General	6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
General	General Nature of Operations Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (the “Company,” “Lionsgate,” “we,” “us” or “our”) 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 and new channel platforms. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lionsgate and all of its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (the “U.S.”) accounting principles generally accepted (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to quarterly report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act, and Article 10 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three and six months ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. The balance sheet at March 31, 2011 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. Certain amounts presented for fiscal 2011 have been reclassified to conform to the fiscal 2012 presentation relating to the sale of Maple Pictures (see Note 12). Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates made by management in the preparation of the financial statements relate to ultimate revenue and costs for investment in films and television programs; estimates of sales returns and other allowances and provisions for doubtful accounts; fair value of assets and liabilities for allocation of the purchase price of companies acquired; income taxes and accruals for contingent liabilities; and impairment assessments for investment in films and television programs, property and equipment, equity investments, goodwill and intangible assets. Actual results could differ from such estimates. Recent Accounting Pronouncements The Company intends to early adopt Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-08 “Testing Goodwill for Impairment” for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. ASU 2011-08 simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment and permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. ASU 2011-08 would have been effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012 if not for the early adoption. The adoption of ASU 2011-08 is not expected to have a significant impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standard update relating to the presentation of other comprehensive income. The accounting update eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of stockholders’ equity. Instead, Companies must report comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income (which would contain the current income statement presentation followed by the components of other comprehensive income and a total amount for comprehensive income), or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012. The Company does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standard update related to fair value measurements and disclosures to improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. This guidance includes amendments that clarify the intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements, while other amendments change a principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. Specifically, the guidance requires additional disclosures for fair value measurements that are based on significant unobservable inputs. The updated guidance is to be applied prospectively and is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning April 1, 2012. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

General

Nature of Operations

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (the “Company,” “Lionsgate,” “we,” “us” or “our”) 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 and new channel platforms.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lionsgate and all of its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (the “U.S.”) accounting principles generally accepted (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to quarterly report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act, and Article 10 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three and six months ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. The balance sheet at March 31, 2011 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011.

Certain amounts presented for fiscal 2011 have been reclassified to conform to the fiscal 2012 presentation relating to the sale of Maple Pictures (see Note 12).

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates made by management in the preparation of the financial statements relate to ultimate revenue and costs for investment in films and television programs; estimates of sales returns and other allowances and provisions for doubtful accounts; fair value of assets and liabilities for allocation of the purchase price of companies acquired; income taxes and accruals for contingent liabilities; and impairment assessments for investment in films and television programs, property and equipment, equity investments, goodwill and intangible assets. Actual results could differ from such estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company intends to early adopt Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-08 “Testing Goodwill for Impairment” for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. ASU 2011-08 simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment and permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. ASU 2011-08 would have been effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012 if not for the early adoption. The adoption of ASU 2011-08 is not expected to have a significant impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standard update relating to the presentation of other comprehensive income. The accounting update eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of stockholders’ equity. Instead, Companies must report comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income (which would contain the current income statement presentation followed by the components of other comprehensive income and a total amount for comprehensive income), or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012. The Company does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standard update related to fair value measurements and disclosures to improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. This guidance includes amendments that clarify the intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements, while other amendments change a principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. Specifically, the guidance requires additional disclosures for fair value measurements that are based on significant unobservable inputs. The updated guidance is to be applied prospectively and is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning April 1, 2012. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.