Lionsgate enters India in partnership with Endemol

To co-produce sports drama 'Warrior' for Indian market. Its focus on contact sport will be integral to the storyline and will position Warrior as one of the few sports dramas made in India

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | March 25, 2014

Lionsgate, a leading global entertainment company, and Endemol India, operating under the banner Eyedentity Motion Pictures, will co-produce the sports drama 'Warrior' in Hindi for the Indian marketplace. Warrior, inspired by Lionsgate's critically-acclaimed 2011 North American release of the same name, will be the first film jointly produced by the two companies in India.

“Lionsgate is committed to identifying opportunities to produce and deliver motion pictures, television programming and other premium content to one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world,” said Jim Packer, Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution.

Lionsgate COO of International Distribution Andrew Kramer added, “Warrior is the kind of locally-produced property based on timeless themes that we expect to resonate with mainstream commercial audiences in India, and our partnership with Endemol's Eyedentity Motion Pictures will bring valuable local expertise to our venture.”

“We are pleased to partner with Lionsgate in their initial film venture in India by co-producing Warrior,” said Deepak Dhar, CEO of Endemol India. “Action-filled and emotionally powerful with themes of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family, Warrior will be a quality film made with top-of-the-line production values that we believe will strike a responsive chord with Indian audiences.”

The partnership was negotiated by Rohit Tiwari at Morris St. Advisors, Lionsgate's agents in India.

Warrior tells the story of two estranged brothers and deals with their struggling relationship with each other and their father. The film will be adapted for Indian audiences and rewritten for Indian tastes. Its focus on contact sport will be integral to the storyline and will position Warrior as one of the few sports dramas made in India. The original American film was hailed by critics as “an instant classic that manages to surpass even the original 'Rocky' in terms of effectiveness.”

Lionsgate is a global entertainment company whose roster of mainstream commercial releases includes 'The Hunger Games' and 'Twilight' franchises which have grossed nearly $5 billion combined at the worldwide box office.

Eyedentity Motion Pictures and Lionsgate are currently finalising the cast for the film which is scheduled to go into production in December 2014.

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