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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-06-05</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

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

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001308871</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Beeks Steve</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2700 COLORADO AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SANTA MONICA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90404</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Co-Chief Operating Officer</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>11111</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>61706</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4176</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>27.44</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>57530</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>11111</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>61706</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4176</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>25.53</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>57530</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-qualified stock options (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>31.78</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>38215</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2025-05-06</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Class A Common Shares</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>38215</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>38215</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-qualifies stock options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>30.72</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>38215</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2017-06-05</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2025-05-06</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Class B Common Shares</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>38215</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>38215</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares issued upon vesting of restricted share performance units granted by the Issuer pursuant to the terms of an employment agreement with the reporting person, which are payable in an equal number of Class A common shares of the Issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Amount includes 5,555 restricted share units granted by the Issuer, payable upon vesting in an equal number of Class A common shares of the Issuer, that are scheduled to vest on March 31, 2018.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents Class A common shares withheld by the Issuer to satisfy certain tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of 11,11 restricted share performance units. The grant of the restricted share performance units is reported herein and, pursuant to the Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. 2012 Performance Incentive Plan and the Issuer's policies, 4,176 Class A common shares were automatically canceled to cover certain of the reporting person's tax withholding obligations. No Class A common shares were sold by the Issuer or the reporting person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Shares issued upon vesting of restricted share performance units granted by the Issuer pursuant to the terms of an employment agreement with the reporting person, which are payable in an equal number of Class B common shares of the Issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Amount includes 5,555 restricted share units granted by the Issuer, payable upon vesting in an equal number of Class B common shares of the Issuer, that are scheduled to vest on March 31, 2018.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Represents Class B common shares withheld by the Issuer to satisfy certain tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of 11,111 restricted share performance units. The grant of the restricted share performance units is reported herein and, pursuant to the Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. 2012 Performance Incentive Plan and the Issuer's policies, 4,176 Class B common shares were automatically canceled to cover certain of the reporting person's tax withholding obligations. No Class B common shares were sold by the Issuer or the reporting person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">On June 5, 2017, the reporting person vested in performance options as to 38,215 Class A common shares, as certain performance criteria for such year and tranche of vesting were met.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">On June 5, 2017, the reporting person vested in performance options as to 38,215 Class B common shares, as certain performance criteria for such year and tranche of vesting were met.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Steve Beeks (By Adrian Kuzycz by Power of Attorney)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-06-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
