Tag Archives: Michael Burns

Lionsgate Entertainment

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By Ali Koskoris

Lionsgate Entertainment

Photo Courtesy of destructoid.com[i]

Contact Information:[ii]

2700 Colorado Avenue, Suite 200, Santa Monica,CA 90404

1-310-449-9200

www.lionsgate.com

 

About Lionsgate Entertainment: 

Founded in 1997 in Canada [iii], Lionsgate Films is an independent international entertainment company and segment of the Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation.  It produces and distributes motion pictures, television programming and syndication, animation, and digital media. [iv]  In 2003 the company merged with Artisan Entertainment and in 2012 it purchased Summit Entertainment for approximately $413 million. [v]

Lionsgate has gained momentum by creating blockbuster film franchises based on books, including Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. [vi] With a focus on cost discipline, Lionsgate releases approximately fifteen feature films and six to eight specialty films a year through its sister company, Roadside Attractions. The company television section also has close to thirty television series distributed through multiple mediums, including Mad Men and Orange is the New Black, and holds contracts with Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. [vii]

 

Key Executives:

Joe Feltheimer   Michael BurnsSteve BeeksBrian Goldsmith

Photos and info Courtesy of: http://www.lionsgate.com [viii]

 

Financials:
In 2013 Lionsgate Entertainment earned $2.7 billion dollars – a 70.58% growth from 2012- and had a gross income of $1.3 billion dollars- a 95.22% gross income increase from 2012. [ix]  Thus far in 2014 (through April 13), Lionsgate has grossed approximately $232 million domestically, led by recent release, Divergent and followed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is no longer in theatres. [x] The company stays small, with just 636 employees worldwide. [xi]

 

What’s Happening Now?
In 2014, Lionsgate Entertainment released eight films, and five are still in theatres.  Divergent, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and I, Frankenstein lead 2014 in gross so far respectively (with the latter two out of theatres). [xii]  

 

Divergent
The third of Lionsgate’s novel-to-film franchises, Divergent tells the story of a young woman who finds out she does not fit into the confined factions of her world and is “Divergent.” She must find out the truth about what it means to be Divergent when she uncovers a plot to destroy her faction. The film, directed by Neil Burger, is based on the Veronica Roth novel and features rising star Shailene Woodley. [xiii]

Photo Courtesy of http://themoviemash.com/ [xvi]

Photo Courtesy of themoviemash.com [xiv]

In its opening weekend (21-23 March 2014), Divergent topped the box office charts, grossing approximately $54.6 million domestically to its $85 million budget. Currently in its fourth week in theatres, the film has grossed $178.4 million worldwide. [xv] Like Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga, Lionsgate announced on 15 April 2014 that Allegiant, the third and final book of the series, will be split into two films. Part one will be released on 18 March 2016 and Part 2 will be released on 24 March, 2017. [xvi]

 


                                                                                                                 

Draft Day
Draft Day tells the story of an NFL general manager who works to rebuild his team by trading for the number one pick. The film is directed by Ivan Reitman and it stars American sportscaster Chris Berman and actress Jennifer Garner. [xvii]

Photo Courtesy of IMDb

During its opening weekend (11-13 April 2014), the film ranked number four in domestic weekend gross, making about $9.7 million.  As of 18 April 2014, it has grossed $15.8 million domestically. [xviii]

Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club
Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club is about a group of five single moms who overcome problems through their support group. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, the film stars Nia Long and Wendi McLendon-Covey. [xix]

Photo Courtesy of IMDb

Photo Courtesy of IMDb

For its opening weekend, the film ranked number five in domestic gross with $8 million. In week five (as of 17 April 2014), the film has grossed $15.8 million domestically. [xx]

 

Photo Courtesy of IMDb

Photo Courtesy of IMDb [xxv]

Joe                                                                                              In addition to these three films, Lionsgate is boasting Joe, a film distributed by Roadside Attractions.  The film, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by David Gordon Green, tells the story of an ex-con who befriends a teenaged boy. [xxi]  The film is different from Lionsgate’s other recent films because it was released On Demand on the same day it was released in theatres (11 April 2014). [xxii] The film was released in just 48 theatres domestically and, as of 20 April 2014, has grossed about $330 thousand at the domestic box office. [xxiii]  The film has received positive reviews, with an 84% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and a 79% rating from audiences. [xxiv]

 

In Other News:
Photo Courtesy of rocketjump.com

Photo Courtesy of rocketjump.com [xxvii]

On 14 April 2014, Lionsgate announced that it has created a multi-year partnership with video creator RocketJump Studios, which gained fame through its web series Video Game High School. RocketJump has 6.8 million subscribers and shows its content through multiple platforms.  The partnership gives Lionsgate access to RocketJump’s digital content and gives RocketJump access to Lionsgate’s international marketing resources. [xxvi]

 

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo!

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! [xxix]

On 20 March 2014 Lionsgate extended its contract with producer Grindstone Entertainment Group through a multi-year agreement. The team has been successful in the past with films like Empire State and Frozen Ground. Lionsgate Co-COO Steve Beeks said that Lionsgate is excited about the extension. [xxviii]

 
 
 

What’s to Come:
Lionsgate will release its newest film, The Quiet Ones, on 25 April 2014.  The film, based on a true story, directed by John Pogue, and starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin, tells the story of a professor and a group of students who uncover terrible secrets when they experiment on a young girl.[xxx]
Photo Courtesy of IMDb

Photo Courtesy of IMDb [xxxi]

Reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes seem to be mixed, so it should be interesting to see how the film does in theatres. [xxxii]

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of IMDb [xxxiv]

 

On 25 July 2014, Lionsgate will release Step Up: All In, the fifth installment of the Step Up series.  The film tells of a dancer and his dance crew who work to win an LA dance competition.  The film is directed by Trish Sie and stars Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan. Multiple stars from the previous films are featured as well.  There are not yet any reviews for the film. [xxxiii]

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of IMDb

Photo Courtesy of IMDb [xxxvi]

 
 

Lionsgate will also be releasing The Expendables 3 on 15 August 2014.  Directed by Patrick Hughes and starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, the third film in the series tells of the conflict between The Expendables and the founder’s new, younger group of Expendables.  The film also has not received any reviews. [xxxv] 
 
 
 
 
 

Photo Courtesy of itk.ua

Photo Courtesy of itk.ua [xxxix]

In addition to releasing three new films, Lionsgate will be recognized as the Company of Distinction for 2014 at the Banff World Media Festival (8-11 June 2014). [xxxvii] Lionsgate will be receiving this award because of its success, its diverse programming, and its “visionary approach to the global television business.” [xxxviii]

 
 
 
 
 

[i] Lionsgate Logo  From 26 July 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[ii] Lionsgate Contact  Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[iii] Founded From 24 Jan 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[iv] What Liongate does Updated 17 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[v] Merging with Artisan and Summit From 24 Jan 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[vi] Blockbuster Film Franchises Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[vii] Distribution Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[viiii] Key Executives Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[ix] 2013 Gross Income Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[x] 2014 Income Until April 13. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xi] Employees Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xii] 2014 Films Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xiii] Divergent Synopsis Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xiv] Divergent Poster Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xv] Divergent Financials As of 17 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xvi] Divergent’s Future From 15 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xvii] Draft Day Synopsis Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xviii] Draft Day Opening Week As of 17 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xix] Tyler Perry’s the Single Moms Club Synopsis Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xx] Tyler Perry Financials As of 17 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xxi] Joe Synopsis Retrieved 20 April 2014.
[xxii] Joe On Demand Retrieved 20 April 2014.
[xxiii] Joe Financials As of 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
[xxiv] Joe Ratings As of 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
[xxv] Joe Poster Retrieved 20 April 2014.
[xxvi] RocketJump Studios From 14 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xxvii] RocketJump Logo Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xxviii] Grindstone Extension 20 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xxix] Grindstone Logo Retrieved 18 April 2014.
[xxx] The Quiet Ones Synopsis Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxi] The Quiet Ones Poster  Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxii] The Quiet Ones Reviews As of 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxiii] Step Up: All In Synopsis Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxiv] Step Up: All In Poster  Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxv] The Expendables 3 Synopsis Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxvi] The Expendables Poster Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxvii] “Company of Distinction for 2014” From 27 March 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxviii] Why Receiving Award  Retrieved 19 April 2014.
[xxxix] Banff Logo Retrieved 19 April 2014.

