WWE Studios and Lionsgate to Partner on Next Installment of See No Evil with Kane and Soska Sisters

Updated

WWE Studios and Lionsgate to Partner on Next Installment of See No Evil with Kane and Soska Sisters

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WWE Studios (NYS: WWE) and Lionsgate (NYS: LGF) announced today that production on See No Evil 2, the follow up to the duo's 2006 horror release, See No Evil, is scheduled to start in fall 2013. WWE® Superstar Kane®, a dominant force within the WWE, is set to reprise his lead role as reclusive madman Jacob Goodnight. Fanboy favorites and identical twin directors of horror, the Soska Sisters, Jen and Sylvia (American Mary), are set to helm the film. See No Evil 2 was penned by co-writers Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby.


See No Evil 2 revives the nightmare of the first film when Jacob Goodnight rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell hotel. In this ominous, underground locker for the dead, a group of medical students fight to survive as this deranged psychopath once again starts to pick them apart one by one.

Lionsgate will handle worldwide distribution of See No Evil 2, while WWE Studios will utilize its extensive global reach through television, digital and social media and print assets to market the film.

"We are so pleased to extend what has been an ideal partnership with Lionsgate," said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. "Their expertise in distributing and marketing thrilling genre films complements our own vision and efforts for these movies perfectly. We are equally excited to work with the Soska Sisters, who will apply their truly unique filmmaking style to See No Evil 2."

"The WWE team has proven success in building strong global brands and have proven to be a great partner in our past ventures together," said Steve Beeks, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President, Lionsgate. "We are thrilled to expand the partnership in the development and marketing of genre features that marry WWE's stars with our own global distribution expertise."

See No Evil 2 is the fourth partnership between Lionsgate and WWE Studios following See No Evil, The Condemned and a reboot of the Leprechaun franchise.

About WWE Studios

WWE® Studios produces a diverse slate of feature films for theatrical and direct to home release through distribution partnerships with global entertainment companies. The WWE's film division led by President, Michael Luisi, is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and continues to create content for audiences of all ages. Most recent films produced by the studio include The Call with Halle Berry and WWE Superstar David Otunga®, Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell and WWE Superstar Wade Barrett®, The Marine 3: Homefront with WWE Superstar The Miz® in the third follow-up in the explosive Marine adventures, and 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded, the second installment in the action franchise, starring WWE Superstar Randy Orton®. Upcoming films for WWE Studios include Christmas Bounty, an action comedy starring WWE Superstar The Miz and Francia Raisa, premiering on ABC Family November 26, 2013 and releasing on Blu-Ray/DVD on December 3, 2013 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; Scooby Doo WrestleManiaMystery which pairs WWE Superstars with Scooby and the gang releasing direct to home spring 2014 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; a rebootof the Leprechaun franchise directed by Zach Lipovsky starring WWE Superstar Hornswoggle® distributed by Lionsgate in spring 2014, and The Flintstones another Warner Brothers Animation feature releasing in early 2015 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment which joins Fred, Barney and the whole Bedrock gang with stone age versions of WWE Superstars and Divas.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYS: WWE) , is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYS: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

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. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of primetime cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 28 shows on 20 networks spanning its production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, Anger Management, the network series Nashville, the syndication successes Tyler Perry's House of Payne, its spinoff Meet the Browns and The Wendy Williams Show as well as the new series Orange Is The New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first installment of The Hunger Games franchise, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Tyler Perry's Temptation, Warm Bodies, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Expendables 2, The Possession, Sinister, The Cabin in the Woods and Arbitrage.

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.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.



Media:
Lionsgate
Jennifer Sandler, 310-255-4072
jsandler@lionsgate.com
or
WWE Studios
Julie Tustin, 203-352-1009
julie.tustin@wwecorp.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Connecticut

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

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