American film studio
Lionsgate Films
(formerly known as
Cinepix Film Properties
) is a Canadian-American
[2]
film production and film distribution studio founded in Canada, now a division of
Lionsgate Entertainment
headquartered in
Santa Monica
. It is the largest and most successful
mini-major film studio
in North America.
It focuses on foreign and independent films and has distributed various commercially successful film franchises, including
Saw
,
The Hunger Games
,
Rambo
,
Divergent
,
The Punisher
,
John Wick
,
Madea
,
Blair Witch
,
Now You See Me
,
Hostel
,
The Expendables
,
Sinister
,
The Twilight Saga
and
Step Up
.
History
Cinepix
Cinepix was founded by
John Dunning
and Andre Link in 1962.
[3]
Cinepix, based in Montreal, was a Canadian independent motion picture company that released English- and French-language films in Canada and the United States.
[4]
Initially a distribution company, Cinepix's first production was the 1969 erotic drama
Valerie
, which earned $1 million at the box office.
[5]
Cinepix produced early work by
David Cronenberg
(
Shivers
) and
Ivan Reitman
(
Meatballs
).
[6]
The company also distributed art-house films including the grunge rock documentary
Hype
,
Vincent Gallo
's
Buffalo '66
, and
SICK: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
.
[7]
Cronenberg stated that "Cinepix was the Canadian version of
Roger Corman
" and "in a way they were modelling themselves after him and also some European producers as well".
From 1989 to 1994, Cinepix was partnered with
Famous Players
in C/FP Distribution, which was renamed Cinepix Film Properties (C/FP). In 1994, Cinepix bought Famous Players' stake in the organization.
[9]
By 1997, Cinepix had a New York?based US distribution arm and owned 56 percent of
Cine-Groupe
, an
animated film
production company.
[7]
Lionsgate Films
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (LGEC) was formed in 1997 by Frank Giustra, a banker.
[10]
LGEC purchased Cinepix and kept its leadership.
[7]
Cinepix was renamed Lions Gate Films on January 13, 1998.
[11]
LGEC also purchased the Vancouver-based
North Shore Studios
, which became
Lions Gate Studios.
[7]
In June 1998, LGE purchased International Movie Group, whose film library included
Jean-Claude Van Damme
's
Kickboxer
.
[7]
Its first major box office success was
American Psycho
in 2000, which began a trend of producing and distributing films too controversial for the major film studios.
[12]
Other notable films included
Affliction
(1998),
[13]
Gods and Monsters
(1998),
[14]
Dogma
(1999),
[15]
O
(2001),
[16]
Cube 2: Hypercube
(2002),
Open Water
(2003),
Saw
(2004),
[17]
The Punisher
(2004) and the
Michael Moore
documentary
Fahrenheit 9/11
(2004), which had been the studio's highest-grossing film until the release of
The Hunger Games
in 2012.
[18]
Giustra left the firm in 2000.
[10]
That same year,
Jon Feltheimer
became CEO and Michael Burns became vice chairman.
[19]
They decided to focus on the profits of videos and DVDs and began buying struggling firms that controlled large libraries. The two most notable acquisitions were
Trimark Holdings
(650 titles) in 2000
[7]
and
Artisan Entertainment
in 2003.
[20]
The Trimark purchase also included
CinemaNow
, a broadband streaming website, where Lionsgate could feature its own movies.
[7]
These two purchases along with others gave Lions Gate a large DVD (and later Blu-Ray) library, which includes
Total Recall
,
Reservoir Dogs
,
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
,
Young Guns
,
Dirty Dancing
and
Apocalypse Now
, in some cases via output deals with
StudioCanal
,
American Zoetrope
, and
Miramax
(most of them the result of prior licensing deals with Lions Gate's home video predecessor Artisan).
[
citation needed
]
Lions Gate occasionally co-produces films with major studios. For example, Lions Gate teamed with Miramax Films for the 2004 sequel
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
and with
Paramount Pictures
for 2002's
Narc
and 2004's
The Prince & Me
which was given a studio credit. Lions Gate was also a silent partner in
20th Century Fox
's 2004 sci-fi film
The Day After Tomorrow
. Also in 2004, Lions Gate joined forces with
United Artists
in producing
Hotel Rwanda
.
[21]
On August 1, 2005, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp acquired the entire library of Modern Entertainment.
[22]
[23]
On October 17, 2005, Lionsgate acquired
Redbus Film Distribution
for $35 million
[24]
[25]
and became
Lionsgate UK
on February 23, 2006.
