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Michael Paseornek is a founding member of Lionsgate Entertainment's management team and served as the company's President of Motion Picture Production for over twenty years. From Lionsgate's founding in 1997 through 2020, Paseornek played a pivotal role in shaping the studio's film lineup, producing, executive producing, or overseeing the production of more than 150 films across various genres. His work includes Oscar-winning titles like La La Land (2016) and Monster's Ball (2001), blockbuster franchises such as The Hunger Games (2012) and John Wick (2014), as well as acclaimed festival indies like American Psycho (2000) and Buffalo '66 (1998). Variety described him as "one of the chief architects" of the Lionsgate model.
In 2004, a meeting between Paseornek and Tyler Perry marked a transformative moment for Lionsgate. Paseornek provided Perry with a studio platform to adapt his plays and characters into feature films, launching what would become a major entertainment empire. Beginning with Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Paseornek executive produced Perry's first 22 films, all of which premiered at or near the top of the box office. He is featured in the Amazon Prime documentary Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story (2023), which chronicles Perry's inspirational career and industry impact.
Throughout his career, Paseornek has championed diversity both on-screen and behind the scenes, supporting films that have earned numerous NAACP and BET awards. His credits include the multi-Oscar-winning Precious (2009), the adaptation of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide, and Monsters Ball, which earned Halle Berry the historic Academy Award for Best Actress.
Before Lionsgate, Paseornek helped bridge independent filmmaking and mainstream Hollywood by launching indie producer and distributor CFP New York in 1992. The company significantly influenced the independent film scene by releasing debut films from directors such as Ang Lee (Pushing Hands, 1991), James Mangold (Heavy, 1995), Roberto Benigni (The Monster, 1994), and Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, 1998). CFP was renamed Lionsgate upon going public in 1997.
According to IMDb and Box Office Mojo, films credited to Paseornek have collectively grossed over $5 billion worldwide at the box office.
Film data researcher Stephen Fellows noted that between 1997 and 2016, Paseornek ranked among the top 10 most frequently credited producers on the 4,000 highest-grossing films. During this time, Lionsgate also achieved significant critical and commercial success, earning over 130 Academy Award nominations and 30 Oscar wins by 2019. The studio emerged as a global content leader and was recognized as the first new major studio in decades.
After graduating from NYU in 1974, Paseornek began his career as a writing partner to National Lampoon Magazine editor Michel Choquette. He wrote and script-doctored several feature film projects before transitioning to producing and studio executive roles. His philanthropic efforts include serving on the advisory boards of the UCLA Health Care System and the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, the board of Camp del Corazon—a free camp for children with heart disease—and co-chairing the Johns Hopkins/Aspen Foundation Neuro Arts Blue Print Initiative.
Currently, Paseornek works as a producer based in New York and Los Angeles. He is a member of the executive branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
