Lionsgate Films

Main Logo Variations Trailer Variations

Not to be confused with Robert Altman's production company Lion's Gate Films.

Credits

Descriptions by
francoispat, Silversword55, WizardDuck, EnormousRat, Supermarty-o and others

Captures by
Camenati, Bob Fish, Eric S., V of Doom, Mr. Logo, and LogosForTheWin

Editions by
Eric S., WizardDuck, mr3urious, Nathan B., Bob Fish, Shadeed A. Kelly, and Tjdrum2000

Video captures courtesy of
MachineryNoise, Eric S., EnormousRat, MyNewBryceIsHere2012, IdentsandLogos, Qualended Paficic Faction, Cesar Blanco, and Lionsgate Movies

Lionsgate Films
Founded:	January 13, 1998 (26 years ago)
Predecessors:	Cinépix Film Properties
Founder:	John Dunning Andre Link Frank Giustra
Formerly:	Lions Gate Films (1998-2005)
Key People:	Joe Drake (film group chairman) Adam Fogelson (vice chairman)
Location:	United States Canada
Parent:	Lionsgate Studios (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
Subsidiaries:	Lionsgate Premiere

Background

Lionsgate Films (trading as Lionsgate since 2005) is a Canadian-American film studio based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with headquarters in Santa Monica, California. Named after Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge, it was formed on January 12, 1998, when Cinépix Film Properties was reincorporated under this name. The company grew in 2000 with the purchase of Trimark Pictures and in 2003 with the purchase of Artisan Entertainment in order to become one of the largest mini-major distributors. In 2012, the company acquired Summit Entertainment. In 2015, the company bought out the live-action library of Hearst Entertainment, and a year later the company purchased Starz (including Anchor Bay Films, which was absorbed into Lionsgate).

1st Logo (March 6, 1998-July 21, 2000)

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  Bufallo '66 trailer variant

Visuals: On a black background, several stars join together at the right of the screen to form the constellation of the lion. As this happens, a stylized white drawing of a lion standing on its hind legs and looking to the right (in a heraldic "lion rampant" pose) fades in. The orange text "LIONS GATE" (in the Bernhard Modern typeface) fades in, followed by "FILMS" and "PRESENTS".

Variant: On the trailer for Buffalo '66, it doesn't have the word "PRESENTS".

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A majestic, ethereal synth theme, coupled with whooshing and shining sounds. Composed by Robert J. Walsh.

Availability: Seen on films of the era such as Stardom, Metroland, Mr. Jealousy, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Also seen on the trailers for Buffalo '66. This last appeared on the teaser trailer for The Rules of Attraction (which used the next logo).

2nd Logo (June 26, 1998-April 2, 2004)

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  Open-matte variant
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  4:3 variant
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  Scope variant
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  Scope AMEX variant
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  Open-matte AMEX variant
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  Closing print logo
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  Alternate closing print logo

Visuals: On a dark blue starfield background, several stars swirl around to form the lion logo from before, which zooms out. Some more stars that turn from white to gold zoom out and arrange themselves on the logo, and the words "LIONS GATE FILMS" (with "GATE" in Garamond) flash in at the top right of the lion. A burst of light wipes in a white line with the byline "A LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY" underneath it. The words sparkle a bit.

Variants:

• This logo exists in filmed and videotaped forms.
• Billed as "FILMS LIONS GATE" on French-Canadian releases.
• On an international video trailer for Perfume, "INTERNATIONAL" is placed in between "FILMS" and the byline.
• Starting in 2003, "AMEX: LGF" ("American Stock Exchange: Lions Gate Films") appears underneath the byline.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the last logo. Sometimes, it is silent or has the film's opening theme.

Availability: Seen on films produced by Lions Gate from the period. It appears on some early Lions Gate and late period Artisan/Trimark DVD releases as a de facto home video logo as well; some examples of this include the two-disc edition of Step Into Liquid and a reprint of All of Me. The AMEX variant appears on later films such as Wonderland. It makes an appearance at the end of the TV movie Student Seduction.