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on by
Photo courtesy of: [1] www.hollywoodreporter.com

website: http://www.lionsgate.com/

Company Headquarters: 2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 200
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Brief History:

Photo courtesy of: [3] theatlatlanticwire.com

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was formed on July 3, 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Frank Giustra, a former investment banker. After its initial formation, it began a series of acquisitions of minor film studios in order to establish itself in the film industry. On January 13, 2012, Lionsgate announced that it had purchased Summit Entertainment, the producers and distributors of The Twilight Saga for $412.5 million [4]. This merger had been planned for 4 years. As of now, LGE is responsible for the distribution of the major franchises of The Hunger Games, Twilight, and more recently, Ender’s Game.

Photo courtesy of: [5] www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/

Key Executives:

Lions Gate CEO
Photo courtesy of: [2] lionsgate.com

Jon Feltheimer: Feltheimer has been the Chief Executive Officer of Lionsgate since March 2000. Before he joined Lionsgate, Feltheimer spent nine years at Sony Pictures Entertainment as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group as well as heading Sony Entertainment Television.

Photo Courtesy of [2] lionsgate.com

Michael Burns: Burns has been on the Lionsgate Board of Directors since 1999. In March of 2000, Burns became Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. Before joining the Lionsgate team, Burns had a background in investment banking.

Photo courtesy of lionsgate.com

Photo courtesy of [2] lionsgate.com

Steve Beeks: Beeks responsibilities include corporate and administrative matters. Under Beek’s strategic direction, 2012 has been the film division’s best year ever, earning over $1.2 billion domestically and over $2.5 billion internationally [26]

Quick Financials:

During its Second Quarter, Lionsgate reported a net income of $25.4 million. Revenue of the second quarter declined by 29% in comparison to the prior year’s corresponding quarter, most likely because of the timing of The Hunger Games home entertainment release [6].

Recent Past:

In the past six months, Lionsgate has become a favorite of Wall Street investors due to sleeper-hit films like Now You See Me and Instructions Not Included [7].

Photo courtesy of: [8] magazine.topman.com

Now You See Me, a film directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, and Isla Fisher centers around a group of magicians who use illusions and slights of hand to pull off a bank robbery. The film was a surprise hit, earning $117,723,989 at the domestic box office and $234,000,000 internationally totaling to a $351,723,989 worldwide gross with a $75 million budget [8]. Critics’ reviews were mixed. Recently, a sequel for Now You See Me was confirmed [9].

Photo courtesy of: [10] imdb.com

Instructions Not Included is a film co-written, directed by, and starring Eugenio Derbez that shattered box office records by being the highest-grossing Spanish-language film released in the U.S. of all time [11]. As of now, it has domestically grossed $44,239,362, with a worldwide gross of $85,317,913. Considering its estimated budget is $5 million, the profit for Lions Gate with this release has well-exceeded its expectations [12]. The success of Instructions Not Included has been attributed to Derbez’s star power in Mexico; he stars in a telenova as well as a variety show [13].

