Respected Lionsgate executive Jason Constantine has died at age 55 after a long battle with cancer, the studio announced Thursday.

The executive was a fixture on the festival circuit and a major player in the acquisitions space for years. He started his career more than 25 years ago at Trimark Pictures, the predecessor company of Lionsgate, where he served as director of acquisitions and rose through the ranks to become co-president of the Lionsgate motion picture group.

He was an early champion of Saw and pushed for the studio to acquire the project after viewing the short film from then-unknown director James Wan and writer-star Leigh Whannell. The franchise has grossed more than $1 billion at the box office, as has the John Wick series, which came under Constantine’s tenure.

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