Deal Marks First Time the Multi-Grammy® Winning Band will Record for a Motion Picture
NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 9, 2013 -- Multiplatinum recording artist Coldplay will release the first track from the official soundtrack album for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it was announced today by Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Republic Records, marking the first time Coldplay has ever recorded an original song for a motion picture. The song, titled "Atlas," is scheduled to be available via iTunes and all digital retailers on August 26, 2013. Republic Records is again teaming up with Lionsgate to release the soundtrack in advance of Lionsgate distributing the film on screens worldwide on November 22, 2013.
"I have great respect and admiration for Coldplay, and we are thrilled with how well they have connected to the themes and ideas within the film," said filmmaker Francis Lawrence. "Their unwavering passion and excitement for the project elevated the collaboration even further, and we can't wait to share this music with audiences around the world."
"We are so honored that Coldplay, one of the iconic rock bands of our generation, will perform the first song out on the new soundtrack," said Tracy McKnight, Lionsgate's Head of Film Music. "Knowing that Chris Martin is a fan of the books makes this even more meaningful. The Coldplay single underscores the stature of recording artists we've assembled for this powerful soundtrack."
Monte Lipman, Chairman & CEO of Republic Records, stated, "The creative alliance between Coldplay and The Hunger Games franchise will create a level of excitement and anticipation of epic proportions."
Coldplay is one of the top recording artists of recent times, selling over 60 million records worldwide and winning seven Grammy Awards and five MTV Video Awards, among other honors. They are signed to Parlophone, the legendary label known for The Beatles, Radiohead, Queen, David Guetta and more.
The first installment of The Hunger Games was the 13th highest-grossing North American release of all time on its way to grossing nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office.
This is the first in a series of highly anticipated announcements of the new artists to be revealed in the coming weeks.
The first Hunger Games partnership between Republic Records and Lionsgate yielded the Grammy Award-winning, chart-dominating The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond executive produced by T Bone Burnett.
The album hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 on its release with sales over 175,000, making it the first soundtrack to top the chart since November 2009. It was the best-selling soundtrack of 2012, the fastest selling soundtrack ever at iTunes, and was certified gold by the RIAA shortly after its release. The album earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and three Grammy Award nominations, and its first single, Taylor Swift's "Safe & Sound" featuring The Civil Wars, won the 2013 Grammy Award for "Best Song Written for Visual Media".
ABOUT THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has sold over 50 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, Republic is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Amy Winehouse, Ariana Grande, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Gotye, Kelly Rowland, Owl City, Of Monsters & Men among many others.
It is comprised of innovative imprints and digital business ventures including Brushfire (Jack Johnson, G. Love), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj), Lava Records (Jessie J, Lorde), Loma Vista (Soundgarden, Damian Marley), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), NBC's The Voice (Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery), Republic Nashville (The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, The Eli Young Band), XO (The Weeknd), among others.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of primetime cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 28 shows on 20 networks spanning its production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, Anger Management, the network series Nashville, the syndication successes Tyler Perry's House of Payne, its spinoff Meet the Browns and The Wendy Williams Show as well as the new series Orange Is The New Black.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first installment of The Hunger Games franchise, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Tyler Perry's Temptation, Warm Bodies, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Expendables 2, The Possession, Sinister, The Cabin in the Woods and Arbitrage.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