Photo Courtesy of: [14] atomicsam.com

Ender’s Game, a sci-fi fantasy film based off of the popular young-adult novel by Orson Scott Card, however, failed to become the big box office draw that Lions Gate and its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment, had hoped. The film centered on a young protagonist named Ender Wiggin who is recruited by the military to attend a military academy in outer space to be trained to defend against a genocidal alien race that previously almost annihilated the human race. Controversy surrounded this movie due to the beliefs of the author of the novel, who is vocally against gay rights as well as a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints [15]. The film grossed $53,593,921 domestically and $9,137,000 internationally, and grossed a total of  $62,730,921. Its budget was $110 million [16].

Photo courtesy of: [25] thehollywoodreporter.com

In other news not directly related to their film releases, James Keegan, who was Lions Gate’s Chief Financial Officer, retired on October 1st. Keegan was with the company for 25 years. However, Keegan will remain a consultant until January 3, 2014 to assist in the transition. Keegan was succeeded by James W. Barge, Viacom’s previous Chief Financial Officer since 2010 [17].

Next for Lions Gate:

Lionsgate has multiple projects in the works at the moment, with most of their content skewing to the younger-demographic that they seem to draw in so well.

Photo Courtesy of: latino-review.com

Photo Courtesy of: [27] latino-review.com

The most-anticipated event on the near horizon is the release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, sequel to the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Set to release on November 22, 2013, it is already conservatively estimated that the movie will earn between $140 and $150 million at the box office [18]. If this were to happen, it would break records, becoming the highest-grossing November release (the previous title-holder being The Twilight Saga: New Moon, with $142 million [19]). 

On a conference call on November 8th regarding the studio’s quarterly earnings, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer stated that the studio was exploring the possibility of getting into the theme park business. The hypothetical theme park would be based around the blockbuster “Hunger Games” franchise. The studio has already been approached about the possibility of a theme park in two territories. No further details were given [20].

Photo courtesy of: buzzsugar.com

Photo courtesy of: [29] buzzsugar.com

Another highly anticipated film that Lions Gate is involved in that is also based off a successful young adult book series is Divergent, a sci-fi film directed by Neil Burger and starring Shailene Woodley. Divergent is set in a futuristic, dystopic America where people are divided into five factions based on their personalities. The story follows Beatrice “Tris” Prior whose personality does not fit into any of the five categories. The film also stars Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz. As of now, the release date is March 21, 2014 [21].

Photo courtesy of: [22] www.hypable.com

In addition to the release of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate is also looking forward to the release of Hercules: The Legend Begins under its Summit label, directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Kellan Lutz. This movie will trace the origins of Hercules from when he is “betrayed by his king, sold into slavery and fighting for his freedom to return to his true love” [23]. Lions Gate moved the premiere date of Hercules: The Legend Begins up to January 10 so it will not have to directly compete with Paramount’s Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson [24].

Hercules

Photo Courtesy of: [28] moviepilot.de

Sources:

[1] “Lionsgate Pacts with Codeblack CEO Jeff Clanagan”. Hollywood Reporter.
RT: 11/17/13

[2] Lionsgate Governance RT: 11/17/13

[3] “Lionsgate Near a Deal to Buy Summit, Studio Behind ‘Twilight’ Movies, for $700 Million”. The Wire. RT: 11/18/13

[4] “It’s Official: Lionsgate Has Acquired Summit Entertainment for $412.5 Million”. comingsoon.net. RT: 11/18/13

[5] The Hunger Games Explorer RT: 11/18/13

[6] Lionsgate Second Quarter Fiscal Report 2014 RT: 11/17/13

[7] “Lionsgate Stock Jumps on Success From Sleeper Hits”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[8] “The Hunger Games (2012)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[9] “Now You See Me Gets a Sequel”. Den of Geek! RT: 11/18/13

[10] “Instructions Not Included (2013)”. IMDB. RT: 11/18/13

[11] Lionsgate Second Quarter Fiscal Report 2014. RT: 11/18/13

[12] “Instructions Not Included (2013)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[13] “Hollywood Gets ‘Instructions’ From Latino Audiences”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[14] “Over Thinking: Is it OK To See Ender’s Game?”. atomicsam.com. RT: 11/19/13

