<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-05-03</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000929351</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP /CN/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LGF</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001254639</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BURNS MICHAEL RAYMOND</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2700 COLORADO AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>STE 200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SANTA MONICA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90404</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Vice Chairman</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-05-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>27095</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>989655</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-05-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>393</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>6.92</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>989262</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Amount includes 27,095 restricted share units granted by the Issuer pursuant to the terms of an employment agreement with the reporting person dated November 2, 2009, which are payable in an equal number of common shares of the Issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Amount includes: (i) 91,429 restricted share units granted by the Issuer, payable upon vesting in an equal number of common shares of the Issuer, that are scheduled to vest in equal installments on September 1, 2010 and September 1, 2011; (ii) 83,333 restricted share units granted by the Issuer, payable upon vesting in an equal number of common shares of the Issuer, that are scheduled to vest on September 1, 2010; and (iii) 229,108 restricted share units granted by the Issuer, payable upon vesting in an equal amount of common shares of the Issuer, that are scheduled to vest in an equal installments on March 31, 2011, March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2013.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents common shares withheld by the Issuer to satisy certain tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of 27,095 restricted share units. Pursuant to the Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. 2004 Incentive Plan and the Issuer's policies, 393 common shares were automatically canceled to cover certain of the reporting person's tax obligations. No common shares were sold by the Issuer or the reporting person.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Michael Burns (By Adrian Kuzycz by Power of Attorney)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-05-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
