'Hunger Games' being released in China

Lionsgate's franchise-starter "The Hunger Games" will probably be released in China next season one of the 20 U.S. films allowed yearly into that territory with the Chinese government. Lionsgate's motion picturegroup leader Joe Drake made the disclosure Thursday through the minimajor's business call to talk about quarterly earnings. Drake mentioned that "Games" will probably be released in foreign areas day and date while using domestic launch on March 23. Pic, starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by Gary Ross, might be the to start four films planned good Suzanne Collins advanced fantasy books. Drake mentioned worldwide distribs were "absolutely ecstatic" over footage as well as the trailer proven within a current meeting held by Lionsgate for licensees within the American Film Market. He mentioned that Lionsgate's expecting "significant overages" in box-office performance outdoors the U.S. Lionsgate reported Wednesday it had pared its internet deficits by about $5 million to $25 million last quarter by having an $11 million gain from selling Walnut Pictures and ramped up contributions from pay TV partnership Epix, which acquired it $6 000 0000 after losing it $20 million the last year. Nevertheless the studio tossed with a $19 million operating loss in the $22 million profit this past year around the string of box office disappointments, including "Conan the Barbarian," "Abduction" and "Warrior." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com