Lions Gate International has closed key territory sales on its three hottest titles - Bret Easton Ellis adaptation Rules Of Attraction, Argentinian thriller Nine Queens and drama Monster's Ball.

Icon Entertainment bought UK, Australia and New Zealand on Rules Of Attraction which stars James Van Der Beek and Kip Pardue. Metropolitan Filmexport took it for France, Planeta/Zono for Spain and Les Films L'Elysee for Belgium.

Nine Queens sold to Filmauro in Italy, Belga in Benelux, LNK in Portugal and Myndform in Iceland. At time of going to press, Lions Gate presidents Nick Meyer and Sergei Yershov were in the midst of a bidding war for French rights.

On Monsters Ball, which stars Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger, Vertigo took Spanish rights, Les Films L'Elysee bought Benelux, Gussi took Mexico, Golden Harvest took Hong Kong, Scanbox took Scandinavia (excluding Iceland), Imagem took Brazil and LMC took Portugal. Previously closed deals included Gaga for Japan and Metropolitan for France.

"In a tough marketplace, having theatrical movies and our own theatrical distribution sets us apart," said Meyer. "Buyers know we are committed to our own films." Lions Gate will release both Rules and Monsters Ball in the US, with Sony Pictures Classics handling Nine Queens.