Jason Constantine, Lionsgate Co-President, Dies at 55

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Sadly, esteemed Lionsgate executive Jason Constantine passed away at the age of 55 following a prolonged fight against cancer, as stated by the company on Thursday.

For many years, this influential figure was a constant presence at film festivals and held significant influence in the field of acquisitions. He embarked on his professional journey over two and a half decades ago with Trimark Pictures, which eventually morphed into Lionsgate. During his tenure there, he served as the director of acquisitions and climbed the corporate ladder to become co-president of the Lionsgate film group.

This person was well-known in the festival world for a long time and played a big role in buying movies. He started working more than 25 years ago at Trimark Pictures, which later became Lionsgate. At Trimark, he was responsible for acquiring movies and worked his way up to become co-president of the movie division at Lionsgate.

Under his leadership, he was a pioneer in advocating for the adaptation of the movie “Saw” and worked diligently to get the studio to secure the project following a viewing of the short film by then-unknown directors James Wan and Leigh Whannell. The franchise has since generated over $1 billion at the box office, as has the “John Wick” series, which was developed during his time in charge.

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As a key figure, he championed the idea of adopting “Saw” and tirelessly lobbied the studio to obtain the project following a screening of the short film created by the then-unknown duo, James Wan and Leigh Whannell. The franchise has accumulated over $1 billion at the box office, just like the “John Wick” series that was brought into existence during his tenure.

Apart from that, he has been involved in projects like “The Expendables” series, the best picture award-winning film “Crash”, Lee Daniels’ critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning movie “Precious” (which garnered five Academy Award nominations and won two), as well as Rian Johnson’s successful box office hit “Knives Out”.

Jason, known for his fearless character, abundant creativity, and enduring relationships within our studio and industry, truly exemplified the best aspects of our community. His impact will live on in numerous successful franchises we produce.”

“Throughout his career, he believed that a brilliant idea could originate anywhere, that box office success should be celebrated by everyone involved, and that our creative decisions needed to be courageous and visionary.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a respected professional, reliable collaborator, and valued companion. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife Kristin, his three children, and their entire family during this difficult time.

Born and raised in California, Constantine completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Princeton University and later obtained his Master’s Degree in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University. He had a profound interest in movies, renowned for his extensive collection of film-related facts and trivia.

Instead of sending flowers for my loss, I kindly request that in your thoughtfulness, you might consider making a donation towards the brain cancer research led by my neurosurgeons; Dr. Michael Lim at Stanford, and Drs. Tim Cloughesy and Robert Chong at UCLA. Your generous contribution could help pave the way for future breakthroughs in this fight against cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Kristin, and his sons, Lucas, Nicholas and Xander.

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2025-06-05 21:25