ambyr Childers.