Latest news with #JoshGrode
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
Legendary Pictures in Early Talks to Acquire Lionsgate — GeekTyrant
Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind Dune , The Dark Knight, and the Monsterverse, is reportedly exploring a big move by acquiring Lionsgate Studios. According to Bloomberg, talks are still in the early stages, but this potential acquisition could seriously shake up the entertainment landscape. Legendary, known for working alongside major players like Warner Bros. and Netflix, is feeling out a possible long-term partnership with Lionsgate before making any major commitments. One insider told Bloomberg that Legendary is exploring the possibility of partnering with Lionsgate on a number of projects to figure out whether they can effectively work together. This isn't Legendary's first swing at expansion. After parting ways with Wanda Group in 2024 and becoming an equal-share partner with Apollo Global Management, CEO Josh Grode made it clear that the company was shifting into aggressive growth mode. He hinted at pursuing billion-dollar takeovers, and for a while, there were even whispers about a potential play for Paramount. But now it looks like their eyes are on Lionsgate. Lionsgate brings a stacked deck of IP to the table and they include John Wick , The Hunger Games , Twilight , Saw , and Dirty Dancing , just to name a few. There's also Lionsgate's 20,000-title deep film and TV library. It's also fresh off a split from Starz, the streaming and TV platform it acquired in 2016. That separation became official in May 2025, which is reportedly when Legendary first approached the studio. So far, reps for both companies have stayed quiet, declining to confirm or deny any negotiations. Still, the market seems intrigued. Following news of the possible buyout, Lionsgate shares jumped nearly 20%, closing with a market cap just under $2 billion. If things go well with their joint projects, Legendary might just make an official move to bring Lionsgate into its growing empire.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Legendary Entertainment May Have Lionsgate in Its Acquisition Sights
Studios have been threatening to acquire each other the past couple years, and now it seems to be Legendary Entertainment's turn. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio behind recent hits like A Minecraft Movie and the Dune trilogy is potentially snatching up Lionsgate, best known for the John Wick and Hunger Games series. At the moment, the two companies are considering a team up on some films, and if things go well, that'll blossom into a 'more complete offer.' There weren't any specific movies named that could help test the waters, but the two studios have several upcoming movies between them, including Dune: Part 3, and Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. This past May, Lionsgate itself separated in half—one business for the movies, the other for its Starz TV network, both hunting for acquisition deals. And in October 2024, Legendary CEO Josh Grode indicated mergers and acquisitions were in the cards for the studio after it bought out the stake from its then-parent company, Wanda Group. Neither Legendary or Lionsgate commented on the matter to press, and it doesn't seem like they're looking super far ahead in their partnership. No word on the potential affects on Lionsgate's output going forward should Legendary acquire it, so we'll learn more about it over time. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
‘Dune' studio Legendary weighs buying Lionsgate Studios
Legendary Entertainment, the independent film and TV studio behind the 'Dune' trilogy and 'A Minecraft Movie,' is considering a takeover of Lionsgate Studios, according to people familiar with the matter. Legendary, which is backed by Apollo Global Management, first approached the company after Lionsgate finalized its separation from the Starz Entertainment Corp. TV network and streaming service in May, said the people, who asked not be named as the information is private. Those talks centered on a potential partnership to produce a handful of films so that Legendary could gauge how the two companies worked together and whether it should ultimately proceed with a takeover offer, the people said. Representatives for Legendary and Lionsgate declined to comment. Lionsgate shares jumped 8.6% after Bloomberg reported the news and ended the day up 20%. Lionsgate, which currently has a market cap of $1.8 billion, owns the rights to popular film franchises including 'John Wick,' 'The Hunger Games' and 'Twilight,' and would provide Legendary with a theatrical distribution network. Lionsgate has also produced TV hits including AMC's 'Mad Men.' 'A Minecraft Movie,' which was co-produced by Legendary and released by Warner Bros. Discovery's film studio in April, is the highest grossing movie at the domestic box office so far this year, having sold $423.9 million worth of tickets in the US and Canada. Legendary's exploration of a Lionsgate takeover 'is sensible, given it's a pure-play studio,' Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Geetha Ranganathan wrote in a note. A deep library of content accounts for a third of Lionsgate's revenue at a high profit margin, she noted. 'We suspect that Legendary's interest could spur others to potentially consider bids.' Josh Grode, Legendary's chief executive officer, said in a 2024 interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that he planned to tap Apollo's finances for takeovers in the entertainment industry that would collectively be worth billions of dollars. Last year, Legendary and Apollo were linked to a potential acquisition of the Paramount Pictures film studio, and were later involved in a potential acquisition of parent company Paramount Global. That business is instead being acquired by David Ellison's Skydance Media. Buckley and Shaw write for Bloomberg.
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Apollo-Backed Legendary Weighs Acquisition of Lionsgate Studios
(Bloomberg) -- Legendary Entertainment LLC, the independent film and TV studio behind the Dune trilogy and A Minecraft Movie, is considering a takeover of Lionsgate Studios Corp., according to people familiar with the matter. Legendary, which is backed by Apollo Global Management, first approached the company after Lionsgate finalized its separation from the Starz Entertainment Corp. TV network and streaming service in May, said the people, who asked not be named as the information is private. Those talks centered on a potential partnership to produce a handful of films so that Legendary could gauge how the two companies worked together and whether it should ultimately proceed with a takeover offer, the people said. Representatives for Legendary and Lionsgate declined to comment. Lionsgate shares jumped 8% after Bloomberg reported the news. Lionsgate, which currently has a market cap of $1.8 billion, owns the rights to popular film franchises including John Wick, The Hunger Games and Twilight, has produced TV hits including AMC's Mad Men and would provide Legendary with a theatrical distribution network. A Minecraft Movie, which was co-produced by Legendary and released by Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.'s film studio in April, is the highest grossing movie at the domestic box office so far this year, having sold $423.9 million worth of tickets in the US and Canada. Josh Grode, Legendary's chief executive officer, said in a 2024 interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that he planned to tap Apollo's finances for takeovers in the entertainment industry that would collectively be worth billions of dollars. Last year, Legendary and Apollo were linked to a potential acquisition of Paramount Pictures film studio, and were later linked to a potential acquisition of parent company Paramount Global. That business is instead being acquired by David Ellison's Skydance Media LLC. More stories like this are available on
