Alcon Entertainment Teams With Lionsgate on 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'

TORONTO - Alcon Entertainment has come on board to co-finance the Lionsgate ensemble comedy What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which stars Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz and Elizabeth Banks.

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The two companies will share the production and marketing costs on Kirk Jones’ film about five couples preparing to become parents, which is scheduled for release on May 11, 2012.

The film also stars Brooklyn Decker, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock and Kim Fields.

The deal is the latest by Lionsgate as it looks to reduce risk from its theatrical release slate.

And it marks Alcon’s first investment outside of Warner Bros., where the film producer has a long-standing distribution pact that has led to box office winners like The Blind Side and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

The co-financing agreement was negotiated for Lionsgate by Sean Kisker, executive vp of strategic planning and operations in the motion picture group, and Wendy Jaffe, executive vp of business and legal affairs for acquisitions, while Alcon was represented by company COO/CFO Scott Parish and outside counsel Nigel Pearson and Michael Rosner of Loeb and Loeb.