Legion M

Legion M (founded 2016) is the world's first fan-owned entertainment company.[1]

Legion M

Type	Private
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	March, 2016
Founder	Paul Scanlan Jeff Annison
Products	Motion pictures, television, video games
Website	https://legionm.com/

History

Legion M was founded by Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison in March, 2016.[2] Legion M is the world's first entertainment studio that allows fans to invest in and be part of the creation of new movies, television shows, virtual reality and other pieces of entertainment content.[3] Scanlan and Annison were able to create Legion M after the SEC passed Title IV of the JOBS Act, which allowed non-accredited investors to make investments in small businesses.[4] Legion M is currently partnered with Seth Green, co-creator of Emmy-winning TV series Robot Chicken, Gaston Dominguez of Meltdown Entertainment, and gaming studio Animal Repair Show.[5][6]

Legion M added a unique creative ally to its side by partnering with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. This partnership adds a distribution component for Legion M as well as strengthening its expertise in film.[7]

On August 14, 2016, Legion M closed its initial funding round, and became the second company utilizing Reg. CF to earn $1,000,000. This record setting offering was completed in just three months with the contributions coming from over 3,000 investors.[8]

Legion M worked with the SEC to launch their 2nd funding round as a Reg A+ in March 2017.[9] A Reg. A+ round allowed for a higher funding threshold ($50,000,000), which provides two benefits to Legion M; the addition of capital, and the possibility of additional individual investors. The latter benefit being especially important as Legion M strives forward toward its goal of 1,000,000 investors.[10] Their Reg. A+ 2nd round was extended through Sept. 2, 2017 to accommodate for the growing demand from fans.[11]

On May 16, 2018, Paul and Jeff rang the opening cowbell on one of their frequent Facebook Live updates to announce the launch of Legion M's round 3 as a Reg. CF.[12] With round 3 closing date right around the corner, they have already oversubscribed again.

On December 12, 2018, Legion M and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment ("CSS Entertainment") announced the formation of a strategic partnership to bring community driven content to television fans. The companies will develop a variety of crowdsourced TV projects, including POSITV, a weekly collection of inspirational news stories submitted by people from around the world; a sketch comedy show called Comedy Royale where viewers play the role of production executive as up-and-coming creators, actors, and others compete for cash, prizes, and opportunities to break into the entertainment industry; a Shark Tank-like show called Up$ide where viewers become venture capitalists as entrepreneurs pitch their ideas on live television; and a weekly music showcase called New York Rock Exchange that puts audience members in a music executive's seat. Another series, titled Legion M, will allow creators and directors to pitch their TV or film concepts to a TV audience who will green light their favorite projects into production.[13]

Projects

Legion M partners with filmmakers to create and/or distribute movies and television shows. Some of Legion M's projects include the following:

• Archenemy is a film starring Joe Manganiello as Max Fist, who claims to be a superhero from another universe who finds himself on Earth and stripped of his powers. Legion M is a financial partner on this project, which is being directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.[14]
• The Emperor's Blades is a fantasy television series based on Brian Staveley'sThe Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy. Legion M acquired the rights to develop the television series and has enlisted Weta Workshop to create the visual concept work for the show. The project team includes Executive Producer Rick Porras, who was co-producer and second-unit director for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.[15]
• Memory: The Origins of Alien is a documentary feature film that chronicles the making of the legendary science-fiction film Alien. The documentary, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, is scheduled for release in the summer of 2019, forty years after Alien first hit the big screen. Legion M partnered with Screen Media to acquire the North American rights to Memory: The Origins of Alien.[16][17]
• Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is a comedy film starring Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes, who first appeared together on film in the comedy film Clerks (1994). Legion M is one of the movie's equity financing partners.[18]
• Girl With No Name is a film set in 1869 Wild West that features a mysterious gunslinger heroine known as The Girl. Legion M and Co-Op Entertainment are co-producers of the film, which will be directed by Tanya Wexler. Legion M and Co-op Entertainment will introduce audiences to the Girl With No Name story via a 40-page comic book slated for release in 2019. Tula Lotay is creating the cover art for the comic book.[19]
• Mandy is a 2018 American action horror film directed by Panos Cosmatos that premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018. It also showed at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2018. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough.[20][21] Mandy has received critical acclaim (including being named as the top film in Esquire's "25 Best Movies of 2018 So Far").[22] The indie film's early success in theaters and via video on demand has caused some to see it as having the potential to be a cult classic.[23][24]
• Bad Samaritan is a 2018 American horror-thriller film directed by Dean Devlin and starring David Tennant and Robert Sheehan, with Carlito Olivero, Kerry Condon, and Jacqueline Byers in supporting roles.[25]
• Colossal is a 2016 black comedy monster movie directed by Nacho Vigalondo. The film, which stars Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell, and Tim Blake Nelson, tells the story of Gloria, an unemployed writer (played by Hathaway), who unwittingly causes a giant monster to wreak havoc halfway across the world.[26]
• ICONS: Face to Face is a virtual reality interview series featuring entertainment leaders of our time, captured using high-fidelity VR recording technology. In 2017, Legion M filmed a pilot episode featuring actor/director/comedian Kevin Smith and comic book icon Stan Lee.[27] On July 18, 2017, Legion M organized and hosted an event where Stan Lee added his handprints and footprints to the cement outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.[28]
• The Field Guide to Evil is the follow-up horror movie from the creators of the cult classic The ABCs of Death series (Tim League and Ant Timpson).[29]

