Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

(Santa Monica, CA) -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, and Roadside Attractions have together acquired U.S. distribution rights to Nicholas Jarecki's ARBITRAGE. The announcement was made jointly by Steve Beeks, President and Co-COO of Lionsgate, and by Roadside Attractions' Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff. The acquisition was made following the well-received world premiere of the film at the Sundance International Film Festival.

ARBITRAGE is a taut and alluring suspense thriller about love, loyalty, and high finance starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta, and Nate Parker. The film was written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki, and is his first narrative feature. It was produced by Laura Bickford (Traffic, Duplicity), Kevin Turen, Justin Nappi, and Robert Salerno (A Single Man), and executive produced by Brian Young, Mohammed Al Turki, Lisa Wilson, Stanislaw Tyczynski, Lauren Versel, Maria Teresa Areda and Ron Curtis.

ARBITRAGE will be a Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions release, continuing the strong partnership between the two companies that led to the success of last year's MARGIN CALL, also released by both companies. Also acquired at Sundance, that film struck a chord in the zeitgeist and was a commercial success in both its theatrical and VOD release formats. It was also nominated for an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay. The two companies have also jointly acquired EVERYTHING MUST GO and FRIENDS WITH KIDS.

"We are thrilled that we've found another film that is such a perfect fit for a Lionsgate / Roadside partnered release," said Lionsgate's President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Jason Constantine. "ARBITRAGE is an incredible directorial debut by Nicholas Jarecki. Richard Gere gives one of the best performances of his extraordinary career. Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Nate Parker, Brit Marling and Laetitia Casta all turn in incredible supporting performances. The film is an intense thriller set against the backdrop of a very specific time and place on Wall Street, but it's also more than that- it shows so poignantly how interconnected we all are, and how a series of choices by a few people can affect so many."

"This is a knockout performance by Richard Gere in Nicholas Jarecki's smart and twisty Wall Street thriller. Following our great experience on MARGIN CALL, Roadside is thrilled to partner again with Lionsgate on another zeitgeisty film for grownups," said Roadside Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff.

Added director Nicholas Jarecki, "I am overjoyed to be working with Roadside and Lionsgate and their pioneering teams. From the first day of this film I've felt an invisible hand guiding our luck forward; it was the collective dedication of our actors, crew, and now our new releasing partners. I can't wait for people to see Richard and the cast's beautiful, hauntingly electric work on-screen."

Graham Taylor at WME Global negotiated deal on behalf of the filmmakers, with attorney Linda Lichter of Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler & Feldman. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Beeks and Constantine with Eda Kowan, SVP of Acquisitions, Wendy Jaffe, EVP Business and Legal Affairs, and Ron Schwartz, General Manager and EVP of Home Entertainment Distribution.





Resources:

www.lionsgate.com