MGM

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Bradley Hanford

MGM Logo [1]

Finances

After a bankruptcy declaration in 2011, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has regained its position as a profitable major film studio in the last five years. MGM Studios is owned by the larger parent company of MGM Holdings Inc., a company formed from what was formerly Spyglass Entertainment [2]. In 2015, the studio made $1.56 billion in revenue, resulting in an operating income of $258.78 million. This was up from $1.44 billion and $243.03 million, respectively, in 2014. 2015 was the company’s third consecutive year of posting record revenue and income. MGM Holdings’ total assets currently stand at $3.045 billion [3]. The studio has been in the process of repurchasing its stocks since its bankruptcy, and in March announced that $300 million more would be added to their repurchasing plan. The ramping up of the repurchasing plan has been taken as a sign of confidence in the company’s continued growth [4].

Recent Acquisitions

In January of 2016, MGM fully acquired the United Artists Media Group, a film and television production company that had been a joint venture with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey and Hearst Productions. MGM had acquired a 55% stake in Burnett, Downey and Hearst’s One Three Media and LightWorkers Media in September 2014, and relaunch the companies as United Artists. As of January 2016, all revenues, expenses and assets of United Artists are now consolidated under the MGM name [5].

Gary Barber [6]

Mark Burnett [7]

Jonathan Glickman [8]

Executives

MGM’s three top executives are Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Barber, President of the Television and Digital Group Mark Burnett, and President of the Motion Picture Group Jonathan Glickman. Barber and Glickman were previously the heads of Spyglass Entertainment, where Barber oversaw the production of a total of $5 billion in box office productions. MGM became the first studio to release back-to-back films making over $1 billion at the box office under Barber’s leadership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Skyfall. Burnett was named to his position in January 2016, when MGM fully acquired his United Artists company. His former United Artists co-owner Roma Downey is President of LightWorkers Media, which is now the “faith and family division of MGM Television” [9].

Current Releases

How To Be Single [14]

MGM has only released two films thus far in 2016, both of which were coproduced with New Line Cinema and were distributed by New Line’s parent studio Warner Brothers [10] [11]. These films were How To Be Single and Barbershop: The Next Cut, both relatively small-scale but still distinctly mainstream offerings, opening in 3,343 and 2,661 theaters respectively. How To Be Single was by far the more successful, bringing in $46.8 million in domestic box office revenue and a total of $105.3 million worldwide, against a production budget of $38 million [12]. Barbershop was less successful, though not necessarily a flop. It brought in $20.2 million in its opening weekend (April 15-17) against predictions in the high-$20 millions range. Its production budget has not been released to the press [13]. These films also show that MGM is willing to target underserved demographics with their films, with How To Be Single being described as attempting to be a “feminist rom-com” and Barbershop being specifically marketed towards African-Americans.

Upcoming Releases

MGM has three more coproductions with release dates in 2016, each with their own significant potential for profit.

Me Before You is slated for a June 3 release, and is a romantic drama abou a young woman (Emilia Clarke) who falls in love with a paralyzed man she is caring for (Sam Claflin) [15]. The plot description puts in squarely in the vein of other successful films like The Fault In Our Stars and Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, which also dealt with themes of serious illness and young adult romance. The film’s cast should also appeal to this young demographic, as Emilia Clarke is a rising star due to her role as Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO television show Game of Thrones (also in the film is Clarke’s Thrones co-star Charles Dance) [16], and Sam Claflin has gained fame from the Hunger Games series [17]. The film is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Jojo Moyes. MGM is co-producing the film with New Line Cinema (a division of Warner Bros.) and Sunswept Entertainment [18].

Ben-Hur is the first of MGM’s two remakes of classic films in 2016, and will be released on August 19. It’s also the more outwardly risky- its director, Timur Bekmambetov, is hardly an established hitmaker, and the only big name in its cast is Morgan Freeman in a supporting role (the title role is played by the essentially unknown Jack Huston) [19]. Still, Ben-Hur has the name recognition of one of the most famous and successful films ever made, as well as the appeal of a big-budget summer blockbuster. MGM is co-producing the film with Paramount Pictures [20].

The Magnificent Seven, set for release on September 23, is a remake of the classic John Sturges Western starring Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson, itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s legendary Seven Samurai. The film is being directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Southpaw), and stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke, among others [21]. That combination of commercially successful director and all-star cast is a solid predictor for the film’s financial success. Pratt, especially, has been a major draw at the box office, headlining such hits as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World [22]. MGM is co-producing the film with Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures [23].

MV5BMTM4ODI5MjA2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODUwODk1OQ@@._V1_UY317_CR0,0,214,317_AL_

Michael B. Jordan [28]

In Development

Future projects of MGM’s include a recently announced reboot of the Tomb Raider series, which they will coproduce with Warner Bros [24] (Daisy Ridley, star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has been confirmed as being in talks to star in the series) [25]. This would be the newest in a succession of recent MGM coproductions with Warner Bros., including films like the Hobbit trilogy and Creed and its upcoming sequels [26]. Other future MGM productions include a remake of the 1968 heist thriller The Thomas Crown Affair with Creed star Michael B. Jordan [27].

Conclusion

It’s not clear whether MGM will make a return to producing or distributing films by themselves, or whether they will continue serving only in a co-producer or co-distributor role, as they have since their bankruptcy. The studio has released progressively more films per year since the 2010 bankruptcy, climbing from one release in 2010 to seven in 2015 [29]. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is still a long way from their former position as the largest and most profitable movie studio in Hollywood [30], but the success they’ve had in their recent films and their continued financial growth bodes well for the future of the company.

[1] Koscis, James (November 10th, 2009). MGM Logo. James Koscis Design + Imaging. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[2] Ovide, Shira and Spector, Mike (November 5th, 2010). Everything You Need to Know about the MGM Bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[3] Investor Relations. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[4] Lieberman, David (March 25th, 2016). MGM Board Adds $300M To Stock Repurchase Plan. Deadline. Retrieved: April 13th 2016.

[5] McNary, Dave (December 14th, 2015). Mark Burnett Named President of MGM Television. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[6] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[7] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[8] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[9] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[10] How to Be Single (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 15th 2016.

[11] Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 15th 2016.

