Institution Research on Lionsgate

2. Lionsgate (formerly known as Cinépix Film
Properties) is a Canadian-American film
production/distribution studio and a division
of Lions Gate Entertainment. It is the largest
and most successful mini-major film studio in
North America. It focuses on foreign and
independent films and has distributed various
commercially successful film series,
including The Twilight Saga (partially), The
Hunger Games, The Divergent Series, and The
Expendables.

3. Lions Gate Entertainment
Corporation (or Lionsgate) is a Canadian-American
entertainment company. The company was formed
in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 3, 1997,
and is headquartered in Santa Monica,
California. As of November 2013, it is the most
commercially successful mini major film and
television distribution company in North America
and the seventh most profitable movie
studio. Lionsgate Films is not to be confused
with Robert Altman's former company, Lion's Gate
Films, although both names refer to the same
Vancouver landmark, the Lions Gate bridge.

4. Key People
• Frank Giustra – Founder
– Chairman until 2003
• Jon Feltheimer – Chief Executive
– Since 2000
– Expanded to co-chairman in 2005
• Michael Burns – joined in 1999
– Became vice-chairman in 2000

5. • Cinépix Film Properties was renamed Lions Gate Films on January 12, 1998. LGE also
purchased the Vancouver-based North Shore Studios, which became Lions Gate Studios. In
June 1998, LGE purchased International Movie Group, whose film library included Jean-
Claude Van Damme's Kickboxer.
• Its first major box office success was American Psycho in 2000, which began a trend of
producing and distributing films too controversial for the major American studios,
including Lolita (1997). Other notable films included Affliction (1997), Gods and
Monsters (1998), Dogma (1999), Cube 2: Hypercube (2002), Saw (2004), and the Michael
Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), which had been the studio's highest grossing
film until the release of The Hunger Games in 2012.
• In 2000, Giustra left the firm and it was taken over by Jon Feltheimer and Tom Ortenberg.
They decided to focus on the profits of videos and DVDs and began buying struggling firms
that controlled large libraries. The two most notable acquisitions were Trimark Holdings (650
titles) in 2000 and Artisan Entertainment in 2003. The Trimark purchase also included Cinema
Now, a broadband streaming website, where Lionsgate could feature its own movies. These
two along with other firms gave Lions Gate the second largest DVD library of any company,
which includes Total Recall, Reservoir Dogs, On Golden Pond, Super Mario Bros., Young
Guns, Dirty Dancing and It's a Wonderful Life, in some cases via output deals with Studio
Canal, ITC/Carlton, and Republic Pictures (the result of prior licensing deals with Lions Gate's
home video predecessor Artisan).
• Lions Gate occasionally co-produces films with major studios. For example, Lions Gate
teamed with Miramax Films for the 2004 sequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and
with Paramount Pictures for 2002's Narc and 2004's The Prince & Me. Lions Gate was also a
silent partner in 20th Century Fox's 2004 sci-fi film The Day After Tomorrow. And also in
2004, for the first time ever, Lions Gate joined forces with independent rival United Artists in
producing Hotel Rwanda.

6. • On August 1, 2005, Lions Gate Entertainment acquired the entire library of
Modern Entertainment. On October 17, 2005, Lions Gate
Entertainment acquired Redbus Film Distribution for $35 million and
became Lionsgate UK on February 23, 2006.
• Lionsgate cut back its annual production by four in February 2009.
• The Lionsgate film The Hunger Games grossed $68.3 million when it premiered at
the U.S. box office on March 23, 2012. It was the best opening day ever for a non-sequel
and the fifth highest of all time. Of that total, $19.7 million was earned via
Thursday midnight screenings. In its first weekend, The Hunger Games grossed
$152.5 million, making it Lionsgate's highest grossing film after just three days.
• On January 13, 2012, Lions Gate Entertainment acquired Summit Entertainment,
the studio behind the Twilight franchise for $412.5 million. On May 3, 2012,
Lionsgate Films made an agreement with Code Black Enterprises' CEO Jeff
Clanagan to create Code Black Films, based at Lionsgate.
• On January 16, 2013, Lionsgate announced a low-budget film division to be led by
John Sacchi. The division will release films under $2.5 million. Sacchi has recently
looked to acquire such films as Rock Bottom Creek (2012) and other independently
made films as well. On Thursday, November 22, 2013, Lions Gate released The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire. In its opening weekend, the movie grossed $158
million at the US box office, surpassing its predecessor, which generated $150
million in its opening weekend. The film had a budget of $130 million, breaking
even soon after its opening, and making it profitable. Critics highly appraised the
film; it received a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 89% "certified fresh", and an IMDB
rating of 8.3/10. The next film in the Hunger Games franchise, Mockingjay: Part 1,
is scheduled to be released in 2014. Lions Gate has also recently acquired the
rights to the independent horror franchise Rock Bottom Creek and will begin
production in 2015.

7. Business Plan
– Create a production company to rival Hollywood
– Offered solely independent, low to moderate
budget films
– Aimed at independent film market

8. Bottom-line
• Lionsgate has grown to make more than just independent
films in many different markets
– films, television shows, video, record label and music publishing
• Grown to become a nearly $2 billion diversified global
entertainment corporation
• Leading next generation film studio
• Most commercially successful independent film and
television distribution company in North America, as of
2012
• Lions Gate has plans to begin working on creating original
series
• Possibility of creating a Hunger Games theme park
– Similar to WizardingWorld of Harry Potter theme park