Black List Script by John Scott 3 Also Stars Joely Richardson
Santa Monica and , August 26, 2014 – In a preemptive deal prior to the start of the , Lionsgate (: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, has acquired the North American distribution rights to the apocalyptic thriller Maggie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (the Terminator and Expendables franchises, Total Recall, Batman and Robin), Academy Award-nominated Abigail Breslin (, Ender’s Game) and Joely Richardson (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the hit TV series The Tudors and Nip/Tuck). The announcement was made by Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President and Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel, Co-Chairs of Lotus Entertainment, who produced and handled international sales.
The Black List script by John Scott 3 is directed by Henry Hobson. Bill Johnson and Ara Keshishian produced alongside Colin Bates, Joey Tufaro, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Matthew Baer and Schwarzenegger. Claudia Blumhuber and Jim Seibel are executive producers. Silver Reel and Gold Star Films financed the film which Lionsgate plans to release theatrically in North America in early 2015. CAA brokered the deal.
“Maggie” has all the ingredients that spell commercial excitement – a compelling script and an “A” list superstar surrounded by a world-class cast,” said Beeks. “We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who turns in a performance that marks a dramatic departure from his action persona, and partner with our friends at Lotus Entertainment on a film that will resonate with thriller aficionados everywhere.”
“Lionsgate is a world-renowned brand, and we’re pleased to collaborate with Steve Beeks, Rob Friedman, Patrick Wachsberger and a motion picture team that has established a superb track record with this kind of material,” said Johnson and Seibel. “’Maggie’ takes the zombie genre in exciting new directions, and it offers something for everyone – star power, horror, suspense and riveting performances that will keep moviegoers on the edge of their seats.”
The film tells the story of a deadly zombie virus that has put a plague on the world. When Maggie, a vivacious young woman becomes infected, her father brings her home to let her be with their family. As Maggie’s condition worsens, their relationship is tested, a father’s love holding on stronger than the disease. This heart-wrenching twist on the zombie apocalypse puts a human face on an inexplicable horror.
Schwarzenegger is repped by Patrick Knapp at Bloom Hergot and CAA.
About Lotus Entertainment
Lotus Entertainment produces and arranges financing on three to four feature films per year in addition to handling international sales on third party motion pictures. Lotus is led by industry veterans Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson, who have arranged production financing on an expansive body of work over the past 10 years. With a focus on commercially viable star and concept driven projects and an experienced management team, Lotus is a top destination for first-class feature films offering additional services such as packaging, development, marketing, publicity and delivery.
Lotus’ current film slate includes: Tom Tykwer’s A Hologram for the King starring two-time Academy Award® Winner Tom Hanks; Kidnap starring Academy Award® winner Halle Berry; Scott Hicks’ Fallen based on the best-selling YA novel; Craig Zobel’s Z for Zachariah with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine; Stephen Gaghan’s Candy Store; and Song One starring Anne Hathaway.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and 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. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, which debuts in syndication this fall, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed hit Orange is the New Black.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first and second installments of The Hunger Games franchise, the first installment of the Divergent franchise, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Expendables franchise, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions’ A Most Wanted Man and Pantelion Films’ breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.
Lionsgate’s home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
