Not only has the massive open of Saw II caused the value of Lions Gate stock to rise,
but it's also made the independent company (which both produced and
distributed the film) a drool-worthy takeover target in the eyes of the
major Hollywood studios. Though rumors have long-swirled about who will
eventually buy Lions Gate,
the recent hiring of former major shareholder and ex-chairman of the
board Harry Sloan as the CEO of MGM (recently, in turn, bought by Sony)
has sent those rumors into overdrive.At the moment, the people at Lions Gate are sitting pretty: Saw II's open was so big that it is already in the black (it made $31 million and cost only $5 million to put together), their overall value is up, and everyone wants to be their friends. Life is good when you're hot - at least until people find out that you agreed to distribute Rambo IV.