[26]
[27]
Following this,
Zygi Kamasa
, who co-founded Redbus with Simon Franks, became CEO of Lionsgate UK and Europe.
In 2007, Joe Drake became Lionsgate's co-COO and motion picture group president.
[28]
Lionsgate cut back its annual production by four in February 2009.
[29]
The Lionsgate film
The Hunger Games
grossed $68.3 million when it premiered at the US box office on March 23, 2012. At the time, it was the best opening day ever for a non-sequel and the fifth highest of all time. Of that total, $19.7 million was earned via Thursday midnight screenings.
[30]
In its first weekend,
The Hunger Games
grossed $152.5 million, making it Lionsgate's highest-grossing film after just three days.
[31]
On January 13, 2012, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp acquired
Summit Entertainment
, the studio behind the
Twilight
and
Step Up
series for $412.5 million.
[32]
On May 3, 2012, Lionsgate Films made an agreement with
CodeBlack Enterprises
' CEO Jeff Clanagan to create
CodeBlack Films
, based at Lionsgate.
[33]
Drake left in 2012 to found
Good Universe
.
[28]
On January 16, 2013, Lionsgate announced a low-budget film division to be led by John Sacchi. The division would release films under $2.5 million. Sacchi recently looked to acquire such films as Rock Bottom Creek (2012) and other independently made films as well.
[34]
On November 22, 2013, Lions Gate released
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
. In its opening weekend, the movie grossed $158 million at the US box office, surpassing its predecessor, which generated $150 million in its opening weekend.
[35]
The film had a budget of $130 million, breaking even soon after its opening, and making it profitable. Critics highly praised the film; it received a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 89%.
[36]
The third
Hunger Games
film,
Mockingjay- Part 1
, was released in 2014. The final film,
Mockingjay - Part 2
, was released in 2015.
On April 1, 2015, according to
Deadline
, Lions Gate announced it has created its new label,
Lionsgate Premiere
. This new label will handle up to 15 releases a year, targeting young audiences at theaters and digital outlets. The new label, part of the company's diversification effort, will incorporate Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment titles and then specialize in "innovative multiplatform and other release strategies" to reach "affinity audiences with branded content and targeted marketing." Marketing and Research SVP Jean McDowell will handle marketing, with distribution to be run by Adam Sorensen, who currently manages Western Sales.
[37]
On May 2, 2016, according to
Deadline Hollywood
, Lions Gate announced it has teaming with eight international companies to launch the
GlobalGate Entertainment
consortium. GlobalGate will produce and distribute local-language films in markets around the world. Lionsgate said Monday it has partnered with international entertainment executives Paul Presburger, William Pfeiffer and Clifford Werber to launch GlobalGate.
[38]
Drake returned in October 2017 as Lionsgate's film group chairman. The company laid off staff for theatrical marketing and publicity in its New York office, and moved to end its participation as a partner in CodeBlack Films in January 2019. The cut backs were due to the failures of
Robin Hood
, and the comedy
The Spy Who Dumped Me
.
[28]
In June 2019,
Hulu
and
FX
picked up show rights to Lionsgate films released in 2020 and 2021.
[39]
In 2022, Adam Fogelson joined the Motion Picture Group as vice chair, after leaving
STX Entertainment
, reporting to Drake.
[40]
Film library
Film series
Highest-grossing films
Highest-grossing films in North America
Rank
|
Title
|
Year
|
Domestic gross
|
Notes
|
1
|
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
|
2013
|
$424,668,047
|
|
2
|
The Hunger Games
|
2012
|
$408,010,692
|
|
3
|
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay ? Part 1
|
2014
|
$337,135,885
|
|
4
|
Eclipse
|
2010
|
$300,531,751
|
Distributed by
Summit Entertainment
.
|
5
|
New Moon
|
$296,623,634
|
6
|
Breaking Dawn ? Part 2
|
2012
|
$292,324,737
|
7
|
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay ? Part 2
|
2015
|
$281,723,902
|
|
8
|
Breaking Dawn ? Part 1
|
2011
|
$281,287,133
|
Distributed by
Summit Entertainment
.
|
9
|
Twilight
|
2008
|
$192,769,854
|
|
10
|
John Wick: Chapter 4
|
2023
|
$187,131,806
|
|
11
|
The Day After Tomorrow
|
2004
|
$186,740,799
|
Released by
20th Century Fox
|
12
|
John Wick: Chapter 3 ? Parabellum
|
2019
|
$171,015,687
|
|
13
|
Knives Out
|
2019
|
$165,359,751
|
|
14
|
La La Land
|
2016
|
$151,101,803
|
Distributed by
Summit Entertainment
.
