Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks

Dusty Ayres · July 10 2010, 03:17 PM

Lions Gate Entertainment, the embattled studio under siege from dissident investor Carl Icahn, has been holding merger discussions with the management of beleaguered Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, according to people close to the situation.The talks, if successful, could result in a powerful independent studio with a library of thousands of movies and television shows that would be run by Lions Gate's management team.

Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks

Let's hope that both studios aren't destroyed in the process....

darkwing_duck1 · July 10 2010, 03:23 PM

I wasn't aware that Ichan was after Lionsgate too...interesting. The bit about the MGM catalogue is out of date, according to what I've read. MGM sold off the best parts of it's vaults years ago during an earlier crisis.

cylkoth · July 10 2010, 06:04 PM

^^MGM still owns a rather hefty library of movies and tv shows-the profits generated by sells are the only thing that's kept the studio aloat during recent years. They have several MGM branded cable channels operating around the world, and they are partners in the thistv network, a service set up to feed programming to local broadcasters; digital subchannels. The bulk of their schedule is MGM owned movies.
I hope Lionsgate comes out of this alright. Mergers of late haven't always turned out to be the best thing for the most solvent of the joining entities...And has anything ICHAN has done, benefited any company he's gotten his mitts on?

Today, Lionsgate Entertainment filed Form 8-K paperwork with the SEC that it has entered into a "Material Definitive Agreement" by means of a letter with Carl Icahn saying they "have agreed to work together on certain acquisition opportunities beginning on July 9, 2010 and ending on July 19, 2010, and the Company agreed to refrain from specified actions during that period." Icahn has been leading a hostile takeover of the movie/TV studio and now owns almost 40% of Lionsgate which he'd like to buy for his son Brett to run. However, Lionsgate insiders tell us that this is, at best, a temporary halt to the long battle for the studio. Lionsgate recently stepped up merger talks with MGM.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/lion...fire/#comments

Damn...wish my daddy could buy me a studio. Yep, I'm hatin' on him.

BrotherBenny · July 10 2010, 06:25 PM

How is Lionsgate still around after all the crap that they churn out? I hope that a successful merger will rejuvenate both studios, or else both will fall into the black hole of old media never to be seen again, and that would be bad for MGM. I'd like Lionsgate to go though. Never seen anything they did that was any good.

Snaploud · July 10 2010, 11:45 PM

BrotherBenny wrote:

How is Lionsgate still around after all the crap that they churn out? I hope that a successful merger will rejuvenate both studios, or else both will fall into the black hole of old media never to be seen again, and that would be bad for MGM. I'd like Lionsgate to go though. Never seen anything they did that was any good.

I just took a quick wikipedia look at what movies they've produced over the last decade. Wow. That's a lot of crap. The few exceptions usually have some stipulation indicating that Lionsgate wasn't the main studio involved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Entertainment

Lt. Brannigan · July 10 2010, 11:51 PM

The only good that can possibly, and not very likely, come from this is that somehow we get more Republic films on DVD. For crying out loud, there is still roughly 12 John Wayne movies they could release....

darkwing_duck1 · July 11 2010, 12:30 AM

Lionsgate is showing up more and more in the DVD market as a distributer, and I've seen some pretty good movies lately that they released. They were also a partner in many of the Marvel animated DVD releases in recent years, and those were all good.

Ichan doesn't know crap about running a media company, his involvement in the Marvel bankruptcy proves that. Nor is he all that interested. He gets either MGM, Lionsgate, or both, and they're toast.

trampledamage · July 11 2010, 12:35 AM

darkwing_duck1 wrote:

Lionsgate is showing up more and more in the DVD market as a distributer, and I've seen some pretty good movies lately that they released. They were also a partner in many of the Marvel animated DVD releases in recent years, and those were all good.

Yeah, most of the TV show DVDs that I've got recently for my kids have been distributed by Lionsgate.

darkwing_duck1 · July 11 2010, 01:20 AM

^There are almost two Lionsgate's really: the film studio and the video distributer. The studio side does the "Saw" movies, which are a fairly decent earner. They're doing the Conan remake. The distributer side is the side that's "catch as catch can". Either you're getting DTDVD "B films", or you're getting stuff like the Marvel DTDVDs, where Lionsgate is a "moneyman" and distributer.

EnsignRicky · July 11 2010, 02:03 AM

Cool, maybe they'll mate and pump out a couple of cubs.

Dusty Ayres · July 11 2010, 03:40 AM

Snaploud wrote:

BrotherBenny wrote:

How is Lionsgate still around after all the crap that they churn out? I hope that a successful merger will rejuvenate both studios, or else both will fall into the black hole of old media never to be seen again, and that would be bad for MGM. I'd like Lionsgate to go though. Never seen anything they did that was any good.