[12] How to Be Single (2016). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[13] Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[14] How To Be Single. IMDb. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[15] Titles- Me Before You. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[16] Game of Thrones. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[17] Sam Claflin. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[18] Me Before You- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[19] Ben-Hur. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[20] Ben-Hur (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[21] The Magnificent Seven. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[22] Chris Pratt. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[23] The Magnificent Seven (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[24] McNary, Dave (February 25th, 2016). Warner Bros. Joins MGM on ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot. Variety. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[25] Ritman, Alex (March 21st, 2016). Daisy Ridley Confirms ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot Talks. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[26] McNary, Dave (February 25th, 2016). Warner Bros. Joins MGM on ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot. Variety. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[27] Kit, Borys (February 24th, 2016). Michael B. Jordan, MGM to Remake “The Thomas Crown Affair. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[28] Michael B. Jordan. IMDb. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

[29] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Completed. Movie Insider. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

[30] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Caroline Friedman

Lionsgate Entertainment

2700 Colorado Avenue, Suite 5000
Santa Monica, California 90404

http://www.lionsgate.com/

Key Executives

Jon Feltheimer, Chief Executive Officer | Source: Lionsgate

Michael Burns, Vice Chairman | Source: Lionsgate

Brian Goldsmith, Co-Chief Operating Officer | Source: Lionsgate.com

Steve Beeks, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Co-President, Motion Picture Group | Source: Lionsgate.com

Wayne Levin, General Council and Chief Strategic Officer | Source: Lionsgate

James W. Barge, Chief Financial Officer | Source: Lionsgate

History

Lionsgate Entertainment has taken the entertainment world by storm by becoming the first major new Hollywood studio in 50 years. The Canadian-American company was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 3, 1997, and is now headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The brainchild of Frank Giustra and Avi Federgreen, Lionsgate began its rise to the top by producing independent films like “American Psycho” and “Juno” that received critical recognition. [1]

Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games"

Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” | Source: imdb

After the company’s acquisition of Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate took off as a leading producer of blockbuster films such as “The Hunger Games” series and the “Divergent” series. Lionsgate’s motion picture business has grossed an average of $2 billion at the worldwide box office for the past three years, joining the “Big 6” film companies at the top of the market. [2]

In addition to becoming one of Hollywood’s top film studios, Lionsgate also possesses its own successful television group. Lionsgate’s television business has become a leading supplier of premium scripted content to broadcast, cable and digital networks. [2]

Source: amc.com

Lionsgate takes credit for some of television’s highest rated and most iconic series, including “Orange is the New Black”, “Mad Men”, and “Weeds”. Their television portfolio is now home to 30 television series spanning across 20 different networks, with over 30 primetime Emmy nominations to cement the company’s presence as a leading player in the entertainment world. [3]

Finances

Lionsgate is celebrating a successful year after having moved up a spot to be ranked sixth among all studios for the market share of the film industry. [4] While there has been a decrease in their stock price over the last three months, from $25.40 to $20.33, the company’s stock is rising again. Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 8.23.37 PM

The company has seen a lucrative year with their box office total gross coming to $195.9 billion dollars. This success is largely due in part to the high-grossing “Hunger Games” franchise which ended its blockbuster run this past fall. [5]

Source: EW.com

Their television business has also seen impressive growth, with its revenue increasing by 30% to $580 million . [6] The company anticipates further increase in their television revenue after shows such as “Orange is the New Black” and “Nashville” were picked up for new seasons.

Right Here, Right Now

While Lionsgate has experienced great success from its distribution of film franchises such as “The Hunger Games”, “The Twilight Series”, and The “Divergent” Series, the company has noticed a change in the way these types of franchises are being received. Lionsgate was relying on the newest installment of The “Divergent” Series, “Allegiant“, to take the box office by storm. However, “Allegiant” grossed a mere $29 million dollars its opening weekend in the domestic box office, marking the lowest opening for the film franchise to date. [7] To date, the film has made $64,403,316 at the domestic box office which compares to the over $130 million produced individually by the franchise’s first two films.

This disappointing reception to “Allegiant” comes on the heels of another upsetting opening for the company. “Gods of Egypt”, starring Russell Crowe, has been deemed the “first big bomb” of 2016 after its February 26th release. [8] The movie only produced $30 million dollars at the domestic box office after a large marketing campaign within the United States. [9]

Source: movieweb.com

The film struggled to gain viewership after it was accused of being culturally insensitive. “Gods of Egypt” was accused by audiences and critics of “whitewashing” after all the actors cast to portray Africans were white. The lack of diversity and representation in the film stirred controversy and protests which ultimately hurt its success at the box office.[10] However, Lionsgate took full responsibility for its mistake and issued a statement saying “We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.” [11] While Lionsgate received backlash for their casting mishap, they have received praise after moving the shooting of their Hulu series “Crushed” from North Carolina to Canada after the state’s controversial passing of a new anti-LGBT law. [12]

The Future

After the failure of both “Gods of Egypt” and “Allegiant”, Lionsgate has been exploring new content to fill the void created by the end of “The Hunger Games”. For years, Lionsgate relied on the teen fantasy series to serve as their highest grossing films. However, the clear loss of enthusiasm for the “Divergent” series has made it evident to the company that it needs a new approach to making blockbuster films. Lionsgate’s current lineup for future movies includes projects such as a “Power Rangers” reboot, a retelling of “The Odyssey”, and film adaptations of the “Magic Treehouse” book series to restore its luster. [13] [14]

While Lionsgate has had its fair share of ups and downs this past year, they are more confident then ever that their brand will resurge with a newer and stronger vibrancy. The company is anticipating a strong opening on June 10, 2016 for their latest film, “Now You See Me 2“, a sequel to the highly successful “Now You See Me“. The film includes a cast of leads such as Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, and Dave Franco, all of whom possess loyal fanbases. [15]

The film also features a highly anticipated cameo from “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe which has kept message boards buzzing for the last few months. Lionsgate is not only confident that the film will have a positive reception, but the company is also dipping into the mobile gaming world by creating a “Now You See Me 2” game. [16]

Lionsgate also has plans to launch Comic-Con HQ, a video-on-demand platform, on May 7, 2016. Comic-Con HQ will consist of scripted and unscripted series, film and TV genre titles, and behind the scene access and special features for their content. The network will focus on drawing in video game and comic book lovers by tailoring the channel’s content to focus on all the elements of Comic Con that fans love. Lionsgate will be launching the channel with free beta access in May before officially launching with paid subscriptions in June of 2016. [17]

Lionsgate has proven to the entertainment world that they are a force to be reckoned with. A true underdog story, Lionsgate has risen from small independent production company to a leader in the film and television industries. With innovative ideas and content pouring out of the company, 2016 is sure to be a monumental year for Lionsgate Entertainment.

Sources

[1] “LIONSGATE Key Lines of Business.” Corporate. Lionsgate, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. https://www.lionsgate.com/corporate/

[2] “Lionsgate Movies.” Movies. Lionsgate, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016 https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/

[3]”Lionsgate Television.” Television. Lionsgate, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. https://www.lionsgate.com/tv/

[4] “2016 Market Share and Box Office Results by Movie Studio.” Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/

[5] France, Lisa Respers. “How ‘Hunger Games’ Changed Hollywood.” CNN. Cable News Network, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/19/entertainment/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-hollywood-feat/

[6] Fiscal Year 2015 Financial Report. Retrieved November 29, 2015.://www.lionsgate.com/uploads/assets/2015%20Annual%20Report.pdf

[7] “The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016 http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=allegiant.htm

[8] Orange, Alan. “Gods of Egypt Is First Big Bomb of 2016.” MovieWeb. N.p., 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://movieweb.com/gods-of-egypt-box-office-bomb-2016/://movieweb.com/gods-of-egypt-box-office-bomb-2016/

[9] “Gods of Egypt (2016) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godsofegypt.htm

[10] Lee, Benjamin. “Gods of Egypt Posters Spark Anger with ‘whitewashed’ Cast.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 13 Nov. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/13/gods-of-egypt-posters-anger-whitewashed-cast-twitter-exodus

