Kevin Grayson Named President of Domestic Distribution for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group

Kevin Grayson. Image courtesy: Lionsgate. Photo by: John Duarte.

Kevin Grayson has been named President of Domestic Distribution for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, it was announced by Adam Fogelson, Vice Chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

David Spitz, Lionsgate’s longtime film distribution division head, who has played a leadership role since 2003, will be exiting.

Grayson segues to Lionsgate from STX Entertainment, where he was President of Distribution overseeing the release of all of the company’s films, including such titles as Hustlers, the Bad Moms franchise, The Upside, The Gift, Molly’s Game, Den of Thieves, The Gentlemen, and The Mauritanian.

Before joining STX, Grayson served Universal Pictures as senior vice president of distribution and assistant general sales manager. Prior to joining Universal, he was a senior vice president of sales and distribution at Paramount Pictures, where he worked on films for the main studio as well as the Paramount Vantage and Insurge labels.

Spitz played a leadership role for nearly 20 years with Lionsgate’s theatrical distribution business, shepherding the distribution strategies of the blockbuster John Wick, Hunger Games, Twilight, Saw, Tyler Perry and Expendables franchises, along with the critically-acclaimed films La La Land, Knives Out, Wonder, Crash, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Precious.

“Kevin brings over three decades of studio experience to Lionsgate,” Fogelson said in a press release. “He is known for favoring innovative distribution solutions and discovering new ways of working with exhibitors. As a longtime colleague, I am excited to be reuniting with him and looking forward to his leadership, counsel, and strategies as we roll out our upcoming slate.”

“David has been an incredibly valued leader of Lionsgate’s distribution business for nearly 20 years,” Fogelson added. “He is highly regarded throughout the industry and has been enormously helpful to me in my first year at Lionsgate. I’m very appreciative, and I hope we have the chance to work together more going forward.”

Lionsgate’s upcoming films include the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes starring Rachel Zegler, the female-led John Wick spinoff Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, a Saw horror installment Saw X, the summer comedy Joy Ride, the horror comedy The Blackening, and the Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Kevin Grayson. Image courtesy: Lionsgate. Photo by: John Duarte.

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