Lionsgate, Discovery Nab Multi-Territory Rights to ‘Million Dollar Duck’ Doc

Lionsgate and Discovery Communications’ Animal Planet have partnered to snap up U.S., Canada and U.K. rights to the Slamdance documentary Million Dollar Duck.

Animal Planet acquired the TV rights, while Lionsgate plans a limited theatrical release for the film about the annual federal duck-stamp competition. The only juried art competition run by the U.S. government offers six contestants the chance to earn a $1 million prize for drawing the perfect duck.

Directed by Brian Golden Davis, Million Dollar Duck premiered Sunday at the Slamdance Film Festival and will air on Animal Planet in the fall after a theatrical run. The partnership on Million Dollar Duck is the latest between Discovery and Lionsgate after the former and Liberty Global acquired stakes in Lionsgate in November.

Lionsgate and Discovery also inked a home entertainment distribution agreement where Lionsgate distributes Discovery programming on packaged media platforms in the U.S. “Poignant, quirky, hilarious and tremendously engaging, Million Dollar Duck is the perfect property to kick off our alliance with Discovery on documentary films and other long-form content that creates tremendous opportunities for both our companies,” Lionsgate president of worldwide television & digital distribution Jim Packer said Monday in a statement.

The deal was negotiated by John Hoffman and Ryan Harrington for Discovery; Eda Kowan, executive vp of theatrical acquisitions and co-productions and acquisitions executive Lauren Freeman for Lionsgate; and Abby Davis and Adam Galen of Preferred Content for the filmmakers.

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