Lionsgate Welcomes Comedian/Actor Bernie Mac and Producing Partner Steven Greener Into Its Den

Lionsgate Welcomes Comedian/Actor Bernie Mac and Producing Partner Steven Greener Into Its Den

Studio Becomes Home to Award-Winning Star Under Multi-Year Multi-Faceted First Look Agreement

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that it has closed a multi-year, multi-faceted first-look deal with celebrated comedian/actor/author Bernie Mac ("The Bernie Mac Show," GUESS WHO, THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY) and Mac's producing partner Steven Greener. Under the terms of the deal, Lionsgate will be home to Mac and Greener's new production venture MacMan Entertainment, and the studio will receive a first look at all film projects developed and produced by Mac and Greener under their company banner.

The Mac/Greener deal marks the first time that Lionsgate has aligned itself with an actor's independent production entity. The announcement was made jointly by Lionsgate's President of Production Mike Paseornek and President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Peter Block.

Said Paseornek and Block, "Bernie Mac is a household name, and we are thrilled to have him call Lionsgate home. He's incredibly talented, he's versatile, and his appeal crosses all boundaries of race, class, gender, ethnicity -- you name it. Bernie and Steven Greener make a terrific team, and we know we can count on them for fresh and funny projects."

Said Mac and Greener, "Lionsgate is the perfect place to hang our hats. They're a smart and exciting studio, and their marketing skills are second to none. What's more, they're very well-rounded in terms of the entertainment they develop, which gives us a lot of room to play with. We're looking forward to doing great things with them."

Mac is fresh off production on Lionsgate's eagerly anticipated fact-based inspirational drama PRIDE, co-starring Academy Award(R) nominee Terrence Howard. The first project to be developed under the new deal will be a concert film starring Mac, produced by Mac and Greener, and distributed theatrically by Lionsgate. The film will mark Mac's first concert project since he rocketed to national attention in the smash hit, THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY, directed by Spike Lee. Also under the deal, Mac will host a minimum of four Dean Martin-style celebrity roasts which will premiere on DVD.

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Paseornek and Block, and by Greener, Toni Howard of ICM and David Matloff, Esq. on behalf of Bernie Mac.

ABOUT BERNIE MAC

One of America's best-loved comic talents, Bernie Mac has made his mark in live stand-up, television, motion pictures and books. His eponymous Peabody Award-winning family comedy "The Bernie Mac Show" recently concluded its fifth and final season on Fox. The show celebrated its milestone 100th episode, and was hailed as one of the top ten shows on television by Time, Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide during the course of the series run.

Mac has received numerous honors for his work on the program, including the Television Critics Association Award for Best Individual Achievement in Comedy, consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series from 2003-2006, and a total of four Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations. His varied feature films include the #1 box office comedy GUESS WHO; Steven Soderbergh's hit caper films OCEAN'S ELEVEN and OCEAN'S TWELVE; MR. 3000; BAD SANTA; HEAD OF STATE; and CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE. Mac's upcoming films include Lionsgate's inspirational fact-based drama PRIDE, co-starring Terrence Howard, and OCEAN'S THIRTEEN.

Mac's first book, a collection of comic riffs entitled "I Ain't Scared of You," which was published Fall 2001 by MTV/Pocket Books. This past April saw release of his second book, the memoir "Maybe You Never Cry Again," published by Regan Books/Harper Collins.

Mac began his career as a stand-up comedian in the small comedy clubs of his native Chicago. As a founding member of the "Kings of Comedy" comedy tour, Mac displayed his trademark rapid fire and hard-hitting delivery. The success of the tour spawned Spike Lee's 2000 concert film THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY, which has grossed nearly $40 million dollars.

ABOUT STEVEN GREENER

Steven Greener is a producer and personal manager. Since the sale of his Union Entertainment firm to 3 Arts in March 2002, he has also served as producer of "The Bernie Mac Show," MR. 3000 and GUESS WHO. Greener previously ran Elephant Walk Entertainment for George Jackson and Doug McHenry. Greener also produced ABOVE THE RIM for New Line Entertainment. Formerly a Partner at Industry Entertainment, Greener joined Handprint Entertainment in August 2006.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning this year's Best Picture Academy Award(R) for CRASH, generating two consecutive years of $300 million-plus domestic theatrical box office, operating a $500 million-plus home entertainment business and producing a broad slate of prime time television series for fiscal 2007. It is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 7,800 titles is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

www.lionsgate.com

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For further information, contact:
Sarah Greenberg
310-255-3856
sgreenberg@lionsgate.com

Source: Lionsgate

CONTACT: Sarah Greenberg of Lionsgate, +1-310-255-3856,
sgreenberg@lionsgate.com

Web site: http://www.lionsgate.com/

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