Lionsgate in lead to acquire Hasbro's eOne studio

Lionsgate is in the lead to acquire eOne, the Hasbro-owned television and film studio behind titles including "The Rookie" and "Yellowjackets," Deadline reports.

Why it matters: Hasbro purchased eOne for $4 billion in 2019, and any new owner of the studio will be folding in a 6,500-plus title content library.

Of note: What it won't include is top family brands like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, which have been folded into Hasbro's wider merchandising operations.

Details: Potential suitors for the studio have emerged since Hasbro signaled it was going to shed the business. Companies such as Legendary and Go Digital, as well as private equity firm CVC, have been named in various news articles as interested parties.

• Deadline said in Monday's article that Lionsgate "has established pole position" to acquire eOne, citing sources.
• Lionsgate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hasbro declined to comment.

Catch up quick: In 2021, Hasbro sold eOne's music business to private equity firm Blackstone for $385 million.