3rd Logo (April 16, 2004-March 11, 2006)

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• 
  Green variant
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Visuals: Against a dark sky with clouds and thunder, the letters "LGF", followed by "LIONS GATE FILMS" below, appear in a "flashing" effect. It zooms forth, and the Lions Gate byline from before gets wiped in from left to right.

Variants:

• On most films, the logo is tinted green.
• A print logo is used at the end of many films (same type for the previous logo).
• On the 2004 TV movie Frankenstein, a short version of this logo is used, beginning with the byline wiping.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Thunderclap sounds with the sound of a sword being drawn and hitting another sword. Sometimes, it's silent or uses the opening theme.

Audio Variant: On the Mill Creek Blu-Ray print of Hostel, the audio from the 1st Screen Gems Pictures logo is used due to an editing error.

Availability: Seen on films from this company from this period. In it's final year of use, it was used in tandem with the 5th logo

• It debuted on The Punisher (as a variant), and can be found on such films as A Love Song for Bobby Long, Crash (2004), the English version of the French film High Tension, Minotaur (2006), and the first two Saw films (recent prints of the second film, however, plaster this with the horror version of the 5th logo).
• This also plasters the Kings Road Entertainment logo on the current releases of Kickboxer III: The Art of War (including the double feature DVD release with Kickboxer IV), and the Trimark Pictures logo on the 2005 "This is a Special Edition You Schmuck" DVD of Swimming with Sharks.

4th Logo (August 26-November 23, 2005)

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Visuals: The logo from before appears as a blue spotlight passes on the background. Suddenly, the words turn blue as well, while the background fades to black as it zooms in. Then a light streak draws the same byline as the previous logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A whoosh, then vibration sounds, and finally the streak drawing.

Availability: This was only used for a very short time. It can be found on In the Mix and Undiscovered. Also seen on current prints of Love and a .45 and some older prints of Pi.

5th Logo (February 24, 2006-April 26, 2013)

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  Flat version
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  Scope version
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  Fullscreen version
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  Fullscreen open matte version
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  Horror version
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  Scope horror version
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  Closing variant

Visuals: The screen fades in close to several gears and zooms out to a view of them rotating within a chamber. The camera then zooms all the way back and out through a keyhole, revealing an enormous gateway, with the company's "lion rampant" logo on both of them (intended to evoke its heraldry-inspired appearance) and a geometric pattern as well. The gates open and the word "LIONSGATE", now written as one word and with a metallic texture, is seen over a heavenly sky background with clouds surrounding it.

Closing Title: Just the Lionsgate print logo, often scrolling with the credits, or still.

Trivia: The logo is a literal expression of the term "Lion's gate".

Variants:

• A filmed version of this logo was used on certain films released before 2007.
• There is a version which appears on horror and action films (basically, wherever a "rugged" appearance is desired), where the gears and doors are rusted, and the "LIONSGATE" text appears over a hellish red sky, showing more wear than it does in the standard version. This version is known as "Lionsgate Horror".
• On current prints of Star Kid, the logo plasters the Trimark Pictures logo and is sped up to accommodate the length of the original logo. The film's opening music is left intact.
• A shorter version starting from the zoom out through the keyhole exists.
• A variant is known to exist where the animation plays as normal, but towards the end of the orchestration the logo begins to shrink. The logo zooms out to find it is the "H" in the THX logo, which moves into the bottom left corner a few seconds later, which leads directly into the menu.
• TV shows by Lionsgate Television have this logo cut down to the final few seconds.

Technique: CGI by Devastudios. It can be seen on their site.

Audio: A majestic fanfare with brass and string instruments and drums (which takes cues from Danny Elfman's Batman theme) for the standard version. The horror version has the sounds of the gears cranking and door creaking, alongside sounds resembling a heartbeat and moaning. The standard logo was scored by Bill Johnson, while the horror variant was scored and sound designed by Billy Mallery, who not only composed Caged, but also did the music for the next logo.

