Apollo-Backed Legendary Weighs Acquisition of Lionsgate Studios

Legendary Entertainment LLC, the independent film and TV studio behind the Dune trilogy and A Minecraft Movie, is considering a takeover of Lionsgate Studios Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.

Legendary, which is backed by Apollo Global Management, first approached the company after Lionsgate finalized its separation from the Starz Entertainment Corp. TV network and streaming service in May, said the people, who asked not be named as the information is private. Those talks centered on a potential partnership to produce a handful of films so that Legendary could gauge how the companies worked together and whether it should ultimately proceed with a takeover offer, the people said.