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TORONTO -- With some completed pics at the Toronto Film Festival still waiting for distribution offers, Lionsgate has scored domestic distribution rights to "Knockout," the next movie to be directed by Steven Soderbergh, who is at the festival to unveil his new film, "The Informant."

Mandate will be handling international sales.

Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media recently committed to fully finance the film, a spy thriller in the vein of "La Femme Nikita" that will mark the screen starring debut of Gina Carano, the mixed martial arts circuit fighter.

Relativity Media and Lionsgate are finalizing a deal that will be part of the recent overall deal the parties announced in April. Under the arrangement, Relativity puts up financing and P&A on the films.

"Knockout" begins production in January in locations around the world that include Ireland, Turkey and the U.S.

Script was written by Lem Dobbs, who previously worked with Soderbergh on "The Limey" and "Kafka." Gregory Jacobs will produce with Kavanaugh, and Tucker Tooley is executive producer.