Audio Variants:

• The short version uses mechanical noises.
• In rare occasions, the film's opening or closing theme plays over the logo.
• On Syfy airings of Leprechaun 2, the Trimark Pictures theme is heard over the first half of the logo, and the Lionsgate theme is joined in progress afterwards, possibly due to an editing error or cheap plastering.
• The THX variant directly fades the end of the Lionsgate theme into the second half of the THX "Deep Note" (more specifically the 2005 "Science of Sensation" version), which includes the whoosh from that logo before fading out early.
• On prints of King Kobra, the music was reorchestrated with no whoosh effects to it and less drum beats from the final version.
• The TV logo uses a sped-up version of the last notes of the theme.
  • On the VH1 series Scream Queens (unrelated to the Fox comedy/drama series of the same name), a faint wind sound is heard.

Availability: Seen on films and home media releases from the company until 2013.

• It was first unveiled on the company's website in late October 2005, and officially debuted on Madea's Family Reunion, which was released on February 24, 2006. It made its last appearance on The Big Wedding.
• The horror version can be seen on horror films, such as the Saw films starting with Saw III and ending with Saw 3D (as well as recent prints of Saw II, plastering the 3rd logo), The Descent, and some action films such as The Expendables, among others. The short version was seen at the beginning of one of the Marvel DTV features, The Invincible Iron Man. This version was last seen on Texas Chainsaw 3D.
  • Ten years later, the logo made a reappearance on Saw X and has since appeared on The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Crow (2024), and Never Let Go.
• It also plasters other companies' logos on their titles released by Lionsgate, such as films formerly distributed by Trimark Pictures or Artisan Entertainment. At some cases of plastering older logos on horror movies (like The Blair Witch Project and Leprechaun sequels), the normal version appears instead of the preferred horror one.
• It was also used as a de-facto home video logo on DVD and Blu-ray releases by Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Lionsgate Family Entertainment (the former Family Home Entertainment) until mid-2013.
• The variant fading into the THX logo is only known to exist on the 2006 THX Optimum Resolution DVDs; which include Total Recall (1990), The King of New York, Stargate, and Belly.
• This logo was also seen on Disney Junior airings of Spookley the Square Pumpkin from the mid-to-late 2010s, but was edited out a few years later.
• The TV logo is seen on Scream Queens, Trailer Trash and Running Wilde, among others.

Legacy: Well-regarded by the logo community for its CGI and concept.

6th Logo (April 14, 2013-)

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• 
  Opening variant
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  Opening variant (scope)
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  Opening variant (Ultra Panavision 70)
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  Open-matte variant
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  Closing variant (scope)
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  Closing variant (zoomed out, scope)
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  In-credit closing variant
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  Alternate closing variant

Visuals: It starts on a view of the horizon of the Earth surrounded by clouds as it zooms away from the camera. Stars fly past the camera as they form a lion constellation based on the first two logos. As soon as the constellation forms, it is seen reflected on the "S" of the company name in 3D lettering as the word flies past through the clouds from the fifth logo. A light shines through the "S" and "G" as the name is revealed in a deep blue color. The clouds swoop away, leaving only the light behind the logo on a deep blue background.

Closing Titles:

• Same as the previous logo.
• Sometimes, a still version of the opening logo with the clouds is used. A zoomed out version also exists.

Variants:

• An open matte version exists. This could be seen on 4:3 films with this logo.
• On Wonder, the logo's animation is slightly sped up near the end.
• Current prints of Trimark Pictures films from 1990 to 1994 occasionally have the text "A DIVISION OF VIDMARK INC." after the logo, which is likely mistaken to be a plastering error instead of having a parent company.
• A 30fps version exists on USA On Demand prints of The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, due to an unknown conversion to high frame rate.
• TV shows by Lionsgate Television have this logo cut down to the final few seconds.
  • A still version exists.
  • An in-credit version exists.
  • There is a version with the logo positioned upward.
  • Sometimes, it shares the screen with other logos.

Technique: CGI from Devastudios, who also did the previous logo. It can be seen on their site.

Audio: A triumphant orchestral and choir fanfare. This was composed by Billy Mallery and Jason Johnson and performed by the Seattle Symphony and Choir. A video showing the rehearsal of the fanfare can be shown on Billy's Facebook page here.

Audio Trivia: Mallery's work for the fanfare won him a Silver Award for Outstanding Original Music in the 2013 Mobius Awards, as well as a nomination for Best Song/Score in a Special Feature in the 2014 HMMA (Hollywood Music In Media) Awards.

Audio Variants:

• A low-pitched or high-pitched version of the fanfare exists.
• A fanfare with less whooshes exists.
• On Green Street Hooligans 3: Never Back Down, a low-toned version of the previous logo's theme is heard due to plastering error.
• On current prints of the 1989 TV movie Get Smart, Again!, it has the finishing of the ending theme, then the theme from the 1985 King Features Entertainment logo is heard, most likely due to sloppy plastering.
• In some cases, it's silent or has the opening theme of the movie.
• On current prints of some Weinstein Company films, there are a few seconds of silence followed by the theme from that company's logo due to sloppy plastering (in some of these cases, the film's opening score/narration begins near the end of the fanfare, so seamless removal would be tough).
• On the Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of Backtrack (The Director's Cut version of Catchfire (1990)), it once again has the finishing of the ending theme, this time is followed by the theme from the 1987 Vestron Video logo, possibly another case of plastering error.
• The TV logo uses the same theme as the previous logo.
  • Sometimes, the theme is sped-up and abridged.
  • Original network airings use their generic themes.
  • Sometimes, the logo is silent.
  • On Gray, an abridged version of the 2013 theatrical logo's theme is used.

Availability: Seen in productions and home media releases from this company since 2013.

• It was first seen on the teaser for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The full logo debuted on the wide release of Mud (the TIFF release had the previous logo), and can be seen on newer Lionsgate films released after that.
• This logo is absent from Nickelodeon broadcasts of Shaun the Sheep Movie, but Lionsgate is still mentioned in the opening credits.
• This also appears at the beginning on some PolyGram films, such as King of the Mountain.
• This has also began plastering over The Weinstein Company logo and the Dimension Films logo on certain titles that Lionsgate currently co-distributes alongside Lantern Entertainment. Some others that Lionsgate produced keep those logos intact.
  • It has been spotted in current international prints of TMNT (2007), since The Weinstein Company distributed that film internationally, although a mention of TWC is still retained in the opening credits. The still Lionsgate closing logo is also added after Warner Bros. Pictures' closing logo.
• This is also used as a de-facto home video logo on LGHE and LGFE (and starting in 2017, ex-Anchor Bay titles as well as on DVDs of Starz programs released by Lionsgate, the Starz Originals logo shows up after the DVD menu) releases since mid-2013. It also appeared on the final HIT Entertainment releases from 2013-2014 before Universal Pictures Home Entertainment took over later that year.
• The TV logo debuted on the Anger Management TV series episode "Charlie and His New Therapist" and then on all shows following it.
• The TV logo also appears on Star prints of Pam & Tommy, replacing the Hulu Originals logo even though the company never produced it.
• Starting in 2024, when the Entertainment One television assets were folded into Lionsgate Television in January of that year, the logo has appeared on shows, such as Grey's Anatomy and The Rookie, replacing the Entertainment One logo.

External links

• Official website
• Lionsgate Films on Wikipedia
• Lionsgate on IMDb

◄ Cinépix Film Properties Trimark Pictures Artisan Entertainment Entertainment One

Lionsgate Films