Animal Planet and Lionsgate have partnered to acquire the U.S., Canadian and U.K. rights to documentary film Million Dollar Duck. Directed by Brian Golden Davis, Million Dollar Duck had its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City Jan. 24. It will air on Animal Planet, part of Discovery Communications, in the fall.
The feature “dives into the wonderfully eccentric world of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest—the only juried art competition run by the U.S. government,” according to Discovery.
“From the moment I saw Million Dollar Duck, I knew Animal Planet would be the perfect home for this heartfelt and humorous film,” said Rich Ross, group president of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Science Channel. “Showcasing this film brings to light this special program that supports wetlands conservation and aligns with our network’s goal to activate people on animal welfare concerns."
The pact is the latest in the growing relationship between Discovery and Lionsgate.
“We’re proud to extend our strategic partnership with Discovery on this terrific film,” said Jim Packer, Lionsgate president of worldwide television & digital distribution. “Poignant, quirky, hilarious and tremendously engaging, Million Dollar Duck is the perfect property to kick off our alliance with Discovery on documentary films and other long-form content that creates tremendous opportunities for both our companies.”
