Lions Gate turns to Relativity Media to fill movie pipeline

With backing from the New York-based hedge fund Elliott Associates, Relativity has been stepping up its plans to produce eight to 10 movies a year. The company recently acquired the horror-thriller label Rogue Pictures from Universal Pictures for a reported $150 million.

The first Relativity title to be released under the new deal is "Brothers," about the rivalry and redemption of two brothers in love with the same woman, starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman and directed by Jim Sheridan. The film will come out this fall, followed by the supernatural thriller "Season of the Witch," starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman, and the action-comedy "The Spy Next Door," with Jackie Chan. Both of those pictures are currently in post-production and are expected to be released before the end of Lions Gate's fiscal year in March 2010.

After two down quarters of under-performing movies, Lions Gate came back with three hits in its latest earning period, "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," "The Haunting in Connecticut" and "My Bloody Valentine 3D." However, the studio's current release "Crank 2: High Voltage" is lacking box office fire power.