Jason Constantine, former co-president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has died of cancer. He was 55.
Constantine began his career more than 25 years ago as a director of acquisitions at Trimark Pictures, which folded into Lionsgate in 2001. A long tenure at Lionsgate saw him become an early champion of the Saw franchise and spanned franchises including the evergreen John Wick property and The Expendables.
He worked on Crash, Precious, Knives Out, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Kick-Ass, Angel Has Fallen, Cabin In The Woods, The Girl With The Pearl Earring, Margin Call, and Dear White People
A native Californian, Constantine graduated from Princeton University and earned his MFA in film production from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He wrote and directed two shorts: For Whom The Wedding Bell Tolls, and Ashes, which won the Producers Guild of America Award for best student short.
In a statement Lionsgate said: “With his fearless spirit, creative energy and enduring talent relationships, Jason embodied the very best of our studio and our industry. His influence will continue to be felt in many of our most successful franchises. His career was built around the principles that a great idea can come from anywhere, a box office triumph is meant to be shared by an entire team and our creative choices need to be bold and daring.
Constantine is survived by his wife Kristin and sons Lucas, Xander, and Nicholas.