Erik Feig

 ( Living People ) 

Feig brought the Twilight book series to Summit after Paramount Pictures passed on it. Although the book had sold only 4,000 copies at the time, Feig noted its strong online following and potential to be a successful franchise for the new studio. He pursued the project and was able to make a deal with author Stephenie Meyer, securing the rights to all four books in February 2006. Summit was sold to Lionsgate for $412.5 million in 2012, and Feig was named president of production for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

In February 2014, Feig became co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, overseeing film production and development for the Lionsgate and Summit labels. He first learned of La La Land at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where he met with director Damien Chazelle, who pitched him his script for a Hollywood musical. At the time, the script was in development at Focus Features. Feig secured a $30 million budget for Lionsgate to produce the film, gambling on an original Hollywood musical. Chazelle's first film, Whiplash, had not yet been released when the deal was made.Anthony D'Alessandro, "Encore: How 'La La Land' Director Damien Chazelle, His Team & Lionsgate Faced The Music & Resurrected The Original Hollywood Musical," Deadline.com, February 17, 2017.Ryan Faughnder, "With 'La La Land,' which hauled in 14 Oscar nominations, Lionsgate's gamble is paying off big," Los Angeles Times, January 24, 2017.Peter Bart, "'La La Land,' Starz Deal Leaves Lionsgate Singing About Future," Deadline.com, December 21, 2016.

In February 2018, it was reported that Feig would leave Lionsgate after raising enough money to launch a new company focused on youth-oriented projects, with Lionsgate expected to invest in the new company. In May 2019, Feig announced the launch of his own production company Picturestart. Scholastic granted the company access to its IP. As of 2019, Picturestart was intending to produce four to six films and four to six TV series per year.