Penney Finkelman Cox, who launched Sony Pictures Animation with her longtime business partner Sandra Rabins, is ankling her evp post to become a producer for the division.
She has one release under her belt, OPEN SEASON, and co-developed a busy slate with Rabins. Finkelman Cox moves into active development on several of the 10 projects she has shepherded at SPA, including DISENCHANTED FOREST and BIG NASTY.
"I am so proud of the success we've enjoyed with OPEN SEASON," said Finkelman Cox. "With SURF'S UP set for release this June, and CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA already in production, I realized that now was the perfect opportunity to return to my true passion."
This leaves Rabins, evp, as the sole operational exec running SPA day-to-day. Sony Pictures Digital president & vice Chair of Sony Pictures Ent. Yair Landau is the top creative exec overseeing the animation division.
"We couldn't be more appreciative of her hard work or more excited about the slate of movies we put in place together," said Landau. "In a relatively short period of time, Sony Pictures Animation has emerged as a studio that attracts some of the most talented filmmakers and storytellers in the industry. We are a home for very creative talent with original and distinctive ideas. We value the enormous contributions Penney made to launch this new division and look forward to her creative voice in the area where she has distinguished herself."
Recruited by Landau, Finkelman Cox and Rabins joined the company to establish the creative pipeline of Sony Pictures Animation, including the establishment of a strong development team, with svp Nate Hopper.
Rabins said she looks forward, "to continuing my collaboration and partnership with Penney on creative projects at Sony Pictures Animation."
Before joining Sony, Finkelman Cox was exece producer on SHREK. She joined DreamWorks in Feb. 1994 to start the Animation Division and she produced THE PRINCE OF EGYPT and served as exec producer of ANTZ.
Finkelman Cox previously worked with Aardman Animation on its first stop-motion animated feature, CHICKEN RUN and served as exec producer on DreamWorks' first direct-to-video animated release, JOSEPH: KING OF DREAMS.
Finkelman Cox came from a background in live-action production. Her feature producing credits include HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS, WELCOME HOME, ROXIE CARMICHAEL and 'TIL THERE WAS YOU. She served as exec producer for James L. Brooks on I'LL DO ANYTHING and co-produced two other films for Brooks: BROADCAST NEWS and the Oscar-winning TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.
Finkelman Cox entered the performing arts as a press assistant for the Joffrey Ballet, and did an internship with the National Endowment for the Arts. She segued into film production with her acceptance into the Directors Guild of America Producer Training Program in New York.