[11] Mendelson, Scott. “Lionsgate Responds To ‘Gods Of Egypt’ Whitewashing Controversy.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2015/11/27/exclusive-lionsgate-responds-to-gods-of-egypt-whitewashing-controversy/#6892d8b31f4e

[12] Vlessing, Etan, and Gregg Kilday. “Lionsgate Pulls Hulu Pilot ‘Crushed’ From North Carolina After Anti-Gay Bill.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-pulls-hulu-pilot-crushed-881405

[13] Lang, Brent. “Box Office: ‘Allegiant’ Opening Falling Short of Other ‘Divergent’ Films.” Variety. Variety Entertainment, 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/box-office-allegiant-divergent-1201730485/

[14] “Lionsgate Acquires Rights to Globally-Renowned Magic Tree House Book Series.” Childrens Book Council. Childrens Book Council, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.cbcbooks.org/lionsgate-acquires-rights-to-globally-renowned-magic-tree-house-book-series/#.Vxu8yZMrJo5

[15] “‘Now You See Me 2’ Trailer: The Four Horsemen Return With Their Magical Escapades.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/now-you-see-me-2-trailer-daniel-radcliffe-876192

[16] Vlessing, Etan. “Lionsgate Plans ‘Now You See Me’ Mobile Games.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-plans-you-see-me-873278

[17] McNary, Dave. “Lionsgate to Launch Comic-Con Channel in May.” Variety. Variety Entertainment, 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/film/news/lionsgate-comic-con-channel-1201728963/

[18] “The Hunger Games.” IMDB.com. IMDB, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.the-numbers.com/market/distributor/Lionsgate

[19] Gallagher, Brian. “5 Gods of Egypt Character Posters Introduce the Cast.”MovieWeb. N.p., 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://movieweb.com/gods-egypt-movie-posters-characters-gerard-butler/

[20] “LIONSGATE Governance.” Corporate. Lionsgate Entertainment, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. https://www.lionsgate.com/corporate/governance/management/james-w-barge/

[21] Shaw, Ashley. “Get an Inside Look at Mad Men’s Final Season Poster Designed by Milton Glaser.” AMC. AMC, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.amc.com/shows/mad-men/talk/2014/03/amc-reveals-mad-mens-final-season-poster-designed-by-60s-icon-milton-glaser

[22] Rice, Lynette. “‘Nashville’ Fall Poster Released.” Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com. Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.ew.com/article/2013/09/05/nashville-fall-poster-released

[23] “Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.” Yahoo! Finance. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=LGF

[24] “About the Series.” Magic Tree House. Random House, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.magictreehouse.com/

[25] “Power Rangers: Official Website | Videos, Games & Toys | Saban.” Power Rangers The Official Power Rangers Website. Saban Brands, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.powerrangers.com/

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Lionsgate Entertainment #1

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Lilly Stuecklen

Lilly Stuecklen

Lions Gate Entertainment

2700 Colorado Ave Ste 200

Santa Monica, CA 90404

http://www.lionsgate.com/

Corporate Management

John Feltheimer, Chief Executive Officer | Source: Lionsgate

Michael Burns, Vice Chairman | Source: Lionsgate

Steve Beeks, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Co-President, Motion Picture Group | Source: Lionsgate

Brian Goldsmith, Co-Chief Operating Officer | Source: Lionsgate

Wayne Levin, General Counsel and Chief Strategic Officer | Source: Lionsgate

James W. Barge, Chief Financial Officer | Source: Lionsgate

Company Overview

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The Hunger Games | Source: IMDb

While the “Big 6” film studios have reigned for decades at the top of the box office, one “mini major” is quickly working its way into their usual territory, Lionsgate Films. Formed in 1997, Lionsgate stayed mostly under the radar as a producer of independent and niche films such as “American Psycho” and Tyler Perry’s “Madea” films until 2012. This was the year of Lionsgate, where it released “The Hunger Games” and acquired Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the “Twilight” franchise. Since 2012, Lionsgate has mingled at the top of the studio market share with the Big 6, being the youngest and smallest studio (550 employees vs. Warner’s 10,000), to gross over $1 billion in a year. [1]

Orange is the New Black | Source: IMDb

In addition to being Hollywood’s youngest film powerhouse, Lionsgate also operates its own television group. Its shows, such as “Orange is the New Black”, “The Royals”, and “Nashville”, currently dominate the digital, cable, and broadcast platforms. Their television library now contains 30 shows spanning 20 different networks that have brought in nearly 30 Primetime Emmy wins for this on-the-rise company. [5]

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

Financially, Lionsgate’s television and film units continue to grow exponentially. Their production revenue from TV increased to $580 million, up 30% from 2014. Television revenue is only expected to increase as all current shows in production have already been renewed for new seasons, and one, “Nashville”, has just been sold into syndication whilst still in production. [7]

Lionsgate owns the rights to these lucrative book-to-screen franchises. From left to right: Twilight, Divergent, The Hunger Games | Source: hypable

So far in 2015, Lionsgate ranks 7th among all studios for the market share of the film industry, and has stayed within the top seven for the past 3 years [3]. This steady success comes mainly thanks to their film franchises, which include the “Hunger Games”, “Twilight”, and “Divergent” series. Together they’ve raked in over $10 billion at the global box office, and this number continues to rise as the final “Hunger Games” installment turns into its third week in theatres. [7]

While still a blockbuster, the final installment of the series “Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” performed under expectations for its opening weekend. The $101 million opening fell roughly $19 million short of expectations, and is the lowest of the four-film series [8]. In response to this, shares have dropped from a three-month high of $42.50 to $34.25 [6]. Despite the slight under-performance, “Mockingjay – Part 2” still held on to first-place for a second week through the Thanksgiving weekend, beating out “The Good Dinosaur” and “Creed” on their opening weekends. [9]

File photo of Liberty Media chairman John Malone talking to reporters as he arrives at the Sun Valley Inn

John Malone has taken significant interest in Lionsgate lately | Source: The New York Post

Lionsgate, however, is confident that a slight dip in shares will not affect them in the long term. Media mogul and billionaire John Malone recently upped his ante in the studio, becoming its second largest shareholder. With this purchase comes the buzz that Malone’s company, Liberty Media (in charge of the Starz channel), may potentially attempt a merger with Lionsgate down the line. As the end of the breadwinning The Hunger Games film series draws near, the studio has been putting more eggs in the television basket than the film one, and Malone wants to capitalize on this. At the beginning of November, Lionsgate dropped $200 million for a controlling stake in Pilgrim Studios, a producer of several successful reality TV shows including “Ghost Hunters“. With this purchase and the potential to shift Lionsgate’s in-house produced shows to Starz, the likelihood that Malone is at Lionsgate to stay is high. [10]

Potential rendering of a Lionsgate/Hunger Games theme park | Source: New York Times

While the initial Hunger Games series may be coming to an end, Lionsgate is looking forward to an extremely long tail for the franchise. Spin-offs films, a theatrical experience, and theme parks are all potential new ways to keep the world of Panem alive and churning out profit. Following in the successful footsteps of Warner Bros., who licenses its characters to existing parks and developers instead of running their own (like Disney and Universal do), Lionsgate has plans for parks in Georgia and China. Meanwhile, a Lionsgate-themed area is already under construction at Motiongate, a soon-to-open park in Dubai that also has the rights to DreamWorks and Sony titles. In addition to utilizing the Hunger Games brand for “location-based entertainment”, “Step Up” dance shows and “Divergent” and “Now You See Me” attractions are in talks as well, all a part of the Lionsgate library. [11]