[15] “Orson Scott Card’s anti-gay views haunt ‘Ender’s Game’ Premiere”. LA Times. RT: 11/19/13

[16] “Ender’s Game (2013)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[17] “Longtime Lionsgate CFO James Keegan to Retire”. The Hollywood Reporter. RT: 11/18/13

[18] “‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ on Track for Mega $150 Million-Plus Debut”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[19] “‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ on Track for Mega $150 Million-Plus Debut”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[20] “‘Hunger Games’ Theme Parks Could Be Coming”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[21] “‘Divergent’ Movie First Look!”. hypable.com. RT: 11/18/13

[22] “‘Divergent’ Movie First Look!”. hypable.com. RT: 11/18/13

[23] “‘Hercules’ Battle Starting Jan. 10 as Lionsgate Moves Epic Forward”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[24] “Hercules’ Battle Starting Jan. 10 as Lionsgate Moves Epic Forward”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[25] “Longtime Lionsgate CFO James Keegan to Retire”. The Hollywood Reporter. RT: 11/18/13

[26] Steve Beeks Profile. RT: 11/19/13

[27] “‘The Hunger Game: Catching Fire’ UK Poster”. latino-review.com. RT: 11/19/13

[28] “Erster Trailer für Hercules – The Legend Begins – Bild 2 von 2”. www.moviepilot.de. RT: 11/19/13

[29] “Watch All Our Interviews With the Divergent Cast”. buzzsugar.com. RT: 11/19/13

 

 

 

 

By Andrea Reindl

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on by 
By Simon Staples-Vangel

-Courtesy of Destructoid

BREIF HISTORY

Lionsgate Films is a film production and distribution company and is a division of the Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation. Originally known as Cinépix Film Properties, the name was changed to Lionsgate Films in 1998. The founder, Frank Guistra, stepped down two years later in 2000 and was replaced by Jon Feltheimer, formerly of Sony Pictures, who remains the Chief Executive Officer today. Lionsgate’s first film to be successful at the box office was American Psycho, in 2000. For a long time their biggest success was Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, which was recently surpassed by the company’s lucrative franchise, The Hunger Games. [1] [2]

KEY EXECUTIVES

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

Jon Feltheimer — CEO

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

Michael Burns — Vice Chairman

9279968d36e42b3277a34e8f2678113f

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

Steve Beeks — Co-Chief Operating Officer – President, Motion Picture Group [4]

FINANCIALS

Lionsgate reported their 2013 (although actually fiscal 2014) second quarter revenue to be $498.7 million, with an adjusted net income of $25.4 million, a pure profit of $500,000 and $84.9 million in free cash flow.  This is a drop from the previous year, as the same quarter in 2012 saw Lionsgate’s revenue hit $707 million. However, last year’s second quarter saw the release of The Hunger Games on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, as well as three wide feature film releases. This year saw only two wide film releases, as the next installment in the Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is coming this November, and the rest of the films will follow that pattern for the next few years. Thus, many would say that Lionsgate’s 2013 second quarter earnings were actually better than expected. They were able to make a profit without their major releases and thus are in a position to be very successful during the third quarter and the holiday film season. [5] [6] [7]

RECENT FILMS

Instructions Not Included

-Courtesy of IMDB

Lionsgate released Instructions Not Included on August 30th, 2013. The film is a Spanish language film, directed and starred in by Mexican television and occasional film actor, Eugenio Derbez. It is a comedy/drama about a single dad whose life becomes complicated by the resurfacing of his daughter’s birth mother. It became the highest grossing Spanish language film ever released in the U.S. Made only for $5 million, the film grossed a total of over $85 million worldwide. The film made $44 million in the U.S. and $41 million internationally. It’s limited opening weekend, August 30th, grossed over $7 million, while it’s  wide release on September 6th earned over $8 million. The film was able to stay on the box office charts for several weeks. Although critical reviews have been mixed, the film has clearly found success in Spanish language audiences, both in the U.S. and internationally, making it a big box office win for Lionsgate. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Ender’s Game

