WorldScreenings: Lionsgate

While it was certainly a challenging year for the TV and media industries at large, Lionsgate managed to turn those challenges into opportunities. “Demand for content increased and an array of new platforms entered the media ecosystem, which meant more opportunities for our films and television series to find homes,” says Agapy Kapouranis, the president of international television and digital distribution at Lionsgate. “We also created innovative windowing strategies and formed distribution partnerships that better served our content and our partners’ needs.”

And while in-person meetings haven’t been possible, Kapouranis says that everyone has been more connected than ever. “Not only are we working very closely with our internal teams but we’re having more virtual meetings with buyers across the globe that we wouldn’t otherwise have.”

With people around the world consuming more content than ever before, Lionsgate is dedicated to continuing to bring its films and TV shows to audiences where and when they want it. “Our strategy is to continue to be a leading supplier of programming to third-party partners while also supplying our Starz streaming service with original television series and a vast film library to support their global growth,” says Kapouranis.

Lionsgate has lined up a diverse slate of premium content to offer to the market, led by Home Economics, Run the World and The Pact. “Home Economics and Run the World are funny and fun comedies with great stories and amazing talent,” Kapouranis says.

Home Economics centers on three siblings who each have a very different economic status but who are still very close. It stars That ’70s Show’s Topher Grace and How to Get Away with Murder’s Karla Souza along with Caitlin McGee, Jimmy Tatro and Sasheer Zamata. “It’s a feel-good and entertaining premium series that will resonate with audiences,” says Kapouranis.

She describes Run the World as a “fierce, funny and empowering women-led series” about a group of Black friends navigating life in Harlem and thriving together. It comes from Dear White People showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser and Leigh Davenport and is one of the many projects Lionsgate is working on for Starz. Run the World features Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux, Bresha Webb and Corbin Reid.

Lionsgate is also bringing to market the buzzed-about crime thriller The Pact, a highly anticipated series for the BBC. The drama follows a group of friends involved in a murder and features a cast led by Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser, Broadchurch’s Julie Hesmondhalgh and Ray Donovan’s Eddie Marsan.

“Buyers want platform-defining content that can cut through the clutter and keep their viewers engaged,” Kapouranis says. “We are platform-agnostic and can serve buyers across the entire spectrum of broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Our content is binge-worthy, noisy, bold and diverse. We not only have robust film and television portfolios but we also own a 17,000-title library. To be a partner of choice, you have to offer them plenty of content choices, and Lionsgate has something for everyone.”

She adds that the company wants to continue to be “a global supplier of choice” to other platforms while remaining a prolific source of premium scripted series for Starz. “We have a robust and diverse content offering and, as the media landscape continues to change, we will strive to remain ahead of that evolution.”

See Lionsgate’s Spring 2021 Showcase here.