Gerard Butler as an Egyptian God in “Gods of Egypt” | Source: IMDb

While the long tail of The Hunger Games will continue to profit Lionsgate for years to come, their primary income is in their theatrical film releases. “Gods of Egypt“, planned for a February 26 release, is a fantasy epic concerning the lore of ancient Egypt. Recently though, the film has gotten a backlash of negative press due to a predominantly white casting. Posters released this month featuring lead actors such as Gerard Butler and Geoffrey Rush drew anger from celebrities and consumers alike, claiming it was both wrong and in bad taste, especially among all the recent racial unrest, to cast a film taking place in Egypt with mostly Caucasian people. Both Lionsgate and the director of the film, Alex Proyas, issued apologies immediately. [13]

Aside from the rough patch concerning “Gods of Egypt”, Lionsgate is as optimistic as ever in their endeavors. Approximately 12 films are slated for a 2016 release, including “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” and “Now You See Me 2” [12]. The Divergent series, based on a series of dystopian young adult novels and also featuring a strong female lead similar to “The Hunger Games”, hasn’t been the monstrous success that its predecessor has (the second film had a $130.2 million domestic box office gross vs. the second Hunger Game’s $424.7 million). Yet still, the series is Lionsgate’s lone remaining sure-fire breadwinner once “Mockingjay – Part 2” runs its course in theatres. [14]

In the case of “Now You See Me” in 2013, the original film had no built-in book audience to profit off of, and was a surprise hit for the studio, grossing $117 million domestically against a budget of $75 million. A sequel was immediately greenlit and “Now You See Me 2” is due to be released next summer. “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe has joined the cast, and his starpower combined with the returning Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson is expected to bring in promising receipts. [15]

Lionsgate is a true underdog. Where much of its competition is celebrating centennials, Lionsgate isn’t even old enough to have a drink at the bar. 2015 was a monumental year as their television properties escalated and their signature Hunger Games series came to an end. 2016 is promising and the Lionsgate name is sure to grace the headlines several times in the coming year.

Sources

[1]

Hollywood Has A New Star Studio With A Different Approach to the Film Business. Retrieved November 29, 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/lionsgate-fighting-the-system-2014-1

[2]

Company Website. Retrieved November 29, 2015.http://www.lionsgate.com/

[3]

Lionsgate Film’s Yearly Box Office Standing. Retrieved November 29, 2015. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view=company&view2=yearly&yr=2015&p=.htm

[4]

Film’s Gross Ranking. Retrieved November 29, 2015. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view2=ytd&view=company&studio=lions_gate.htm

[5]

Lionsgate Television Website. Retrieved November 29, 2015.https://www.lionsgate.com/tv/

[6]

Company Financial Profile. Retrieved November 29, 2015.://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/lgf

[7]

Fiscal Year 2015 Financial Report. Retrieved November 29, 2015. ://www.lionsgate.com/uploads/assets/2015%20Annual%20Report.pdf

[8]

Lang, Brett. Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Box Office Predictions Lowered. Retrieved November 29, 2015.://variety.com/2015/film/news/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-box-office-predictions-lowered-1201646692/

[9]

Bahr, Lindsey. Hunger Games Beats Good Dinosaur. Retrieved November 29, 2015.http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hunger-games-beats-good-dinosaur-174719447.html

[10]

Lang, Brett. As Hunger Games Ends, John Malone and Lionsgate Grow Closer. Retrieved November 29, 2015. http://variety.com/2015/film/news/hunger-games-lionsgate-john-malone-1201643503/

[11]

Barnes, Brooks. Lionsgate Seeks to Build on Its Library of Film Properties With Theme Parks. Retrieved November 30, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/02/business/media/lionsgate-seeks-to-build-on-its-library-of-film-properties-with-theme-parks.html?_r=0

[12]

Lionsgate Upcoming Releases. Retrieved November 30, 2015. http://www.the-numbers.com/market/distributor/Lionsgate

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on October 5, 2014 by masicili

by Maggie Sicliano

[1] Lionsgate Entertainment Logo

History

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was founded by Frank Giustra on July 3, 1997 as a Canadian-American entertainment company, and is based in Santa Monica, California. Currently headed up by Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate is constantly changing. It plays on its exposure from 2012 when it acquired Summit Entertainment and launched “The Hunger Games” franchise. Recently, it has become an international player due to a 13-year strategy to create a foundation for growth. It also continues to enhance its television presence. [2]

Key Executives

[3] Chief Executive Officer: Jon Feltheimer

[4] Vice Chairman: Michael Burns

Contact Information

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
2700 Colorado Avenue
Suite 5000
Santa Monica, CA 90404

P: 310-449-9200
F: 310-255-3870
W: http://www.lionsgate.com [5]

Financials

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp has a net income growth of +4015.05%, a revenue of 552.88 M, a revenue growth of +10.86%, and an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization of +33.12% M (September 2014). In the past five years the overall revenue has increased 13.22%, but the net income as gone down 176.11%. [6] In the box office Lionsgate is currently ranked #7 with a 5.9% market share, and a total gross of $543.3 million from the 18 movies tracked in 2014. [7]

In Theatres

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”

[8] “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” is the first part of third movie in The Hunger Games’ series that follows a young Katniss Everdeen after she destroys the games and finds herself in District 13.

The series, based on the books of the same name by Suzanne Collins, starring Jennifer Lawrence, was surprisingly the lowest-grossing movie of the series franchise thus far, but was the front runner of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. After the five day break, “Mockingjay” turned out as the third highest five day grosser just behind its second movie, “Catching Fire“, and child phenomenon, “Frozen“. [9] The film is once again directed by “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” visionary Francis Lawrence. [8]

“John Wick”

[10] “John Wick” follows an ex-hitman on his quest for revenge.

The suspected flop starring Keanu Reeves in yet another action film was a pleasant surprise in its opening weekend. Coming in at #2 [11], the action flick wasn’t on the same level as other Lionsgate thrillers such as “The Expendables 3″ and “3 Days to Kill“, but it did well for its audience (skewed male) as well as had a decent showing, 18% gross, in IMAX. [12]

Awards and Accolades

This September it was announced that CEO Jon Feltheimer will receive the Producers Guild of America‘s Milestone Award for 2015. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the success of the entertainment industry. His leadership positions range from positions at New World Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and now, Lionsgate Entertainment. Since being named CEO in 2000, Feltheimer has had a myriad of achievements under his belt. In the past he was behind the Oscar winners “Crash“ and “Precious“, and more currently “The Hunger Games” franchise and the start of the “Divergent“ series’ franchise. [13]

[14] The thriller follows a man lost at sea and his struggle for survival.