|
15
|
Divergent
|
2014
|
$150,947,895
|
16
|
The Blair Witch Project
|
1999
|
$140,539,099
|
|
17
|
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
|
2015
|
$130,179,072
|
18
|
Now You See Me
|
2013
|
$117,723,989
|
19
|
The Expendables
|
2010
|
$103,068,524
|
20
|
John Wick: Chapter 2
|
2017
|
$92,029,184
|
|
Highest-grossing films worldwide
Rank
|
Title
|
Year
|
Box office gross
|
1
|
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
|
2013
|
$865,011,746
|
2
|
Breaking Dawn ? Part 2
|
2012
|
$829,746,820
|
3
|
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
|
2014
|
$755,356,711
|
4
|
Breaking Dawn ? Part 1
|
2011
|
$712,205,856
|
5
|
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
|
2009
|
$709,711,008
|
6
|
Eclipse
|
2010
|
$698,491,347
|
7
|
The Hunger Games
|
2012
|
$694,394,724
|
8
|
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
|
2015
|
$658,344,137
|
9
|
The Day After Tomorrow
|
2004
|
$552,639,571
|
10
|
La La Land
|
2016
|
$448,906,865
|
11
|
John Wick: Chapter 4
|
2023
|
$432,249,673
|
12
|
Twilight
|
2008
|
$407,187,715
|
13
|
Now You See Me
|
2013
|
$351,723,989
|
14
|
Now You See Me 2
|
2016
|
$334,901,337
|
15
|
John Wick: Chapter 3 ? Parabellum
|
2019
|
$328,349,387
|
16
|
The Expendables 2
|
2012
|
$314,975,955
|
17
|
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
|
2015
|
$297,276,329
|
18
|
Divergent
|
2014
|
$288,885,818
|
19
|
The Expendables
|
2010
|
$274,470,394
|
20
|
The Blair Witch Project
|
1999
|
$248,639,099
|
|
References
- ^
Lieberman, David (May 2, 2016).
"Lionsgate Partners With Execs At Film Initiative Targeting Global Local Markets"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
November 1,
2016
.
- ^
"LGE Company Snapshot"
.
CorporateInformation
. Wright Investors Service. Archived from
the original
on January 14, 2012
. Retrieved
October 5,
2011
.
- ^
Bailey, Patricia.
"Andre Link & John Dunning ? Feature Film: Maverick producer-distrib team scored at box office"
. Retrieved
April 24,
2019
.
- ^
"John Dunning dies at 84"
.
Variety
. September 23, 2011
. Retrieved
April 24,
2019
.
- ^
"John Dunning, Canadian Film Pioneer, Dies at 84"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. September 22, 2011
. Retrieved
April 24,
2019
.
- ^
Beel, Philip.
"Canuxploitation Article: From Cinepix to Cineplex: The Studios that Dripped Maple Syrup"
.
canuxploitation.com
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
"Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation ? Company History"
. Funding Universe
. Retrieved
October 14,
2011
.
- ^
Cuthbert, Pamela.
"C/FP buy"
.
playbackonline.ca
.
- ^
a
b
"Lionsgate Reunites with Founder for TV Venture (Exclusive)"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. March 13, 2012
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
Roman, Monica (January 14, 1998).
"Cinepix Film morphs into Lions Gate Ent"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
April 24,
2019
.
- ^
Edgerton, Gary (2011).
Mad Men: Dream Come True TV
. p. 12.
- ^
Hindes, Andrew (April 17, 1998).
"Lions Gate gets 'Affliction' pic"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
"Sir Ian McKellen Treats Acting as the Province of the 'Gods'
"
.
Los Angeles Times
. November 4, 1998
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
Jones, Oliver (September 9, 1999).
"
'Dogma' goes to Lions Gate"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
"Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., Form S-2/A"
. Archived from
the original
on October 9, 2021.
- ^
Child, Ben (August 8, 2012).
"Original Saw film tipped for remake"
.
The Guardian
.
ISSN
0261-3077
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
Kilday, Gregg (March 23, 2012).
"
'Hunger Games' to Pass Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' as Lionsgate's Top-Grossing Movie"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
- ^
McNary, Dave (September 13, 2018).
