Lionsgate Studios, home to the Hunger Games and John Wick franchises, has attracted acquisition interest from Bollore Group and Banijay Group, according to people familiar with the matter, as reported by Reuters and confirmed by The Wrap and Screen Daily. The studio has engaged an investment bank to assess the inbound approaches.
No deal is certain. Lionsgate could remain independent. The studio's market value stands at approximately $3.8 billion, and shares currently trade at roughly 26 times expected pretax profit, a premium to comparable peers that has complicated early discussions. Lionsgate stock jumped more than 5 percent on July 15 after reports of the interest became public, and has risen 113.8 percent over the past year.
Bollore Group, whose Canal+ subsidiary has been building a global content footprint, represents one potential acquirer. Banijay Group, the television production company currently integrating All3Media following a recent acquisition, is also weighing a bid, though any formal approach from that direction may come later. Banijay Entertainment chairman Jeff Zucker has described “scale” as key to succeeding in the current media environment, according to The Wrap.
Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said the studio would be a “valuable asset” to multiple potential buyers given its library and franchise scale, according to The Wrap.
A parallel ownership shift adds context. Major shareholder Mark Rachesky has transferred his roughly 10 percent stake into a new investment vehicle backed by RenWave Kore, an entity founded by Cody Kittle, a former portfolio manager at Elliott Investment Management.
The moves suggest that the consolidation reshaping Hollywood is moving beyond its most obvious targets.