The most recent award winner for Lionsgate was J.C. Chandor‘s “All Is Lost” starring Robert Redford with the 2014 Golden Globe for Best Original Score for a Motion Picture. As the upcoming award season gears up, the award nominations have yet to be released. [14]

Coming Soon

“Spare Parts”

“Spare” Parts [16] Poster

“Spare Parts” Trailer [15]

Sean McNamara directs the true life story about a robotics team formed by Hispanic high school students, under their new teacher Fredi (George Lopez). The experience of building a product with next to no money, no experience, but a lot of heart, will bring them closer together and give them lessons that will last longer than just the competition run. Set to release on January 16, 2015, it will play to the family and child demographic, and is a sure heart-warmer. [16]

“Insurgent”

“Insurgent” [18] Poster

“Insurgent” Teaser Trailer [17]

With new director Robert Schwentke, Shailene Woodley stars in the “Hunger Games“–esque thriller, that follows fugitives Tris (Woodley) and Four (Theo James). They are racing to find help against the overambitious Erudite elite. [18] The movie will be released in 2D, Real 3D, and Digital 3D on March 20th, 2015.”The second film in the “Divergent” franchise takes the story and action to another level and, by partnering with RealD, we were able to blend gripping performances and mind-blowing spectacle to create a unique event on screen,” said producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher. [19] “Insurgent” will draw on the the Veronica Roth books series by the same name’s fan base, a young adult demographic, and fans of the first “Divergent” movie.

“Mortdecai”

“Mortdecai” [21] Poster

“Mortdecai” Trailer [20]

Art dealer aficionado Charlie Mortdecai, Johnny Depp, juggles a host of contenders as he tries to recover a stolen painting in hopes that it leads to Nazi gold. Joined by big names Gwyneth Paltrow and Olivia Munn, director David Koepp takes Mortdecai out of his element and across the pond for a mystery of Depp-proportions on January 23, 2015. [21]

“The Age of Adaline”

“The Age of Adaline” [23] Poster

“The Age of Adaline” Trailer [22]

Blake Lively plays Adaline Bowman, the mysterious and solitary woman who has miraculously remained 29 years old for eight decades. After keeping to herself for so long, she is revitalized through the chance meeting of Ellis Jones, played by Michiel Huisman. Shaped by director Lee Toland Krieger, the film also stars Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn, and is set to be released on April 23, 2015. [23]

Game Changers for Lionsgate Entertainnment

Middle of November, Lionsgate and CBS Films announced a multi-year film distribution partnership that unites the companies on up to 12 wide release films, beginning with the release of 2015’s “The Duff“. The agreement holds CBS Films responsible for the production and marketing efforts of films, whereas Lionsgate will oversee more of the distribution side on multiple platforms: theatrical, home entertainment, etc. “The Duff” withholding, Lionsgate also receives exclusive international sales for all titles. [24] Lionsgate has also announced that it will be making “The Expendables 3” workout videos in collaboration with Scott Herman Fitness to celebrate the digital HD release of “The Expendables 3 Unrated Edition” on November 11, 2014. [25] Lionsgate is also using the American Film Market to launch its name in and among the independent films’ world. It features a range of films from “La La Land“, starring big names such as Emma Watson and Miles Teller, to the story of the oil drilling catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, “Deepwater Horizon“, due out in 2015 and September 30, 2016, respectively. [26]

The Future of Lionsgate Entertainment

This past October, Lionsgate announced that both it and Tribeca Enterprises will be launching their own online streaming service beginning the first half of 2015. The online video service will make the studios’ movies and ones from outside studios available to viewers. They plan to draw on many of their industry contacts.“We are pleased to join with Lionsgate . . . to create a highly curated experience that disrupts the ‘more-is-more’ model in today’s streaming on-demand landscape,” said Jane Rosenthal, chief executive of Tribeca Enterprises. “Tribeca Short List aims to be a service where you can see films you never got to watch, forgot to watch, and want to watch.” Details such as films available and pricing have yet to be released. [27] Based in New York, the service will be overseen by members of both studios as well as an advisory board of knowledgable frontrunners in the American entertainment industry. [28] It was also just announced that Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese conglomerate, wants to own a controlling stake in Lionsgate to expand its rapidly growing film industry. Lionsgate has yet to comment on their publicized interest. [29]

Sources

[1] Lionsgate Entertainment Logo, www.thehungergames.net, RT: 11/25/14

[2] Lionsgate Company, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/5/14

[3] Key Executive: Jon Feltheimer, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/26/14

[4] Key Executive: Michael Burns, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/26/14

[5] Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, http://finance.yahoo.com, RT: 11/5/14

[6] Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, www.wsj.com, RT: 11/5/14

[7] Box Office by Studio, www.boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[8] LIONSGATE MOVIES Mockingjay Part 1, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/5/14

[9] Mockingjay Part 1 Remains Champ, www.ign.com. 11/30/14. RT: 11/30/14

[10] LIONSGATE MOVIES John Wick, www.lionsgate.com. RT: 11/30/14

[11] John Wick, www.boxofficemojo.com. RT: 11/29/14

[12] Weekend Report, www.boxofficemojo.com, Subers, Ray. 10/26/14. RT: 11/29/14

[13] Jon Feltheimer to Receive Producers Guild’s 2015 Milestone Award, deadline.com, 9/9/14. RT: 9/14/14

[14] All Is Lost, www.lionsgate.com. RT:11/29/14

[15] Spare Parts Trailer, www.youtube.com, 11/6/14. RT: 11/30/14

[16] Lionsgate Movies: Spare Parts, www.lionsgate.com. RT: 11/30/14

[17] Divergent Teaser Trailer, www.youtube.com, 11/12/14. RT: 11/30/14

[18] The Divergent Series: Insurgent, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/30/14.

[19] The Divergent Series: Insurgent to be Released in 3D, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/5/14

[20] Mortdecai Trailer, www.youtube.com, 11/12/14. RT: 11/30/14

[21] Johnny Depp Is A British Rogue in America, www.deadline.com, The Deadline Time. 11/12/14. RT: 11/30/14.

[22] The Age of Adaline Trailer, www.youtube.com, 11/19/14. RT: 11/30/14

[23] The Age of Adaline, www.lionsgate.com, RT: 11/30/14

[24] CBS Films and Lionsgate Announce Multi-Year Film Distribution Partnership, www.lionsgate.com, 11/13/14, RT: 11/19/14

[25] The Expendables Workout, www.lionsgate.com, 11/11/14, RT: 11/19/14

[26] Lionsgate Aims for the Fences at American Film Market, variety.com, RT: 11/5/14

[27] Lionsgate and Tribeca film studios are launching a new streaming service, www.washingtonpost.com, Kang, Cecilia. 10/20/14. RT: 11/5/14

[28] Tribeca Short List, www.lionsgate.com. RT: 11/30/14

[29] Dalian Wanda Group’s Interest, www.variety.com, Lang, Brett. 12/1/14. RT: 12/1/14

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on October 5, 2014 by htfergus

by Naomi Pinkus

Lionsgate Company Logo [1]

Contact Information:

Address: 2700 Colorado Ave Ste 200
Santa Monica, CA, 90404 United States

Phone Number: (310) 449-9200

Website: http://www.lionsgate.com

About Lionsgate:

Lionsgate Entertainment was founded in 1997 by financier Frank Giestra. In 2000 Giestra stepped down as CEO, and the current CEO, John Feltheimer, took charge along with the current Vice Chairman Michael Burns [2]. For a while, Lionsgate was seen as a small studio known for their Tyler Perry comedies and horror flicks such as Saw [3]. Then, in 2012, The Hunger Games came to theaters, and become one of the most successful film franchises in history. Since then, Lionsgate bought Summit Entertainment (Twilight series) and has been speeding up to the major film studios in record time [3]. This particular wiki will focus on Lionsgate’s motion picture production line of business, as it is also involved in television programming, home entertainment, distribution, and new channel platforms [2].

