Roadshow Films has signed a long-term deal to distribute Lionsgate's films, including the Hunger Games sequels, in Australia.
The Village Roadshow-owned distributor has previously distributed Lionsgate films such as What to Expect When You're Expecting ($8.04 million at the Australian box office), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ($4.64 million). Its biggest Lionsgate-hit was The Hunger Games, which grossed $31.17 million on its way to more than $US680 million at the global box office.
Roadshow, which also has a close distribution relationship with Warner Bros in Australia, will now release the final Hunger Games films, starting with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in November 2013.
Summit Entertainment, which was acquired by Lionsgate in January, has a separate and ongoing output deal with E1 Entertainment, which extends to its Australian-owned arm, Hopscotch.
"We're thrilled to extend and expand our relationship with Patrick, Rob and the entire Lionsgate team," said Roadshow Films managing director Joel Pearlman in a statement. "This output agreement provides us with a consistent pipeline of some of the most commercially exciting films in the world, including the next three films in the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, from a studio that has emerged as a major force in the global marketplace, and it marks an important addition to the portfolio of product we bring to our audiences."
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman said the new output deal with Roadshow "is a natural evolution of our historic partnership that promises significant benefits for both partners for many years to come."
Other recent Lionsgate-produced films include The Expendables 2, The Possession, The Cabin in the Woods, The Lincoln Lawyer and Margin Call.
Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.