Lionsgate Collects $2 Billion at Box Office

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, has grossed more than $1 billion at the domestic box office and another $1 billion-plus at the international box office for calendar 2013 to date, the company announced today.

Lionsgate claims to be the only studio other than the traditional majors to break the $1 billion mark at the domestic box office in a single year, a feat it has now accomplished two years in a row.

Led by the second installment of Lionsgate’s global blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Summit’s sleeper smash Now You See Me, the company grossed an estimated $1.025 billion at the domestic box office through Sunday, Dec. 22, and another $1.227 billion at the international box office for a worldwide box office total of approximately $2.252 billion.

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Lionsgate again ranks among the top six studios with domestic box office market share of nearly 10% for the year to date, says the company.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has already grossed an estimated $372 million domestically, the second highest-grossing film of 2013, and $393.6 million internationally for a total of $765.6 million worldwide in its first five weeks of release, already outperforming the entire worldwide run of the first Hunger Games film ($691 million).

Now You See Me has grossed $354 million worldwide ($118 million domestically, $236 million internationally).

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“Our strong box office performance for the second year in a row, domestically and internationally, underscores the consistency of our film slate and is a testament to the tireless efforts of our entire motion picture team,” said Lionsgate chief executive officer Jon Feltheimer and vice chairman Michael Burns.

“We continue to do more with less, maintaining our commitment to a disciplined financial model that is focused on limiting production capital at risk. We’re especially pleased to achieve contributions from our entire portfolio of films this year, from Lionsgate’s Catching Fire and Summit’s Now You See Me to Pantelion’s Instructions Not Included and Codeblack’s Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain.”

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Instructions Not Included is said to be the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

The company’s performance internationally reflected strong performances in such diverse territories as Latin America, the UK, Russia and China.

Lionsgate achieved its best year ever in China in 2013, releasing six films which grossed an estimated $116.3 million at the Chinese box office for the year to date and captured approximately 8% of the foreign film box office market share.

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Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a 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.

Photo courtesy: Murray Close / IMAX Corporation / http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/