Lionsgate Shrinks Quarterly Losses as TV Business Gets Post-Strikes Bounce

Selena Kuznikov Lionsgate Television has optioned journalist Adam Ciralsky’s Vanity Fair article “Take No Prisoners” to be developed as a series by showrunner Alexi Hawley. The article details the work of the U.S. Special envoy for hostage affairs and his colleagues, working for the release of Americans held captive worldwide.

Lionsgate Television is developing the series The Envoy based on the June 2024 Vanity Fair article “Take No Prisoners” from Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Adam Ciralsky.

Angelique Jackson During CAA Amplify, Lionsgate announced the development of Story Spark, a free online tool that helps creatives and development executives measure diversity and intersectionality in storytelling. The studio describes Story Spark as a “filmmaker-first and creative-driven, collaborative and open-ended development tool,” which provides guidance toward telling more inclusive stories.

Licorice Pizza star Cooper Hoffman and HBO Industry actor David Jonsson are currently in the mix to headline Francis Lawrence’s take on Stephen King‘s The Long Walk for Lionsgate.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group have acquired the indie drama Continue, extending their relationship with writer-director-actress Nadine Crocker with a deal for multiplatform domestic distribution of her latest film.

Jackass’ Steve-O is about to have a penis tattooed on his face by Post Malone at Bonnaroo 2024.The stunt prankster turns 50 on June 13, and the following day he is set to celebrate by having his face permanently marked by his famous friend.As told to Page Six, he said: “I’m getting my first face tattoo. Post Malone is going to tattoo a dick on my forehead.

To no one’s surprise, Lionsgate remains in the “Hunger Games” business. The studio has greenlit an adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ upcoming prequel ahead of its March 18, 2025, release date.

Holly Hagan has credited "ten months of consistency" for her incredible weight loss transformation.The Geordie Shore star, who welcomed her son Alpha in June 2023, opened up about the dedication required to bounce back to her pre-baby body. Flaunting her weight loss on the Fitty app Instagram account, Holly, 31, shared: "1 year apart - 10 months of consistency, 40lb difference.This journey takes time. Especially post partum." She continued, emphasizing the importance of a gradual approach: "We have to take it slow and build up that strength safely.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Public broadcaster KCET is once again the leader in Los Angeles Area Emmys nominations, landing 22 this year (down slightly from last year’s 24), thanks to expecially to the locally produced series “Artbound” and its “10 Days in Watts.” Cable news outlet Spectrum News 1 was in second, with 17 — up from 14 last year. Meanwhile, KABC-TV — aka ABC7 — saw a nice surge to 14 noms, up from 7 last year and good enough to top the commercial broadcast outlets. Nominees included the late Sam Rubin, who was nominated in the entertainment news story for his coverage of the SAG-AFTRA strike on KTLA.

Lionsgate‘s MovieSphere channel will become the first major FAST (free ad supported streaming) channel to be measured by Nielsen.

Lionsgate UK has locked a deal with Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment to release the Ian McKellen pic The Critic. 

D:Ream have banned Keir Starmer from using their 1993 New Labour anthem ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ in his election campaign.The song enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after it was played through a loudspeaker by protester Steve Bray, with the aim of drowning out Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he called a surprise General Election for July 4. Within 24 hours, the song had gone viral on social media and entered the iTunes Top 10.The Northern Irish band have previously said that they never enjoyed ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ having a political association.“My first reaction was ‘not again, please let me move on’,” singer Peter Cunnah told NME.

Allison Williams and Ebon Moss-Bachrach had one of television’s most startling scenes during the original run of Girls. In it, Moss-Bachrach chomped on her hindquarters with a gusto usually reserved for an Italian beef sandwich in his current show, The Bear.

D:Ream have spoken to NME about their shocked reaction to their 1993 hit ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ returning to the charts after being played over Rishi Sunak announcing a general election in a downpour – and how it has led to them being asked to play Glastonbury 2024.Last Wednesday (May 22), as a drenched Sunak took to a podium outside 10 Downing Street to reveal the snap July 4 election date, in the background protester Steve Bray played the Northern Irish band’s Number One song which had long been associated with Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997.The clip has since gone viral on social media platforms and entered the iTunes chart Top 10 within 24 hours.According to D:Ream singer Peter Cunnah, though, the political connotations of the song had become an albatross for the band over the New Labour years and beyond.“My first reaction was ‘not again, please let me move on’,” he told NME. “We all wanted that change in ’97, that sense of positivity.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment have acquired rights to the comedy The Duel, exec produced by and starring Dylan Sprouse (Beautiful Disaster), in North America, as well as all other English-speaking and Latin American territories.

Lionsgate is thinking about making “lower-budget” movies for Starz as the TV streaming and linear network is set to split with Lionsgate Studios by the end of the year.

Lionsgate blew past Wall Street’s expectations for the March quarter, its fiscal fourth, on a few key metrics from revenue to adjusted EPS and operating income as library sales and ramped up content deliveries helped propel TV profits up by 83%. The numbers are the last to land this earnings season.

Rishi Sunak announced the summer general election.Yesterday evening (May 22), the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK would be going to the polls on Thursday July 4. Addressing the nation outside 10 Downing Street, Sunak said it was “the moment for Britain to choose its future”.The PM delivered the speech as he stood in the heavy rain, and was drowned out by the sound of D:Ream’s 1993 single ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ – which was the election campaign song for Labour in 1997.Famous physicist Cox – who is known for his space and science programmes on TV – played keyboards for the pop/dance band in the ’90s.

Farcical scenes in Britain, where Rishi Sunak‘s speech announcing a July 4 election was drowned out by rain and a protester blasting D:Ream hit Things Can Only Get Better.

Post Malone debuted an unreleased song during his performance at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards.Hosted by country icon Reba McEntire, this year’s ACM Awards were held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday (May 16).Posty performed two songs – debuting a currently unreleased song that will presumably appear on his forthcoming country album. The song seems to be about a fleeting relationship as he sings in the refrain: “It’s a long lost highway / And this road ain’t my friend / I will love you ’til tomorrow / And I’ll never love you again.” At the end, Posty said, “No one had ever heard the song before”.He then launched into a rendition of ‘I Had Some Help’.