Lionsgate has acquired rights in North America, UK,Australia and South Africa to GreeneStreet Films' thriller Tenderness which is directed by John Polson and stars RussellCrowe.

Based on the novel by Robert Cormier, the film featuresSophie Traub as a 15 year-old dreamer who becomes embroiled with a mysteriousyoung man (Jon Foster). Crowe plays a cop determined to unmask the man as aserial killer. Laura Dern also stars.

The film is produced by John Penotti of GreeneStreet withHoward Meltzer and Charles Randolph, with GreeneStreet co-founder FisherStevens acting as executive producer with Tim Williams and Jana Edelbaum ofiDeal Partners Film Fund and Scott Hanson and John Allen of Hanson Film Fund.The film was co-financed by GreeneStreet, iDeal and Hanson.

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Peter Block,president of acquisitions and co-productions, Jason Constantine, senior vicepresident of acquisitions, and Wendy Jaffe, senior vice president, legal &business affairs, acquisitions; andfor GreeneStreet by Vicki Cherkas, the company's head of business affairs, businessdevelopment and new ventures, and CAA.

Lionsgate is also releasing the Crowe-starrer 3:10 ToYuma next year.