Key Executives:

John Feltheimer, Chief Executive Officer [4]

Michael Burns, Vice Chairman [5]

Since starting in 2000, Feltheimer and Burns have grown Lionsgate from an $80 million company to a nearly $4 billion one today. Lionsgate’s revenue has increased more than 15 times over [4].

Financials:

Lionsgate reported as of September 30th (when the quester ended) their revenue has increased by 11% to $552.9 million. They also had an adjusted EBITDA of $59.0 million. They also had an adjusted net income of $33.0 million or $0.24 adjusted basic net income per share. Additionally, they had a net income of $20.8 million or $0.15 basic net income per share, which is up from $0.00 basic net income per share last quarter [6].

Big Releases:

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1:

In this portion of the story, Katniss is in District 13 as the face of the rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol [8].

The third movie in the Hunger Game’s franchise which made over $1.5 billion in the box office before this new release [7]. The Hunger Games is by far Lionsgate’s most well-known and lucrative project. This third film came out November 21st, and has spent its two weeks of release being number one in the box office [9]. With a budget of $125 million, it has already made $225 million in the domestic market and $480 in the international market [9]. This franchise is also responsible for the Jennifer Lawrence’s rise to one of the top A-List stars in Hollywood.

John Wick is the story of an ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to hunt the gangsters who took everything from him [10].

John Wick:

With the reintroduction of Keanu Reeves, John Wick did surprisingly well as number 2 in the box office opening weekend. With a budget of $20 billion, Lionsgate gained $42 million domestically and $17 million internationally [11].

Smaller Film Releases:

Addicted is a thriller that encompasses a story about a gallerist engaging in an affair, which jeopardizes her family and career [12].

Jessabelle is the story of a girl who returns to her hometown after a car crash, where she’s met with a dark spirit who won’t let her go [14].

Addicted came out on October 10, 2014 and made $17 million. It was in approximately 1,000 theaters for only about 7 weeks [13].

Jessabelle is a horror film that came out on November 7th, 2014. As of now, there is no information on the budget, earnings, or number of theaters of this film [15].

Dear White People is a story about four black people struggling with race at a university [16].

MV5BMTQ4NTkxOTEyMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTI1NzcwMzE@-1._V1_SY317_CR0,0,214,317_AL_

The Homesman is the story of a man and woman who must transport 3 insane women across the country [18].

Dear White People was released on October 17th and has made about $4 million domestically (it was not released in the international market) [17].

The Homesman came out on November 21st. The film had an estimated budget of $16 millions and has only made $200,000 in the box office thus far [19].

Upcoming Releases:

Mortdecai:

Starring Johnny Depp, Gwenyth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, and Olivia Munn, Mortdecai is sure to be a success. It is set to be released on January 23rd. The story is an action-comedy who’s premise is an art dealer is given a job to hunt down an art thief and faces an adventure across the world [20]. CEO Feltheimer compares this film to The Pink Panther and considers Depp’s character very “franchisable” [21]. The movie’s release was moved from early February so as to reduce the competition: now it is pinned up against Jennifer Lopez’s thriller The Boy Next Door [22].

Insurgent:

Perhaps the biggest grossing project next to The Hunger Games is the Divergent franchise. Insurgent, the second film of the trilogy, sets to be released to theaters on March 20th [23]. Divergent, the first film, made about $288 million worldwide last spring [24]. This film is estimated to be even more successful because the lead, Shailene Woodley, has escalated in fame since Divergent’s release through the film Fault in Our Stars [25]. Also interesting is the fact that Lionsgate has released a trailer that is a dream of the lead Tris (Woodley)- which has been commented on by news outlets as a risky way to promote the film, especially since they leave out the romance element of the film [25]. Insurgent will also be released in 3D.

The Age of Adeline:

Starring Blake Lively, The Age of Adeline tells a story about a woman who cannot age. It is set to be released on April 24th [26]. This is the first big movie Lively will lead in, so it’s a potentially big opportunity to draw fans in [27].

Spare Parts:

Spare parts is the story of four under-privledged hispanic boys starting a robotics club. It is set to hit theaters on January 16th and is starring George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis [28]. This film was a move by Lionsgate to reach out to and widen their Hispanic market. The Hispanic market is the fastest growing demographic in America, comprising 19% of U.S. box office revenue while representing 17.5% of the population [29].

Current Business Ventures:

Lionsgate has been extremely busy in the last few months expanding their company. The way they are doing this is by partnering up with many major companies to add projects to their plate and widen their distribution for the films they already had.

On September 3rd, Lionsgate announced that joined with Entertainment One, they would be renewing their multi-year film agreement in Canada, Australia, and Spain. This renewal will continue to distribute their major movies across the world, giving their company more recognition and money [30].

The last few months have been heavily focused on advertising and marketing The Hunger Games. On October 8th, Lionsgate partnered with Doritos, Mazda, and Whole Food’s, all of which sponsored a new app called “Our Leader, the Mockingjay” [31]. On October 20th, Lionsgate sent out a press release with the partnership between them and Google, where they created a five episode YouTube series about characters in Panem (the setting of The Hunger Games) [32]. Then on November 7th it was announced that Lionsgate would be partnering with Imagine Nations to produce The Hunger Games as a theater production in the UK [33].

As of November 13th, Lionsgate has partnered with CBS Films on up to 12 wide-release films. In this agreement CBS finds and produces the films while Lionsgate deals with distribution. This will allow each company to benefit from each other’s strengths [34].

There are many other examples of Lionsgate using any film success they’ve had to branch out into new media channels. It seems as though they are going to continue moving full speed ahead on their business ventures.

Sources:

[1] Lionsgate Company Logo, Deadline.com, RT 2/5/13

[2] Lionsgate Company Overview, lionsgate.com, RT 12/1/14

[3] Lionsgate Fighting the System, businessinsider.com, RT 1/24/14

[4] CEO Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate.com, RT 8/17/13

[5] Vice Chairman Michael Burns, Lionsgate.com, RT 8/17/13

[6] Financial Report, lionsgate.com, RT 11/30/14

[7] Google and Lionsgate Team Up, lionsgate.com, RT 10/20/14

[8] Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Imbd.com, RT 11/21/14

[9] Hunger Hames: Mockingjay Part 1, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[10] John Wick, imbd.com, RT 11/30/14

[11] John Wick, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[12] Addicted, imbd.com, RT 11/30/14

[13] Addicted, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[14] Jessabelle, imdb.com, RT 11/7/2014

[15] Jessabelle, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/2014

[16] Dear White People, imdb.com, RT 11/30/14

[17] Dear White People, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[18] The Homesman, imdb.com, RT 11/30/14

[19] The Homesman, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[20] Mortdecai, lionsgate.com, RT 11/30/14

[21] Johnny Depp’s New Franchise, thewrap.com, RT 11/30/14

[22] Mortdecai to Hit Theaters Early, hollywoodreporter.com, RT 11/30/14

[23] Insurgent, lionsgate.com, RT 11/30/14

[24] Divergent, boxofficemojo.com, RT 11/30/14

[25] Insurgent Trailer, forbes.com, RT 11/30/14

[26] Age of Adeline, lionsgate.com, RT 11/30/14

[27] Blake Lively, usatoday.com, RT 11/30/14

[28] Spare Parts, lionsgate.com, RT 11/30/14

[29] George Lopez, variety.com, RT 11/30/14

[30] Entertainment One, lionsgate.com, RT 9/3/14

[31] Our Leader, The Mockingjay, lionsgate.com, RT 10/8/14

[32] Google, lionsgate.com, RT 10/20/14

[33] Theater Production, lionsgate.com, RT 11/7/14

[34] CBS Films, lionsgate.com, RT 11/13/14

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Alexandra Koskoris

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:

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

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 [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 [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! [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 [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 [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 [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.

