Diablo Cody’s Much-Anticipated Directorial Debut, Paradise, Finds Its Home at Image Entertainment

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Image Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE), has picked up all U.S. rights to Mandate Pictures’ Paradise, the much-anticipated directorial debut of Academy Award^® winner Diablo Cody. Based on her original screenplay, Paradise stars Julianne Hough (Rock of Ages, Footloose), Russell Brand (Rock of Ages, Despicable Me), Octavia Spencer (Academy Award^® winner for The Help), Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) and Holly Hunter (The Incredibles, Academy Award^® winner for The Piano). Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer for Image Entertainment, made today’s announcement at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival.

“I had such a great cast and crew to work with and it shows.”

“Diablo Cody is a terrific storyteller and her gift is evident in this film, Paradise,” commented Bromiley. “It has a talented cast and we know audiences will love the film. We are thrilled to be in business with her and the Paradise team.”

“I’m thrilled to be able to share our labor of love with the world,” added Cody. “I had such a great cast and crew to work with and it shows.”

The comedy follows a sheltered young woman (Hough) who loses her faith after a plane crash and decides to go to Las Vegas to experience the wild side of life. On her journey, she meets unlikely companions (Brand and Spencer) who inadvertently help her find her true self. Mason Novick (500 Days of Summer) produced the film. Executive producers include Nathan Kahane (Hope Springs), Nicole Brown (50/50) and Diablo Cody. Matt Leonetti, Jr. and Dave Koplan co-produced.

The deal was negotiated by Bill Bromiley, Mark Ward and Michael Bayer on behalf of Image Entertainment and Liesl Copland of WME Global along with Dan Freedman on behalf of Mandate Pictures. International sales are being handled by Lionsgate.

About RLJ Entertainment

RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,200 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (stand-up comedy, feature films), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Slingshot (faith), Athena (educational), Criterion (art films) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-ray, digital download, digital streaming, broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical. Via its majority-owned subsidiary Agatha Christie Limited, RLJE controls the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. And through its direct-to-consumer business, RLJE has direct contacts and billings relationships with millions of consumers.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, and engages a distinct audience with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. RLJE has proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn and Acacia brands, and owns the recently launched Acorn TV digital subscription service.