Cary Granat is leaving his post as co-CEO of Walden Media -- the company he co-founded -- but will stay as a consultant until the third CHRONICLES OF NARNIA film comes out, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Walden will not bring in a co-CEO to work with Michael Bostick. David Weil, Bostick and Anschutz Film Group CEO, will take on Granat's responsibilities. Bostick joined Walden last March.
"This was a mutual decision," Weil said. "Cary and we both felt this was the right way to formalize the change in the company's creative direction that will now be overseen by Michael Bostick."
Granat's departure isn't the first this year for Walden. There were dozens of layoffs in January of creative and production execs at Walden and Bristol Bay Productions, as part of a restructuring effort by Anschutz Film Group. That restructuring also included bringing in Bostick as co-CEO to manage Fox Walden, created with 20th Century Fox in August 2006. After Bostick's arrival, Granat's job was to oversee the NARNIA projects.
Granat is expected to announce his future plans, including working as a consultant for AEG Live, the concert and promotion company owned by Phil Anschutz, the owner of Walden.
Walden is reportedly close to greenlighting the third NARNIA installment, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER that would be distributed, like the two previous films, by Disney. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE grossed $745 million in the worldwide box office in 2005. The follow-up, PRINCE CASPIAN, was more modest, brining in $420 million worldwide this year.
Fox also made some changes with Fox Walden, absorbing the marketing unit and laying off about a dozen staffers, giving more responsibility to Fox Walden marketing president Jeffrey Godsick as exec VP of marketing and digital content.