Courtesy of Collider

Ender’s Game, which was released by Lionsgate in the U.S. on November 1st, 2013. The film, based on the novel of the same name, is a science fiction and action film about a child who enrolls in a military school because he is widely believed to be the last chance for mankind to defend themselves from the inevitable alien invasion. The film stars well known child actor Asa Butterfield in the title role and the even more well known Harrison Ford as the lead support. The film was able to rake in $27 million domestically on opening weekend, however it quickly lost steam. Reviews have been mixed, with still many very positive, and while Ender’s Game has been able to gross a total over $63 million overall, it’s budget of $110 million means that it really lost quite a bit of money. Fortunately for Lionsgate, not all is lost, as the coming months will see the release of the company’s most lucrative franchise right in time for the holiday season… [12] [13] [14]

 THE MAJOR UPCOMING RELEASE!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

-Courtesy of Latino Review

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is the sequal to the previous The Hunger Games, released last year, and is also based on the acclaimed novel series. Due to be released on November 22nd, 2013, in the U.S., the film stars last year’s Academy Award winner for Best Actress (albeit not for The Hunger Games), Jennifer Lawrence, alongside the well known Chris Hemsworth, who previously had a small role in the Lionsgate film, The Expendables 2. The film is expecting to be very successful, with some estimating it to gross nearly $400 million worldwide. This would surpass the $325 million earned by the original and would put Lionsgate in position to be one of, if not the biggest winners, of the winter holiday film season. The film benefits from the existing audience from the original novel series, as well as the significant star power of the cast. This isn’t limited to Lawrence and Hemsworth, as Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, and Stanley Tucci, among others, help round out the cast.

-Courtesy of The Washington Post

Furthermore, Lionsgate’s effective marketing campaign for the film consists of the multifaceted website, The Hunger Games Explorer. The site combines many elements of marketing, including social media posts about the film, a reward based competition, traditional fan forums, and official releases such as new trailers or clips. The site can even be used to buy tickets to the film, as it links to ticketing websites such as Fandango. The all encompassing site is an effective design to engage fans of the film and novel series, and even to spark interests from those who are only casually interested. While Lionsgate has also gone for traditional ways of promoting the film, the website shows a forward-thinking marketing strategy, as it allows the company to group together all of its content and social media buzz in one place, while still allowing for traditional fan interactions in fan forums and discussion boards that science-fiction and action fans have typically been drawn to online. The site is the first result if you search “The Hunger Games” on multiple search engines, including Google. [15] [16] [17] [18]

OTHER FUTURE RELEASES

Obviously, The Hunger Games franchise isn’t over yet, as Lionsgate plans for each film to keep its annual November release date, up until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 in 2015. Furthermore, Lionsgate has purchased the U.S. distribution rights for Hercules: The Legend Begins, which they plan to release in 2014 before and in competition with Paramount’s Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. A risky move, but it shows that the company has a plan beyond its annual Hunger Games releases and they are clearly continuing to make a profit, becoming arguably the most successful “mini-major” studio to date. [19] [20]

SOURCES

[1] — Lionsgate Corporate

[2] — Funding Universe: Lionsgate Company History

[3] — Forbes: The Smart Money Behind The Hunger Games 

[4] — Lionsgate Corporate Management Page

[5] — Lionsgate Press Release

[6] — Hollywood Reporter: Lionsgate Quarterly Earnings

[7] — Deadline: Hunger Games DVD/Blu-ray Sales

[8] — Lionsgate Films: Instructions Not Included

[9] — Deadline: Instructions Not Included Box Office

[10] — IMDB: Instructions Not Included

[11] — Box Office Mojo: Instructions Not Included

[12] — Fool.com Box Office Weekend: THOR, Ender’s Game

[13] — Box Office Mojo: Ender’s Game

[14] — IMDB: Ender’s Game

[15] — IMDB: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

[16] — Digital Spy: Hunger Games: Catching Fire Predicted Gross

[17] — The Hunger Games Explorer Website

[18] — Digital Spy: Hunger Games Explorer

[19] — Variety: Lionsgate To Compete With Paramount’s Hercules

[20] — LA Times: Hunger Games Release Dates

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on by 
Taylor Kowalski

lionsgate logo

Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment [1]

