by [Ingrid Martinez]
Current Lionsgate logos. On the left is the original logo for Lionsgate films. On the right is a second version that corresponds to horror and action films produced by the company. The second version is known as “Lionsgate Horror” [1].
Basic Information:
Headquarters Address: 2700 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404
Telephone: (310) 449-9200
Website: www.lionsgate-ent.com
For more information on corporate studio locations and contact information click here [2].
Key Executives:
Co-Chairman, Jon Feltheimer. Image courtesy of http://magazine-archives.wustl.edu
Jon Feltheimer, Co-Chairman & Executive Officer
Michael Burns, Vice Chairman
Steve Beeks, President & Co-Chief Operating Officer
Joe Drake, President of Motion Picture Group & Co-Chief Operating Officer
Jim Keegan, Chief Financial Officer
Wayne Levin, General Counsel & Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations
For full biographies click here [3].
Brief Company Overview:
Lionsgate’s previous logo. Image courtesy of http://www.gmk freelogos.com.
Lions Gate Entertainment Company, Lionsgate, is a leading global film and television producer. Since 1997, the company has strived to become the most successful independent film and television distributer in North America. Today, it currently owns 15 shows on over 10 television networks. These shows include “Weeds,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” “Meet the Browns,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” and more. In the past year, the company has released 14 motion pictures in theaters. Some of the company’s most famous accomplishments due to their great outcomes are “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “The Last Exorcism,” and “Precious.” Even with its controversial theme, Lionsgate acquired two Academy Awards as a result of “Precious.” It is a film that will not be forgotten. These shows and films are only few of the many that have helped the company achieve its goal of becoming the most successful independent distributer in North America. Lionsgate does not only hold 10 Oscar awards; it has also been nominated for 47 Academy Awards. With the company’s achievements this year, more nominations and awards are destined to come.
For full company overview click here [4].
Short History:
Lionsgate, established in 1997, began in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. The founder of the company is Frank Giustra, a banker whose purpose was to benefit from the Canadian film industry. He dedicated his time and money into the company, anticipating positive results.
Canadian banker, Frank Giustra. Image courtesy of http://www.dcba-online.ca/.
After creating Lionsgate, Giustra also bought other production companies to increase its size and influence. Children’s Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop, is one of the distributers that was first obtained by Lionsgate. Lionsgate experienced losses during its first few releases. However, its first major theatrical success was the 2000 release of American Psycho. This film led the way for other successes, including Fahrenheit 9/11, which set a record for Lionsgate’s highest gross. Since then, the company has continued to progress and expand.
For full history click here [5].
Progression and Expansion:
Summit Entertainment Logo. Image courtesy of http://www.rizvitraverse.com
For the past 10 years, Lionsgate has acquired different libraries including Artisan Entertainment and Trimark Holdings. Lionsgate now occupies one of the most famous and influential libraries in the entertainment world. The library includes more than 13,000 films and television shows with diversified themes [6]. In December 2011, Lionsgate created a partnership with Saban Capital Group (SCG) and Celestial Pictures. This led to the formation of Celestial Tiger Entertainment Limited, a company whose mission is to entertain audiences in Asia and other countries. During the 2012 fiscal year, which ended in March, Lionsgate released 14 motion pictures in theaters. These motion pictures include films co-produced from other parties. In January 2012, Lionsgate also obtained Summit Entertainment, LLC, an independent worldwide theatrical motion picture studio. This gave Lionsgate the rights to The Twilight Saga film series.
For full article click here [7].
Theatrically Released Films:
Lionsgate has had a very active Fall 2012. Since September, the company has released four films: Dredd, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, The Bay, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. The following table shows the earnings of these films.
Film |
Release Date |
Worldwide Gross as of Monday, December 3rd, 2012 |
Dredd |
September 21, 2012 |
$30,931,946 |
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D |
October 26, 2012 |
$33,966,786 |
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 |
November 16, 2012 |
$702,398,866 |
The Bay |
November 21, 2012 |
$30,668 |
There is a significant gap between the gross of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” and the other films released by Lionsgate in the past few months (showed in the table). “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” has long been awaited by a huge domestic and international audience, making it the most successful of these films. The film remains in theaters and its sales continue to increase, making it a huge competitor at the box office.
There is an even wider gap between The Bay and the other three films in the table. The Bay has only obtained a total gross of $30,668, mainly because it is the most recent. However, it was also released only five days after “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” This may have an effect on the film’s movie sales because “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” is still the spotlight of the theaters. In addition, the holidays are near, which may cause fewer people to attend the movie theater.
For data on these films and more click here [8].
Recent News:
The release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” and Lionsgate’s earlier release, “The Hunger Games,” allowed the company’s sales to extend tremendously. Lionsgate expects to earn over $2 billion from international and domestic theater sales. Its first weekend, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” made $341 million from theater sales worldwide. As of Monday, December 3rd, 2012, the film has made $254,598,866 domestically and $447,800,000 internationally [9]. It now has the highest international gross out of the films in “The Twilight Saga.” Due to Lionsgate’s acquisition of Summit Entertainment, LLC, Twilight has now become one of Lionsgate’s greatest successes.
For the full article click here [10].
Lionsgate broke records, making millions in one year with the two female-led films mentioned above. Few female-led films are produced because Hollywood is afraid that the compensation will not be profitable. “The Hunger Games” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” have surpassed expectations in a male-driven industry. These films have pushed past $1 billion with women protagonists, and more success is expected from Twilight. Lionsgate CEO, Jon Feltheimer, and Vice President, Michael Burns, take great pride in this achievement. They jointly state,
The Hunger Games. Image courtesy of www.imdb.com
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Image courtesy of www.imdb.com
“Every member of our motion picture group should take tremendous pride in this singular accomplishment.”
For the full article click here [11].
Upcoming Releases:
Lionsgate anticipates more success, welcoming the new year with more and more films to be released. However, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” has set the bar for future films. It will not be easy to top the success of Twilight. The following are films that will be theatrically released during the upcoming year of 2013.
Film |
Release Date |
Texas Chainsaw 3D |
January 4, 2013 |
The Last Stand |
January 18, 2013 |
Stand Up Guys |
February 1, 2013 |
For more information on Lionsgate’s upcoming releases click here [12].
References: