Distributor Lionsgate UK has struck a three-picture acquisition deal with Nu Image/Millennium Films.

Lionsgate UK has taken UK and Ireland rights to Jon Avnet's crime thriller Righteous Kill; Callie Khouri's comedy Mad Money; and the Conan The Barbarian revived franchise set for a new film release in 2009.

Righteous Kill stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino as two cops pursuing a poetic serial killer. It will be released in autumn 2008.

Mad Money, out in the US today and set for UK/Ireland release in June, is the story of women who try to exploit a loophole in the US Federal Reserve. Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes and Ted Danson star.

Conan The Barbarian will be shot in summer/autumn 2008 shoot at Nu Image's NuBoyna studio in Bulgaria for Nu Image/Millennium producers Boaz Davidson and Joe Gatta (along with Fredrick Malmberg of Paradox, George Furla and Henry Winterstern).

Lionsgate recently announced its North American deal for Conan, but this UK deal was negotiated separately - between Danny Dimbort and Avi Lerner of Nu Image and Zygi Kamasa and Guy Avshalom, CEO and COO of Lionsgate UK.

'Nu Image are probably one of the most prolific producers of big budget films in the market today and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them on Righteous Kill and Mad Money and are extremely excited to be joining Nu Image and our US colleagues at Lionsgate in the production of a potentially huge franchise in Conan,' said Lionsgate UK CEO Zygi Kamasa.

Nu Image's Dimbort added: 'I have very much enjoyed working with Lionsgate UK and Zygi and Guy. We consider them to be one of the best distributors internationally and we look forward to our growing relationship.'

Lionsgate UK's other forthcoming releases include The Bank Job, Forbidden Kingdom, the remake of The Eye.

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