NATPE: Lionsgate, Revenant firm join forces

Lionsgate Television and US studio New Regency have joined forces on a “multi-faceted” distribution and production agreement.

Lionsgate will distribute New Regency’s theatrical releases to television channels outside of the US and Canada following their pay TV debuts, and also includes a coproduction element that will see the pair creating premium scripted programmes for global audiences.

The distribution side includes titles such as The Revenant, which is a hot favourite at the upcoming Academy Awards; The Big Short; David Fincher’s Gone Girl; Best Picture winner Birdman; and library titles including Fight Club, Under Siege and Natural Born Killers.

On the production side, Lionsgate will provide projects from its library for development, and will distribute any series that get made. New Regency will tap into it’s A-list talent relationships, and offer projects from its own pipeline, which was described as “deep”.

“New Regency’s library of award-winning blockbusters is a tremendous addition to our international television pipeline, and our alliance also creates exciting opportunities to produce premium scripted content drawn from a tremendous pool of world-class intellectual property,” said Lionsgate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer.

Film firms moving into television has been a constant theme in recent years. New Regency, founded in 1991 by Arnon Milchan, has been part of that movement.

“Jon Feltheimer and his team have led Lionsgate’s evolution into a major creative force in the global marketplace, and we’re delighted to tap into their international infrastructure as we continue to grow our business around the world,” said Milchan.

“We’re also excited by the opportunity to draw upon their programming expertise as we continue to build our television slate, utilising the same mix of singular creative voices, A-list stars and blockbuster properties that have driven the success of our motion picture business.”