Lionsgate Studios — the home ofJohn Wick,The Hunger Games, and some of Hollywood’s most bankable franchises — might be changing hands.Legendary Entertainment, the studio behindDuneand the MonsterVerse (yes, that includesGodzilla), is eyeing a deal to acquire Lionsgate, according to a report confirmed by Variety. While the details are still under wraps and both companies are declining to comment, the implications of such a merger are massive — and potentially game-changing for the blockbuster landscape. Now, prepare for the boring jargon.
The news arrives just two months afterLionsgate Studioscompleted its long-anticipated separation fromStarz, officially splitting the TV network from the studio business on May 7. That move left Lionsgate as a standalone entity comprising its film and TV divisions, as well as a content library boasting more than 20,000 titles. The newly restructured studio also merged withScreaming Eagle Acquisition Corp, a SPAC (special-purpose acquisition company), making it a separately traded stock — though Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. still owns the majority (87.3%) of shares. Okay, we got through all that together, and we’re better for it.
What Does the Potential Lionsgate and Legendary Deal Mean?
There’s a lot on the table here. Lionsgate’s franchises include not justJohn WickandThe Hunger Games, but alsoNow You See Me,Saw, and the recently revitalizedDirty Dancing. Their TV division is no slouch either, developing shows for platforms across the spectrum, with a robust back catalog that includes hits likeMad Men,Nashville, andOrange Is the New Black(the latter produced through its stake in Starz). So it’s not like Legendary isn’t getting a pretty good slice of the pie for their purchase, here.
As of Friday, Lionsgate Studios had amarket capitalization of roughly $2 billion, and its stock surged by20%after Bloomberg broke news of the potential buyout. The acquisition, if completed, would combine Legendary’s sci-fi and action-heavy slate with Lionsgate’s rich IP library and genre franchises — essentially fusingDuneandThe Expendablesunder one roof. That’s a lot of guns, sandworms, and exploding casinos in one place.Jason StathamAl-Gaib, anyone? The deal is still in the early stages, in any case. But it’s clear both companies see a future where legacy IP, global distribution, and franchise potential reign supreme. A supergroup for giant monsters on screen. Until then, keep an eye on the markets for more.
