Endemol India, Lionsgate announce first co-production in India

To release sports drama Warrior in Hindi

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

This project also marks Lionsgate's entry into the Indian film industry.

Eyedentity Motion Pictures and Lionsgate are currently finalising the cast for the film which is scheduled to go into production in December 2014. The partnership was negotiated by Rohit Tiwari at Morris St. Advisors, Lionsgate's agents 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 Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer.

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."

Inspired by the American film of the same name, 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 re-written 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 $5billion combined at the worldwide box office.