Marc Shmuger and David Linde will continue to serve as the leading executives of Universal Pictures in a new four-year contract extension that also sees Linde elevated to the position of chairman alongside Shmuger.
Since Shmuger was appointed chairman and Linde was named co-chairman of Universal Pictures in March 2006, the pair have engineered the transformation of the studio through a sustained period of stability and growth and delivered the two most profitable years in Universal's history. Under their shared leadership, Universal Pictures reached its all-time worldwide box-office record in 2007 and then surpassed that record again in 2008 with global receipts of $2.834 billion.
Over the last two years under their stewardship, nine Universal hits crossed $100 million at the domestic box-office and the studio's international performance skyrocketed, with a 66% rise from 2007 to 2008. Furthermore, Shmuger and Linde have created an innovative model to produce, market and distribute films whether they remain in localized regions or break through to the broadest worldwide stage, positioning Universal Pictures as a global leader that attracts and retains the most vibrant and diverse cinematic talents from all corners of the globe.
