Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment is a now-absorbed U.S. film studio that developed, financed, produced, and distributed theatrical motion pictures, best known for the Twilight Saga franchise. Acquired by Lionsgate in 2012, it no longer operates independently.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Summit Entertainment does
Summit Entertainment was a privately held U.S. theatrical motion picture studio headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1991, the company's operations centered on the development, financing, production, and distribution of feature films, with a primary focus on adapting popular literary properties for theatrical release. Its principal product was the Twilight Saga film franchise, a five-film fantasy romance series based on Stephenie Meyer's novels (Twilight in 2008, New Moon and Eclipse in 2010, Breaking Dawn Part 1 in 2011, and Breaking Dawn Part 2 in 2012), produced with cast decisions aimed at maintaining source-material fidelity for the books' fan base. Summit's commercial reach extended through theatrical distribution and, following the Lionsgate acquisition, through home video and streaming partners.
In January 2012, Summit Entertainment was acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. and ceased to operate as an independent studio. Post-acquisition, the Twilight franchise and Summit's other assets are stewarded by Lionsgate, which markets and distributes the catalog through its theatrical, STARZ, Netflix, Roku, LG Channels, and e-commerce channels. The Lionsgate-operated company highlights a 20th Anniversary Twilight Saga Movie Marathon as part of its current programming, confirming continued monetization of the former Summit IP. Summit no longer books independent revenue, runs independent product launches, or maintains a separately disclosed operating structure, and the firmographic headcount range (51-100) appears to reflect a pre-acquisition label footprint rather than current activity.
Summit Entertainment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Summit Entertainment
- Legal name
- Summit Entertainment
- Website
- https://summit-ent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Summit Entertainment is a now-absorbed U.S. film studio that developed, financed, produced, and distributed theatrical motion pictures, best known for the Twilight Saga franchise. Acquired by Lionsgate in 2012, it no longer operates independently.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Summit Entertainment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Motion Picture Production and Distribution
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theatrical Distribution (International) (MPADAJAB)
Keywords
Where Summit Entertainment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Summit Entertainment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Summit Entertainment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Summit Entertainment operated as a theatrical motion picture development, financing, production, and distribution studio. It produced feature films built around literary and genre IP, most notably the Twilight Saga franchise (2008-2012) adapted from Stephenie Meyer's novels. Following its 2012 acquisition by Lionsgate, the studio's film assets continue to be distributed through theatrical, home video, and streaming channels.
Product overview
Summit Entertainment was a motion picture studio that developed and produced films across various genres. The company was acquired by Lionsgate in 2012 and operated as a distinct production label. Summit's portfolio included the Twilight saga film franchise, which became a major entertainment property with significant box office performance and cultural impact. The studio's films were distributed theatrically and later through home video and streaming platforms following the Lionsgate acquisition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Twilight Saga Film Series A series of five fantasy romance feature films adapted from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels, featuring key characters Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black. The franchise was produced by Summit Entertainment for theatrical distribution and subsequently became a major entertainment property under Lionsgate stewardship following the 2012 acquisition.
Companies that use Summit Entertainment
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Summit Entertainment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Summit Entertainment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Summit Entertainment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Annapurna Pictures: Independent film and animation production and distribution studio comparable to Summit in theatrical-release focus and emphasis on filmmaker-driven franchises.
- A24: Independent film production and distribution studio that emerged in the post-Summit era; comparable as a contemporary independent-focused studio serving similar theatrical and prestige audiences.
Direct peers
- Miramax: Independent film production and distribution studio known for prestige and commercial feature films; comparable to Summit as a similarly-positioned indie-era studio that produced and distributed mid-budget theatrical releases.
- Relativity Media: Independent-era film finance, production, and distribution company of similar size and vintage to Summit, focused on theatrical releases with diversified slates during the 2010s.
- The Weinstein Company: Independent-era theatrical production and distribution studio of similar vintage to Summit, focused on prestige and franchise feature films before its 2018 collapse; comparable as a similarly-sized independent-era film studio.
- New Line Cinema: Independent-turned-major film studio famous for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit franchises; closely comparable to Summit's Twilight-era franchise model of adapting popular literary properties into global theatrical series.
- Open Road Films: Mid-sized independent theatrical distribution studio comparable to Summit in scale and business model, focused on theatrical film distribution in North America.
- FilmDistrict: Independent-era theatrical distribution studio of similar vintage and scale to Summit, focused on mid-budget theatrical feature films in the early 2010s before being folded into Focus Features.
Broad incumbents
- Lionsgate: Strategic acquirer and current parent of Summit Entertainment. Lionsgate operates a broad film, television, and streaming (STARZ) portfolio and now controls the Twilight franchise alongside Hunger Games, John Wick, and other properties.
Regional players
- CBS Films: Studio-affiliated theatrical production and distribution label comparable in scale and theatrical-release focus to Summit's pre-acquisition positioning within Lionsgate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Summit Entertainment social profiles
Digital presenceSummit Entertainment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Summit Entertainment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Summit Entertainment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Summit Entertainment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Summit Entertainment
What does Summit Entertainment do?
Summit Entertainment operated as a theatrical motion picture development, financing, production, and distribution studio. It produced feature films built around literary and genre IP, most notably the Twilight Saga franchise (2008-2012) adapted from Stephenie Meyer's novels. Following its 2012 acquisition by Lionsgate, the studio's film assets continue to be distributed through theatrical, home video, and streaming channels.
Is Summit Entertainment a public or private company?
Summit Entertainment is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Summit Entertainment founded?
Summit Entertainment was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Summit Entertainment based?
Summit Entertainment is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Summit Entertainment's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Annapurna Pictures and A24. Direct peers are Miramax, Relativity Media, The Weinstein Company, New Line Cinema, Open Road Films and FilmDistrict. Lionsgate is listed as a broad incumbent. CBS Films is listed as a regional player.
Does Summit Entertainment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Summit Entertainment.
What industry is Summit Entertainment in?
Summit Entertainment's product category is Motion Picture Production and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAB, Theatrical Distribution (International). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.