References

1. "Legion M Looks To Create The World's First Fan-Owned Entertainment Company". Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
2. Spangler, Todd (2016-03-09). "Startup Legion M Launches Crowdfunded Studio That Lets Fans Buy Piece of Company". Variety. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
3. Hersko, Tyler. "Legion M, a fan-owned entertainment company, gives viewers a say for $7 a share". latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
4. "Introducing "The World's First Fan-Owned Entertainment Company"". Co.Create. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
5. "Fan-owned Legion M takes on the Hollywood studios". TheStreet. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
6. "First Fan-Owned Studio Legion M Launches". Animation Magazine. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
7. Lincoln, Ross (May 26, 2016). "Alamo Drafthouse & Legion M Partner On Genre Entertainment Development Stream". www.deadline.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
8. Hurst, Samantha (August 15, 2016). "Legion M Closes Record-Setting $1M Wefunder Crowdfunding Round & Named Itself Most Popular Reg CF Company". www.crowdfundinsider.com. Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
9. "Legion M Launches SEC Qualified "mini-IPO" With REG A+ Investment Offering". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
10. "Legion M's Secret Master Plan". Legion M. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
11. "Legion M to Close its Reg A+ Offer on Wefunder on September 2nd | Crowdfund Insider". Crowdfund Insider. 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
12. "Legion M Launches Its Latest Reg CF Campaign Exactly Two Years After Pioneering Equity Crowdfunding in the U.S." Retrieved 2018-07-28.
13. Hayes, Dade (2018-12-12). "Legion M And Chicken Soup For The Soul Form Film And TV Partnership". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
14. Vary, Adam B.; Vary, Adam B. (2020-07-24). "Joe Manganiello Is Interdimensional Superhero Max Fist in 'Archenemy' Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
15. Boucher, Geoff (2019-12-16). "'The Emperor's Blades': Legion M Acquires Brian Staveley Novels, Weta Workshop On Board". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
16. Haring, Bruce (2019-04-26). "'Memory: The Origins of Alien' Documentary Acquired By Screen Media & Legion M". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
17. Weiss, Josh (2019-04-26). "Exclusive: Alien-centric doc coming to the masses thanks to Legion M and Screen Media". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
18. McNary, Dave (2019-01-25). "Saban Films Buys Kevin Smith's 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
19. "'Girl With No Name' Will Bring Feminist Westerns To The Screen, Page". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
20. "Nic Cage Crashes the Legion M Sundance Panel for 'Mandy'". Boom Howdy. 2018-01-21. Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
21. "Nicolas Cage Is Embracing Strange Corners of His Career With 'Mandy'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
22. "'Mandy' Is the Best Movie of 2018 (So Far)". Esquire. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
23. "The surprise theatrical success of Nicolas Cage's new movie, 'Mandy,' has forced its distributor to completely overhaul its release strategy". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
24. "Nic Cage stars in Mandy, an instant classic for horror fans". Mandatory. 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
25. Thompson, Simon. "Dean Devlin Talks 'Bad Samaritan' And Why Legion M Is Shaking Up Hollywood". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
26. "Anne Hathaway's 'Colossal': How Fan-Investors Could Benefit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
27. "With "Icons," Legion M Is Creating Pop-Culture Time Capsules And Pushing VR's Limits". Fast Company. 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
28. Kabasele, Kendra A. (2017-07-19). "Stan Lee on Releasing More Superheroes From Vault: 'Someday I Will'". Variety. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
29. Erbland, Kate (2017-02-07). "Crowdfunded Horror Anthology 'The Field Guide to Evil' Gets Official Greenlight After Successful Campaign". IndieWire. Retrieved 2018-05-14.

External links

• Official website
• Legion M Forum
• Legion M on IMDb
• Jeff Annison and David Baxter of Legion M on the Super Hero Speak podcast from NYCC 2019