Image Entertainment Acquires Domestic Rights to Winnie Mandela Biopic Starring Jennifer Hudson

Image Entertainment, an RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, has acquired all U.S. rights to Winnie Mandela at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival. Budgeted at $15 million, the film is an adaptation of Anné Mariè du Preez Bezdrob's biography Winnie Mandela: A Life and is written and directed by Darrell J. Roodt.

Winnie Mandela stars Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls; Sex in the City) and Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow; Red Tails; Iron Man) and will be released in theaters Fall 2013. The film is presented by TD Jakes, and produced by André Pieterse (Ironwood Films) and Michael Mosca (Equinoxe Films). Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer for Image Entertainment, made today's announcement.

"Both Jennifer Hudson (as Winnie) and Terrence Howard (as Nelson Mandela) deliver exceptional, solid performances," said Bromiley. "We are honored to distribute the film and give audiences the opportunity to see Winnie Mandela's powerful story."

"Winnie Mandela has been a labor of love," said director Darrell J. Roodt. "We wanted to uphold the prestige of the Mandela name and tell her story as accurately and respectfully as possible. We took great pride and responsibility in creating this movie, and we are proud to release the never-before-seen dramatic love story this Fall. The brilliant acting by Jennifer and Terrence, supported by the excellent cinematography and outstanding title song by six time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren (sung by Jennifer Hudson), make this film incomparable."

"This movie offers American audiences a rare opportunity to visit the amazing beauty of South Africa from a theater seat," said TD Jakes, CEO of TDJ Enterprises. "But even more, it is an epic look at love and liberty and the great expense incurred to attain and maintain either. It is our honor to inspire a wider audience to sample the drama of a love life painted on the canvas of Apartheid. Image Entertainment and RLJ, we applaud you for having the courage to unveil this compelling story on screen."

Winnie Mandela explores the personal and political life of the wife of renowned activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela (Terrence Howard). The film tells the compelling story of one woman's journey as she fights for the freedom of the man she loves and for the freedom of her people during the Apartheid era. Winnie Mandela depicts the struggle to keep the Mandela dream alive amidst her husband's life imprisonment, her own time in solitary confinement, and her battle to overcome controversies that followed her through the years.

The deal was negotiated by Bromiley, Brett Dismuke and Jess De Leo on behalf of Image Entertainment, and by CAA on behalf of the producers.

Winnie Mandela made 70 appearances on American network television, merited 20 stories in the New York Times, and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Known as South Africa's Brave and selfless "Mother of the Nation," she became one of the most famous women in the world.

Recent Image Entertainment releases include The Numbers Station with John Cusack and Malin Akerman, Tomorrow You're Gone with Stephen Dorff, Michelle Monaghan and Willem Dafoe, Day of the Falcon with Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto and Mark Strong and the upcoming The Colony with Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers, Blood with Paul Bettany, Mark Strong and Brian Cox and Paradise with Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer and Holly Hunter, written, directed and produced by Diablo Cody.

About RLJ Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,200 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (stand-up comedy, feature films), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Slingshot (faith), Athena (educational), Criterion (art films) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, digital streaming, broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical.

Via its majority-owned subsidiary Agatha Christie Limited, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. And through its direct-to-consumer business, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its nascent Branded digital subscription channels, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. RLJE has proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn and Acacia brands, and owns the recently launched Acorn TV digital subscription service.