Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to Transporter 3. Jason Statham returns as iconic action hero Frank Martin in the third installment of the EuropaCorp-produced series. The announcement was made today by Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine, head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Tom Ortenberg, President, Theatrical Films.
Olivier Megaton directs from a script written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. The movie is produced by EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Productions, Grive Productions and Apipoulai Production, in association with Current Entertainment. Besson produces for EuropaCorp. Lionsgate will release the film at Thanksgiving, on November 26, 2008. The film will be distributed in Canada by Maple Pictures.
Constantine expressed the studio’s excitement about the project, stating, “We are thrilled to be in business with EuropaCorp and to also partner again with Jason Statham, who from ‘War’ to ‘Crank’ and its upcoming sequel, is a well known and well-loved leading man in so many of Lionsgate’s high octane action films. We are delighted to add another film in the exciting ‘Transporter’ action franchise to stand alongside such other iconic Lionsgate franchises as ‘Saw,’ Tyler Perry and ‘The Punisher.'”
Besson said, “We are thrilled to be sharing this experience with Lionsgate, and happy to get along with a great marketing and distribution team.” EuropaCorp COO Pierre-Ange Le Pogam concurred, “Lionsgate is a dynamic group, who we know will more than do justice to our dearest ‘Transporter’ opus 3. Everyone here is working hard to get ready to provoke and inflame the market for Thanksgiving.”
The film, starring Robert Knepper (“Prison Break”) alongside Statham and returning cast member Francois Berleand (Place Vendome), wrapped principal photography in early May and is currently in post-production.