Company Contact Information

Los Angeles Address:

Lionsgate Corporate

2700 Colorado Ave.

Santa Monica, CA 90404

(310)-449-9200

[1]

Executives

Jon Feltheimer, CEO since March 2000.

Michael Burns, Vice Chairman since March 2000.

Steve Beeks, President since February 2004

Joe Drake, Preisdent of the Motion Picture Group since August 2007

Jim Keegan, Chief Financial Officer since April 2002

[1]

Company Overview

Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation is a leading multimedia entertainment company that maintains a presence in film and television production and distribution, home and family entertainment, digital distribution, as well as international distribution and new channel platforms.  Committed to low overhead, entrepreneurial business models, cost discipline, and niche focus, Lionsgate has recently seen the success of their 12-year growth strategy, which led to Lionsgate becoming a major name in the world marketplace. [6]

Lionsgate Film’s list of successful films includes The Hunger Games, The Saw Saga, and a long list of Tyler Perry’s films. In addition, Lionsgate Television’s current programming includes successes such as FX’s Anger Management, AMC’s Mad Men, ABC’s Nashville, and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.

Other Lionsgate holdings and subsidiaries include Lionsgate Music and Publishing, Tigergate, Mandate Pictures, Maple Pictures, Kix, Epix, Thrill, TVGuide.com, FEARnet.com, Debmar-Mercury, Elevation Sales, and Break.com.

Brief History

Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation was founded by Frank Giustra in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.  A majority of the funding for its founding was put forth by Yorktown Securities, a bank with stake in Frank Giustra’s mining assets.  [2]

To further itself in the industry, Lionsgate acquired other small production houses, purchasing Cinepix Film Properties, which was then dubbed Lionsgate Films, as well as North Shore Studios, then renamed to be Lionsgate Studios.  After more purchases, the Lionsgate Media subsidiary was founded to produce content for television.  [2]

After Feltheimer became CEO, Lionsgate Entertainment acquired Trimark Pictures for approximately $50 million in June of 2000.  Lionsgate also purchased Artisan Entertainment in 2003.   They went on to purchase Rebus Film Distribution of the United Kingdom in October 2005, which became Lionsgate UK on February 23rd, 2006.  Also in 2006, Lionsgate sold Lionsgate Studios to Bosa Development Corporation.  In June of 2007, Lionsgate Music and Publishing was founded. [2]

In 2009, Lionsgate acquired the TV Guide Network. [3]

In January of 2012, Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment, the producers of The Twilight Saga, which helped Lionsgate cross the $1 billion dollar threshold for the first time.  This success is also attributed to the release of The Hunger Games. [1]

images

Courtesy of The Hunger Games [16]

Competitors

DreamWorks Studios

Imagine Entertainment

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Incorporated

[18]

Finances

As the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2013, the annual financial reports for Lionsgate have not been released yet.

Their first-quarter financial report for 2013 reported revenue of $471.8 million, with a price of $.33 per share with the first quarter of fiscal 2013 ending June 30, 2012. [4]

The second-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $707.0 million with a price of $.56 per share with the second quarter of fiscal 2013 ending September 30, 2012. [4]

The third-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $743.6 million with a price of $.28 per share with the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ending December 31, 2012. [4]

View Available Financial Reports

Screen Shot 2013-04-08 at 12.01.12 AM

Courtesy of Yahoo Finance [5]

At the closing of April 5th, Lionsgate’s stock had gone up .74 of a point, a 3.29% increase.

