Lionsgate Nabs ‘Friends With Kids’

Lionsgate says it has acquired Red Granite Pictures’ “Friends with Kids,” which recently screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

The announcement was made Wednesday jointly by Steve Beeks, Lionsgate’s president and co-chief operating officer; Joe Drake, co-chief operating officer and motion picture group president; and Jason Constantine, president of acquisitions and co-productions.

The film is Jennifer Westfeldt’s directorial debut, following the two critically acclaimed independent films she previously wrote and starred in — “Kissing Jessica Stein” and “Ira & Abby.”

Westfeldt co-stars in “Kids” with Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with the great teams at Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions on the release of ‘Friends with Kids,'” Westfeldt said in a statement. “Their passion for the project and the subject matter, along with their commitment to finding a broad audience for our film, make them the dream partners for us.”