Adam Fogelson to Replace Joe Drake as Lionsgate’s New Chair of Motion Picture Group

Lionsgate announced on Wednesday that it has appointed veteran film executive Adam Fogelson as the new Chairman of its Motion Picture Group. He will be taking over the role from Joe Drake, who initiated the transition and will be working with Fogelson over the next few months to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership.

Under Drake’s leadership over the past six years, Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group has seen success with “Knives Out,” the last two “John Wick” films, the “Saw” franchise and “The Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” 2023 was Lionsgate’s biggest box office year since 2019, earning over $1.08 billion globally.

Drake also expanded Lionsgate’ film business across platforms – tripling its multiplatform releases with titles like “Shotgun Wedding,” “Silent Night,” “Sisu,” and the upcoming “Simple Favor” sequel. The studio has also established itself as a leader in the faith-based film space thanks to Drake’s team greenlighting hits like “Jesus Revolution,” while continuing to grow its library through production and strategic acquisitions.

“Joe has been a great partner and a respected team leader, a truly entrepreneurial executive with one of the best business minds in the industry,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said in a statement. “We are very fortunate to have Adam Fogelson, one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and innovative film executives, to succeed him. Adam has the leadership experience at both the major studio and independent level as well as the strategic vision to keep our Motion Picture Group strong and vibrant in a fast-changing environment.”

“Despite unprecedented disruption over the last few years, we built a team that thrived throughout and achieved everything I could have imagined at Lionsgate,” Drake added. “I am very proud we were able to reinvigorate our ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Saw’ franchises, grow the ‘John Wick’ Universe, and successfully expand every aspect of our motion picture business. When Jon and I engaged in succession planning, our goal was to build on the momentum and success we’d experienced over the last few years. Having worked side by side with Adam for the past 18 months, he is the perfect choice to lead the motion picture group forward to even greater heights.”

“I deeply appreciate the trust and confidence that Jon, Michael, Joe and the rest of the management team have placed in me and I look forward to embarking on this next chapter together,” Fogelson added. “Lionsgate unifies the two primary threads of my career: the scale and talent relationships of a major studio with the renegade, resourceful spirit of a start-up. I am dedicated to building and extending our extensive library of films and top-tier franchises which, as the last year has proved, still have lots of room to grow. I’m particularly grateful for the chance to continue working alongside this passionate and innovative team in a culture that is creatively audacious, entrepreneurial and supportive.”

Adam Fogelson, a widely respected figure in the industry, comes to Lionsgate as an experienced studio chief, having previously served as Chairman at both Universal Pictures and, most recently, STX Motion Picture Group.

At STX, Fogelson oversaw successes like “Hustlers,” the “Bad Moms” movies, “The Upside,” “Greenland,” and “The Gentlemen.” Prior to that, he led Universal to record-breaking box office numbers with global smashes like “Despicable Me,” “Ted,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Fast & Furious” installments 5 and 6, “Jurassic World,” “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and “Les Miserables.” He also spearheaded the marketing campaigns for critical and commercial hits including Universal’s musical “Wicked.”

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