I just took a quick wikipedia look at what movies they've produced over the last decade. Wow. That's a lot of crap. The few exceptions usually have some stipulation indicating that Lionsgate wasn't the main studio involved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Entertainment

Excuse me, but Affliction, Buffalo 66,Gods and Monsters, Mr. Jealousy, and Love and Death on Long Island are nothing to sneeze at; these films were the best ones of the 1990's! Just because they made some stinkers doesn't mean that they are a crappy company artistically (they also make Mad Men as well.)

Snaploud · July 11 2010, 04:57 AM

Dusty Ayres wrote:

Snaploud wrote:

BrotherBenny wrote:

How is Lionsgate still around after all the crap that they churn out? I hope that a successful merger will rejuvenate both studios, or else both will fall into the black hole of old media never to be seen again, and that would be bad for MGM. I'd like Lionsgate to go though. Never seen anything they did that was any good.

I just took a quick wikipedia look at what movies they've produced over the last decade. Wow. That's a lot of crap. The few exceptions usually have some stipulation indicating that Lionsgate wasn't the main studio involved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Entertainment

Excuse me, but Affliction, Buffalo 66,Gods and Monsters, Mr. Jealousy, and Love and Death on Long Island are nothing to sneeze at; these films were the best ones of the 1990's! Just because they made some stinkers doesn't mean that they are a crappy company artistically (they also make Mad Men as well.)

The Year 1998 = More Than a Decade Ago

Mad Men = Not a Movie

Timby · July 11 2010, 06:08 AM

Snaploud wrote:

Dusty Ayres wrote:

Snaploud wrote:

I just took a quick wikipedia look at what movies they've produced over the last decade. Wow. That's a lot of crap. The few exceptions usually have some stipulation indicating that Lionsgate wasn't the main studio involved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Entertainment

Excuse me, but Affliction, Buffalo 66,Gods and Monsters, Mr. Jealousy, and Love and Death on Long Island are nothing to sneeze at; these films were the best ones of the 1990's! Just because they made some stinkers doesn't mean that they are a crappy company artistically (they also make Mad Men as well.)

The Year 1998 = More Than a Decade Ago

Mad Men = Not a Movie

Fair enough. Then 3:10 to Yuma, Precious, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Drag Me to Hell would all like a word with you.

Lionsgate isn't a bastion of high cinematic art, but it's not a hellhole.

Nerys Myk · July 11 2010, 07:40 AM

Would seem to be a match made in Logo Heaven.

July 10 2010, 03:23 PM	#2
darkwing_duck1 Vice Admiral Location: the Unreconstructed South	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks I wasn't aware that Ichan was after Lionsgate too...interesting. The bit about the MGM catalogue is out of date, according to what I've read. MGM sold off the best parts of it's vaults years ago during an earlier crisis.

July 10 2010, 06:25 PM	#4
BrotherBenny Rear Admiral Location: BrotherBenny	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks How is Lionsgate still around after all the crap that they churn out? I hope that a successful merger will rejuvenate both studios, or else both will fall into the black hole of old media never to be seen again, and that would be bad for MGM. I'd like Lionsgate to go though. Never seen anything they did that was any good. __________________ "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Henry David Thoreau My blog / My crime stories

July 10 2010, 11:51 PM	#6
Lt. Brannigan Lieutenant Commander Location: Pocatello, Id	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks The only good that can possibly, and not very likely, come from this is that somehow we get more Republic films on DVD. For crying out loud, there is still roughly 12 John Wayne movies they could release.... __________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/brannigan1986

July 11 2010, 12:30 AM	#7
darkwing_duck1 Vice Admiral Location: the Unreconstructed South	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks Lionsgate is showing up more and more in the DVD market as a distributer, and I've seen some pretty good movies lately that they released. They were also a partner in many of the Marvel animated DVD releases in recent years, and those were all good. Ichan doesn't know crap about running a media company, his involvement in the Marvel bankruptcy proves that. Nor is he all that interested. He gets either MGM, Lionsgate, or both, and they're toast.

July 11 2010, 01:20 AM	#9
darkwing_duck1 Vice Admiral Location: the Unreconstructed South	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks ^There are almost two Lionsgate's really: the film studio and the video distributer. The studio side does the "Saw" movies, which are a fairly decent earner. They're doing the Conan remake. The distributer side is the side that's "catch as catch can". Either you're getting DTDVD "B films", or you're getting stuff like the Marvel DTDVDs, where Lionsgate is a "moneyman" and distributer.

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July 11 2010, 02:03 AM	#10
EnsignRicky Commodore Location: Somewhere Far Beyond	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks Cool, maybe they'll mate and pump out a couple of cubs. __________________ Use Only As Directed

July 11 2010, 07:40 AM	#14
Nerys Myk Admiral Location: House of Kang, now with ridges	Re: Lions Gate, MGM in merger talks Would seem to be a match made in Logo Heaven. __________________ Nerys Myk's Midnight In Never Land A novel of Dark Fantasy @ Amazon.com