LEADING FILM INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE NATHAN KAHANE NAMED PRESIDENT OF LIONSGATE MOTION PICTURE GROUP
Former Good Universe and Disney Executive Erin Westerman Named EVP of Production as Company Launches Realignment of Motion Picture Group Under New Leadership Team
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading entertainment industry executive and entrepreneur Nathan Kahane has been named President of the Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) Motion Picture Group and former Good Universe and Disney executive Erin Westerman has been named EVP of Production, it was announced today by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Joe Drake. The moves are part of a realignment of the Company's motion picture business under its new leadership team.
Kahane, a cofounder and CEO of Good Universe, acquired by Lionsgate last October, and former President of Mandate Pictures, has served as an executive producer on over 30 films. He is widely regarded as one of the most filmmaker-friendly executives in the industry with longtime talent relationships with comedy superstars Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of Point Grey Pictures (Flarsky, Neighbors, Sausage Party), Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert of Ghost House Pictures, a leader in the horror/thriller genre with whom he has partnered on eight #1 box office hits, and horror maven Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe, Evil Dead).
During his 20-year career, Kahane has shepherded a diverse array of critically-acclaimed box office hits including the Academy Award®-winning blockbuster Juno, the Harold & Kumar comedy franchise, the comedy hits 50/50 and This Is The End, Neighbors, and horror breakouts like Don't Breathe, The Grudge, and Evil Dead.
Westerman, an experienced Good Universe and Walt Disney Company production executive, was responsible for Good Universe's critically-acclaimed and Golden Globe®-winning film The Disaster Artist, the horror thriller Don't Breathe, and the Disney hits Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and Rob Marshall's Into The Woods.
"I have worked alongside Nathan as an executive, entrepreneur and producer for 15 years, during which he has demonstrated a combination of great leadership skills, a game-changing approach to filmmaking, and talent relationships that are second to none," said Drake. "He has exactly the right skill set to sharpen the focus of our film slate, deepen our relationships with world-class talent, and lead our Motion Picture Group to the next level of performance."
"I'm thrilled by the opportunity to join a great leadership team at one of the most innovative and exciting studios in the business," said Kahane. "I look forward to assembling a commercially exciting, diverse slate of films that establishes Lionsgate as a premier destination for the top creative talent in the world. I'm also pleased to see Erin Westerman expand her managerial role, as she has already proven her superb creative instincts, talent relationships, and keen eye for top properties on which we will be focused."
Lionsgate's upcoming slate includes the comedy Uncle Drew, the eagerly-anticipated Sundance sensation Blindspotting, the action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me, the stylish thriller A Simple Favor, the Seth Rogen/Charlize Theron comedy Flarsky, and the star-driven event films The Kingkiller Chronicle, John Wick: Chapter Three and Chaos Walking.
About Lionsgate
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company's worldwide consumer base.
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