Lionsgate cozies around 'Friends With Kids'

Lionsgate has acquired U.S. rights to Jennifer Westfeldt's ensemble comedy ''Friends With Kids,'' each week after its premiere within the Toronto Film Festival. Deal closed Sunday round the final day's the festival. Deal was the initial TIFF purchase to Lionsgate, that have no official comment regarding release plans. ''Friends with Kids,'' shot in NY early this year, stars Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, Megan Fox, Kristen Wiig, Edward Burns, Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd. Written and directed by Westfeldt (''Kissing Jessica Stein''), pic concentrates on several pals whose existence is changed since the couples inside the group start getting children. Westfeldt and Scott portray close buddies who launch a romance while attempting to avoid the anticipation of the relationship. Hamm, Wiig, Rudolph and O'Dowd are most likely the pals with kids. ''Friends'' is produced by Westfeldt and Hamm's Points West Pictures and Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland's Red-colored-colored Granite Pictures. Pic might be the very first for production companies. Producers are Westfeldt, Hamm, Joshua Astrachan, John Kasdan, Joey McFarland and Riza Aziz. Executive producers are Mike Nichols, John Sloss, Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Joe Gatta with Kathryn Dean co-creating. Cinetic Media handled U.S. rights and Red-colored-colored Granite is handling worldwide sales. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com