Vancouver: Underwriters Yorkton Securities, First Marathon Securities and Merrill Lynch Canada have exercised their option to acquire an additional 816,000 common shares of Lions Gate Entertainment.

The option was granted to the syndicate to cover the increased demand - or oversubscription - for the company's previously announced $25-million equity financing. And the new acquisition at $4.60 per share increases the original financing by $3.75 million to $28.78 million.

Lions Gate is currently riding high on the Oscar success of its films Gods and Monsters and Affliction, both now playing in movie theaters in the u.s. and Canada.