DreamWorks Studios

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kelsey Schwartzbach

By Kelsey Schwartzbach

DreamWorks Studios

http://www.dreamworksstudios.com

100 Universal City Plaza Dr., Bldg. 5121 Universal City, CA 91608

818-733-9300 [1]

DreamWorks Studios [2]

Key Executives:

Steven Spielberg, Principal Partner [3][4]

Stacey Snider, Principal Partner, Co-Founder, and CEO [5][6]

Jeff Small, CEO [7][8]

Holly Bario, President of Production [9][10]

A Brief History:

In 1994 Steven Spielberg, along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, founded DreamWorks Studios. Their first full feature film was “The Peacemaker,” released in September of 1997, which starred two hollywood big shots: George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. In 1998 DreamWorks put out, arguably, one of its most successful movies, “Saving Private Ryan,” which was co-production with Paramount. That film did well at the Academy Awards, winning 5 Oscars out of 11 nominations. 1999-2001 were extremely successful years for DreamWorks, they released “American Beauty,” “Gladiator,” (a co-production with Universal Studios) which was the winner of The Academy Awards Best Picture that year, “Almost Famous,” (a co-production with Sony) “Meet the Parents,” (a co-production with Universal) “The Contender,” “Castaway,” (a co-production with 20th Century Fox) and “A Beautiful Mind.” DreamWorks Studios continues to produce excellent and award winning films, such as “War Horse,” “The Help,” and “Lincoln.” [11]

Financials:

Unfortunately, DreamWorks Studios financials are unavailable, but we are able to look at how DreamWorks’ past films have done in the box office to get an idea of how they are doing. DreamWorks most recent film, “The Fifth Estate” did not do well at the box office, and, in turn, DreamWorks lost a fair amount of money. The film cost $28 million to make, and only made $3,240,547 in America. Internationally the film made $2,900,000, making the total profit earned only $6,145,547, meaning DreamWorks Studios lost about $21,854,453, which is a significant amount of money. In addition, DreamWorks is releasing the movie “Delivery Man” on November 22nd, meaning a chance for more income. [12] [13]

Right Here, Right Now

So far, DreamWorks has only released one film in 2013, and that was “The Fifth Estate.”

Poster for The Fifth Estate [15]

A trailer for the film can be seen here. “The Fifth Estate” is a film, based on real events, about WikiLeaks, its founder, Julian Assange, and what happened when WikiLeaks went public. Initially, the film looked like it was going to be a large success, they had a lot of star power, including Benedict Cumberbatch, and an excellent director, which should have drawn a lot of people to the movie. [14]

In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Fifth Estate” included other successful actors, such as Peter Capaldi, Daniel Bruhl, Laura Linney, and Anthony Mackie. The director of the film was Bill Condon, who directed several successful films, such as “Dreamgirls,” and two of the “Twilight” Saga movies. All of the talent in this movie makes it seem as though it would do well in the box office, but, as stated earlier, this film did not do well in the box office, losing over $20 million on a film is never a studio’s goal. [12] [14] [16]

On Rotten Tomatoes the movie only received an approval rating of 39%, while the average user gave the film a 5.4/10. In addition, Rotten Tomatoes commented on the failure of the movie, stating it was just a platform to show off Cumberbatch’s excellent acting. [17]

Coming soon to a theatre near you

DreamWorks has one other film coming out in 2013, “Delivery Man,” which will premiere this weekend, November 22nd, 2013. A trailer can be seen here. [13]

Poster for Delivery Man [18]

The film stars Vince Vaughn as a lazy delivery man who finds out he accidentally fathered 533 kids from a sperm donation he made some twenty years earlier. 142 children end up filing a lawsuit to find out who their father is. The movie follows Vaughn’s character as he struggles with idea of revealing himself to some of his kids. [13]

The film also stars Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders, who should draw people in to see the movie. “Delivery Man” is one of the most anticipated movies to come out for the rest of 2013, although the release date was not thought out well. The film is being released the same day as “Catching Fire,” the sequel to the extremely popular “The Hunger Games.” DreamWorks shouldn’t expect the largest numbers for the opening weekend because most audiences will drawn to see “Catching Fire.” The percentage of viewers who want to see this movie on Rotten Tomatoes is 95%. DreamWorks should expect this movie to come in second after “Catching Fire” after the first opening weekend. [13][19][20]

The first film that DreamWorks will release is “Need for Speed,” coming out on March 14th, 2014. [21]

Poster for Need for Speed [22]

The film is based on the popular video game of the same name. It tells the story of a cross-counrty race which starts out as a revenge, but then later turns into redemption. [21]

The film has an exceptional cast to it, starring Aaron Paul, Michael Keaton, Dakota Johnson, Imogen Poots, and popular rapper, Kid Cudi. DreamWorks can expect many Breaking Bad fans to rush to this movie, seeing as Aaron Paul, viewer’s favorite, will star in this movie. In addition, many fans of the acclaimed video game will come to see the movie as well. Many movies based on video games do not do well in the box office, but the star power of the cast will do well to attract many to see this film. [21][23]

In the News

The Bully Pulpit [25]

On October 30th, 2013 DreamWorks Studios gained the film rights to The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book, and movie, will tell the story of Roosevelt and Taft’s friendship turned bitter rivalry. The book is highly anticipated and Goodwin has already won a Pulitzer Prize before for her work. The Bully Pulpit will be a collaborative effort between Goodwin and Spielberg, something that has been done before; both worked together on the award-winning film, “Lincoln,” which was partly based on Doris’ book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. [24]

The production of “The Hundred-Foot Journey” begun on October 9th, 2013. The film is

The Hundred-Foot Journey [27]

based off of Richard C. Morais’ novel of the same name. It will star academy award winner Helen Mirren, is produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Juliet Blake. The film is set to be release on August 8th, 2014. [26]

Sources:

[1] http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/42/42800.html [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[2] http://www.spectorentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dreamworks.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[3] http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY1NjAzNzE1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTk0ODc0._V1._SX267_SY400_.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[4] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/steven-spielberg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[5] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/stacey-snider-268656 [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[6] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/stacey-snider [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[7] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/files/imagecache/news_image/small_jeff_website.jpg[Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[8] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/jeff-small [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[9] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/12/Holly_Bario_WIE_40_a_p.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[10] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/holly-bario [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[11] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/history [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[12] http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fifthestate.htm [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[13] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/delivery-man [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[14] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/the-fifth-estate [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[15] http://collider.com/the-fifth-estate-featurette/ [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[16] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0174374/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1 [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[17] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fifth_estate/ [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[18] http://www.comingsoon.net/gallery/90015/hr_Delivery_Man_7.jpg [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[19] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2387559/ [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[20] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/delivery_man/ [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[21] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/need-for-speed [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[22] http://displaypict.com/need-for-speed-movie-2014-wallpapers.html [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[23] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369135/ [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[24] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/news/dreamworks-studios-acquires-the-film-rights-to-pulitzer-prize-winning-author-doris-kearns-goodw [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[25] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2013/10/the_bully_pulpit.jpg [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[26] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/news/production-has-begun-on-the-feature-film-adaptation-of-the-hundred-foot-journey-starring-academ [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[27] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DMqA566VB6w/UdHdGWs4hVI/AAAAAAAAF1A/Fk46RvzNzd4/s600/the-hundred-foot-journey-book-cover-395×600.jpg [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Andrea Reindl

: 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:

: 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 [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: [27] latino-review.com

The most-anticipated event on the near horizon is the release of T he 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: [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].

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 November 4, 2013 by Simon Staples-Vangel

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

Jon Feltheimer — CEO

-Courtesy of Lionsgate

Michael Burns — Vice Chairman

-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 April 8, 2013 by Robert Lezama

by Robbie Lezama

2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 200

Santa Monica, CA 90404

Telephone (310) 449-9200
Facsimile (310) 255-3870

http://www.lionsgate.com/

Brief Overview:

One of the Liongate’s most profitable subsidiaries, Lionsgate Films continues to compete in the film industry as a “mini-major” studio, producing hits like The Hunger Games and distributing the infectious Twilight series. While Lionsgate Entertainment also focuses on the production and distribution of television, family/home entertainment, on demand and digital content, we know Lionsgate mainly for the films. Noteabley, Lionsgate Films also owns Summit Entertainment, which produced Twilight, and 43% of the production studio Roadside Attractions.

Twilight and The Hunger Games

When people in the film industry think of Lionsgate, they think of The Hunger Games and the Twilight Series. The Hunger games grossed about $68.3 million after it came to theaters on March 23, 2012. Subsequently, its first weekend barreled through and came out with $152.5 million. This became Lion gate’s highest grossing film in just one weekend. The Twilight series has become attracted a global fan base and continues to sell both in and out of theaters. The last installation of the series was released in theaters November 12, 2012. Lions Gate’s timely acquisition of Summit Entertainment aided in the studio’s continual success.

Executives

Jon Feltheimer

CEO Lions Gate Entertainment:

Jon is the Chief Executive Officer of Lions Gate Entertainment and has held that position since 2000. Feltheimer’s has led Lionsgate to grow into the leading American independent filmed entertainment studio.Before joining Lionsgate, Mr. Feltheimer spent nine years at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he served as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group and head of Sony Entertainment Television.

Patrick Wachsberger

CO-Chairman Lions Gate Films

Patrick Wachsberger is the President and CEO of Summit Entertainment and also serves as a Co-Chairman for Lionsgate Films. Prior to running Summit Entertainment, Wachsberger served as President and CEO of Odyssey Entertainment and Odyssey Distributors, Ltd. Prior to heading Odyssey, Wachsberger was President of J & M Entertainment, one of the industry’s leading foreign sales companies. He served there for 11 years.

Rob Friedman

CO-Chairman Lions Gate Films:

As Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Films, Rob oversees all aspects of Lionsgate’s domestic and international feature film acquisition, production and distribution as well as the home entertainment releases of theatrical feature films.

Financials:

Lionsgate Entertainment:

Financial Highlights
Fiscal Year End:	March
Revenue (2012):	1587.60 M
Revenue Growth (1 yr):	0.30%
Employees (2012):	607
Employee Growth (1 yr):	24.90%

Films like Twilight and Expendables 2, helped the film studio to a $37.8 million in profit for the third quarter. Liongate’s total film revenue was $673.5 millon. This is due to the increased revenue streams of the studio’s home entertainment and theatrical divisions. The studio, “brought Twilight franchise in-house when it bought Summit at the beginning of 2012.” Even after the transaction of $412.5, Lionsgate still made more than $52 million in the quarter.

Current News:

CBS And Lionsgate Enter 50/50 Partnership On Highly Distributed Entertainment Cable Network

On March 26, 2013 CBS and Lionsgate entered a 50/50 partnership for the cable network TVNG and TVGuide.com. Originally, Lionsgate had purchased TV Guide for $255 million in 2009 and sold JP Morgans, One Equity, a %49 share towards the end of that year. In this deal CBS bought their share for $100 millon from One Equity. In the end, this partnership will allow “CBS’s programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content.”

DVD and Blu-ray Sales for the Fifth Film in The Franchise Increase From Breaking Dawn – Part 1’s Opening Weekend

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, which came out in stores March 2, had record breaking numbers. Overall the film has grossed $829 million at the box office. The fact that this is the fifth film in the franchise and is the highest grossing, goes to show how powerful the fan following really is. By purchasing Summit Entertainment on Janurary 13, 2012, Lionsgate was able to bank on this last Twilight film which continues to thrive. Blu-ray sales accounted for a about 27% of first weekend sales. This is 22% up of the first weekend sales of Breaking Dawn Part 1.

Whats Next for Lionsgate films?

Temptation

Lionsgate’s most recent release is the film Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor starring, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Vanessa Williams and Brandy Norwood.The film follows a married woman and her temptation for a charming billionaire, which only leads to betrayal and recklessness.

The Big Wedding

In theaters April 26, The Big Wedding follows a long divorced couple that fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding. The movie will star Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Katherine Heigl.

Peeples

Coming to theaters May 10, the film, Peeples, covers the story of “regular guy” crashing a “preppy” family reunion only to ask for their daughter’s hand. This comedy will star Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington and David Alan Grier.

You’re Next (In theaters August 23)

This thriller follows a family away for a reunion as they come under attack during their wedding anniversary. With a surprising twist and shocking visuals, Youre Next will deliver. The film will star Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg and AJ Bowen.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire In theaters November 22

As one of Lionsgate’s more anticipated films, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is in theaters Novemeber 22, will surely deliver. In this sequel, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, two previous winners, Katniss and Peeta, are dethroned from the victories and are put back in to the arena. This second installation in the Hunger Games “trilogy”, will surely bring a massive first weekend at the box office.

Works Cited:

http://www.ctam.com/html/summit/bios/feltheimer.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Feltheimer

http://www.filmbug.com/db/343434

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Friedman#cite_note-1

http://m.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cbs-and-lionsgate-enter-5050-partnership-on-highly-distributed-entertainment-cable-network-200102471.html

http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/fundamentals/fundamentals.asp?symbol=LGF

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/twilight-expendables-2-boost-lionsgate-third-quarter-profit-77186

http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/tools/analysis_tools.asp?symbol=LGF

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

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2070862/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931435/