*Courtesy of Larry D. Horricks/Lionsgate.*

While the John Wick spinoff ‘Ballerina’ underwhelmed at the June box office with only $133.7 million globally on a $90 million budget, its release still managed to spark enough renewed interest in the franchise to help push Lionsgate’s library revenue close to the $1 billion mark over the past 12 months.

Library revenue climbed 12% year-over-year to $989 million for the trailing 12-month period — the company’s third consecutive quarterly record for the metric. This growth helped soften the blow from challenges in Lionsgate’s film division during the first quarter of its fiscal 2026, spanning April through June. Overall revenue for the quarter came in at $555.9 million, slightly above Wall Street expectations, though the reported loss of $0.32 per share was deeper than analysts had anticipated.

A major milestone for the quarter occurred offscreen: in May, Lionsgate and Starz finalized their long-planned separation into two independent publicly traded entities. The results presented were based solely on Lionsgate’s studio operations, with figures adjusted on a pro forma basis to ensure direct comparisons with prior periods.

The motion picture division — which also released the Prime Video direct-to-streaming sequel ‘Another Simple Favor’ — generated $267.3 million in revenue for the quarter, down from $349.6 million in the same period last year.

By contrast, the television division saw solid growth. Revenue rose to $288.5 million from $241.1 million, supported by ongoing demand even though notable premieres like ‘The Studio’ and ‘The Hunting Wives’ occurred outside the quarter. The company’s TV portfolio also includes established hits such as ‘Ghosts,’ ‘Yellowjackets,’ and ‘The Rookie.’

Television profit more than doubled year-over-year, jumping from $10.7 million to $26 million. In comparison, film profits plunged to $2.4 million from $85.2 million, reflecting the tougher performance in the motion picture segment.

CEO Jon Feltheimer said in the earnings release; “In a post-separation transitional year for the studio, we are taking a number of important steps toward returning to solid growth in fiscal 2027. We have three major film tentpoles set for release in the coming fiscal year, expect to double our scripted television series deliveries next year and continue to innovate our brands across new businesses and onto new platforms.”

Overall, ‘Ballerina’ heavily contributed to a loss of $94 million for Lionsgate.

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