Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Millennium Films’ action-adventure Hercules: The Legend Begins starring Kellan Lutz (“The Twilight Saga,” the upcoming The Expendables 3 and directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger). Summit will release the film in 3D and 2D nationwide on February 7, 2014. Other wide releases scheduled for that date are The LEGO Movie and The Monuments Men. It is also before the July 25 release of Brett Ratner’s Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson.
The deal was announced today by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, and Avi Lerner, Chairman of Millennium Films.
Lutz stars as Hercules, the mythical Greek hero, demigod and son of Zeus. Betrayed by his King and sold into slavery, Hercules must use his formidable strength to fight for his freedom and return to his true love, Hebe, the Princess of Crete (played by Gaia Weiss).
The supporting cast includes Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2), Liam McIntyre (“Spartacus”), Liam Garrigan (“Strike Back”), Johnathon Schaech (“Ray Donovan,” “The Client List”), Roxanne McKee (“Game Of Thrones”) and Rade Serbedzija (“Red Widow”). The screenplay is by Daniel Gliat. The producers are Danny Lerner, Les Weldon, Boaz Davidson and Renny Harlin. Executive Producers are Avi Lerner, Trevor Short and John Thompson.
“We look forward to working with Millennium to bring this larger-than-life hero to theaters and action fans in the new year,” said Friedman and Wachsberger. “We are also very proud to work on a project starring Kellan, with whom we have grown very close throughout the release of all five ‘Twilight Saga’ films as well as the production of ‘The Expendables 3’ scheduled for release next year.”
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our relationship with the very talented team at Lionsgate and Summit, who had such extraordinary success with Kellan in ‘The Twilight Saga’ franchise and with whom we have a great partnership on ‘The Expendables’ franchise,” Lerner said. “And I’m very pleased that ours will be the first movie in the 21st century to reintroduce modern audiences to this classic, timeless story.”