With blockbuster films such as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire being released in 2013, Lionsgate is likely to have a comparable year to that of 2012, during which the release of franchised movies, including The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games, led to more than $2.5 billion being made at the worldwide box office in 2012. [6]

Recent News

dredd

Courtesy of IMDB [14]

January 22, 2013– Lionsgate’s comic-based film DREDD achieved a DVD and Blu-Ray release that made it the best-selling new release title of the year.  DREDD also became the top film download of the week, beating out all other films in digital sales as well.  This feat adds to Lionsgate’s list of films that have made up for a lacking box office performance through DVD and Blu-Ray sales, helping Lionsgate be the industry leader in DVD-to-box office conversion. [7]

Official DREDD Trailer

February 12 and 13, 2013– Media Investor Gordon Crawford joined Lionsgate’s board of directors, increasing the size of the board to 13 members.  In addition, Wayne Levin signed a long-term agreement to act as Lionsgate’s General Counsel and Chief Strategic Officer. [8] [9]

March 5, 2013– Andrew Kramer was named Chief Operating Officer of International Distribution. [10]

BD-2-wallpapers-breaking-dawn-part-2-32962100-1680-1050

Courtesy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 [15]

March 5, 2013– Lionsgate reported that Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 sold 3.85 million DVD’s and Blu-Rays in its first weekend of release.  This news is more significant due to the fact that 27% of the sales were Blu-Ray copies, up from the 22% seen for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which further indicates the growing acceptance of the Blu-Ray format.  Similarly, 20% more transactions were electronic, such as Video On Demand, for this film. [11]

Official Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Trailer

March 21, 2013– Lionsgate and the new digital entertainment service M-GO announced that they are partnering to bring Lionsgate’s library of films and television programs, such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Madea, and Mad Men, to the digital service for customers to purchase or rent. [12]

TVGuideNEWlarge

Courtesy of TV Guide [15]

March 26, 2013– CBS Corporation and Lionsgate officially partner in a 50/50 ownership of the TV Guide Network as well as TVGuide.com, a cable channel that reaches 80 million households. [3]

Future

Though Lionsgate may not have as profitable of a fiscal year in 2013 and 2014 due to The Twilight Saga wrapping up and no longer overlapping The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as well as the rest of the trilogy are sure to be box office successes for Lionsgate.

Other upcoming films for Lionsgate include The Big Wedding, We the Peeples, You’re Next, I, Frankenstein, and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas.  Lionsgate is also planning to add to the Texas Chainsaw 3D franchise. [13]

Official We The Peeples Trailer

Official You’re Next Trailer

Official Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas Trailer

In addition, Summit Entertainment’s upcoming 2013 slate includes Now You See Me, Red 2, The Tomb, and Ender’s Game.

Sources

1. Lionsgate Official Website  http://www.lionsgate.com

2. Lionsgate History http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/lions-gate-entertainment-corporation-history/

3. Lionsgate and CBS for TV Guide Network http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-eyes-sale-tv-guide-282649

4. Lionsgate Quarterly Earnings http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=quarterlyEarnings

5. Yahoo Finance Report http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=LGF

6. Lionsgate Company Overview http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-homeprofile

7. DREDD Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1776610&highlight=

8. Gordon Crawford Press Release  http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784145&highlight=

9. Wayne Levin Press Release  http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784588&highlight=

10. Andrew Kramer Press Release  http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792410&highlight=

11. Twilight Press Release  http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792214&highlight=

12. M-GO Press Release  http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1798829&highlight=

13. Lionsgate Films http://www.lionsgate.com/?section=film

14. DREDD on IMDb  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/

15. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Photo Page  http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com

16. The Hunger Games Official Website  http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html

17. TV Guide Network  http://www.tvguide.com

18. Yahoo Finance, Lionsgate Competitors  http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=LGF+Competitors