Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. said it has signed a deal with Apple Inc.’s iTunes that will make the studio’s films and complete library available for download on the popular site later this month.

Lions Gate, an independent studio based in Santa Monica that has the second-largest home-video catalog in Hollywood as a result of a string of film-library acquisitions, which provide some much-needed pop to iTunes movie offerings.

This deal will beef up the iTunes movie selection to 400, which pales in comparison to Wal-Mart’s newly launched service which offers more than 3,000 titles. Downloads will cost $9.99 each.

Shares in Lions Gate were up 6 cents to $11.25 in midday trading Monday.