"Lionsgate Vice-Chair Says Studio Needs to Get Bigger"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
July 23,
2019
.
- ^
Bates, James (October 28, 2003).
"Lions Gate to Buy Artisan Entertainment"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 3,
2013
.
- ^
"A man in the middle of madness"
.
Los Angeles Times
. December 22, 2004.
ISSN
0458-3035
. Retrieved
April 12,
2019
.
- ^
"Indiantelevision.com"
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp acquires movies from Modern Entertainment
indiantelevision.com, Retrieved on June 14, 2012
- ^
"Modern Entertainment sells titles to Lions Gate"
.
L.A. Biz
. July 14, 2005
. Retrieved
March 3,
2013
.
- ^
"Strategic Acquisition Enables Lions Gate to Self-Distribute in the UK and Adds to Company's Library and Pipeline"
. PRNewswire. October 18, 2005.
- ^
"Redbus - Sale of Redbus Film Distribution to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp"
. Slaughter and May. October 17, 2005. Archived from
the original
on December 24, 2013
. Retrieved
August 15,
2012
.
- ^
Mitchell, Wendy (February 23, 2006).
"Redbus rebranded as Lionsgate UK"
. Screen Daily.
- ^
Dawtrey, Adam (February 23, 2006).
"Redbus now Lionsgate"
.
Variety
.
- ^
a
b
c
Lang, Brent (January 11, 2019).
"Lionsgate Laying Off Staff, Ends Codeblack Films Partnership"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
January 23,
2019
.
- ^
"Lions Gate, Relativity ink distribution deal"
.
Seattle Times
. April 27, 2009
. Retrieved
March 4,
2013
.
- ^
McClintock, Pamela (March 24, 2012).
"Box Office Report: 'Hunger Games' Finishes Friday With Massive $68.3 Mil"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
- ^
"Lionsgate The Hunger Games Movies"
. March 19, 2014
. Retrieved
September 22,
2017
.
- ^
Fritz, Ben (January 13, 2012).
"Lions Gate acquires Summit Entertainment for $412.5 million"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
Vlessing, Etan (May 3, 2012).
"Lionsgate Pacts With CodeBlack CEO Jeff Clanagan"
.
Hollywood Reporter
.
- ^
McNary, Dave (January 16, 2013).
"Lionsgate taps Sacchi to head even-lower budget films arm"
.
Variety
.
- ^
Steinberg, Jacob (November 27, 2013).
"Hunger Games is a Huge Success, Yet Lions Gate Sells Off"
. Seeking Alpha
. Retrieved
November 28,
2013
.
- ^
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
.
- ^
Lieberman, David (April 1, 2015).
"Lionsgate Introduces Distribution Unit To Target Next-Gen Audiences"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
- ^
Lieberman, David (May 2, 2016).
"Lionsgate Partners With Execs At Film Initiative Targeting Global Local Markets"
.
Deadine
.
- ^
McNary, Dave (June 11, 2019).
"Lionsgate Pacts With Hulu, FX for Two-Year Output Deal"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
July 30,
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.
- ^
D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 25, 2022).
"STX's Adam Fogelson Heads To Lionsgate As New Motion Picture Group Vice Chair"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
May 9,
2023
.
Works cited
External links
|
---|
Motion pictures
| |
---|
Television production
and distribution
| |
---|
Media assets
| Starz Inc.
| |
---|
Streaming services*
|
- Laugh Out Loud
- Tribeca Shortlist
|
---|
Broadcast and FAST networks
|
- MovieSphere by Lionsgate
- OuterSphere by Lionsgate
- Ebony TV by Lionsgate*
- LOL Network*
- Free TV Networks
*
- The365
- Outlaw
- VCR Action
- VCR Haha
|
---|
Celestial Tiger Entertainment
*
| |
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|
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| Division
| | |
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Subsidiaries
| |
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Defunct or sold
| |
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See also
| |
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Productions and properties
| |
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Based on
Hasbro
properties
| |
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See also
| | eOne Films productions based on Hasbro Properties
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
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|
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Former or defunct assets
and predecessors
| |
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Key personnel
| |
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|
|
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Majors
|
|
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Mini-majors
|
|
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Horizontal
production/
distribution
companies
| |
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Slate
partners
| |
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Production/
distribution
companies
| |
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Defunct/former
| Disney
| |
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Lionsgate
| |
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MGM
| |
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Universal
| |
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Paramount
| |
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Sony
| |
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Warner Bros.
| |
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Others
| |
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