The Weinstein Company announced that it is combining its acquisitions and production departments into a single division to be overseen by Dylan Sellers, formerly of Unique Pictures. As part of the restructuring, Production President Donna Gigliotti is leaving her post and taking a producing deal with TWC, and Head of Acquisitions Peter Lawson will leave the company when his contract expires at the end of this month.
As reported by The Wrap [1], David Glasser, The Weinstein Company’s COO, noted that it made sense to combine acquisitions and production, pointing out that the company was involved in nearly every aspect of making The King's Speech, even though the project was an acquisition.
Sellers produced the 2011 Footloose and the 2003 Agent Cody Banks, among others. He most recently ran production for Unique, the company launched by former New Line chiefs Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne. Sellers, who holds a law degree from Hastings Law School, is a former entertainment lawyer with the firm O’Melveny & Myers. He became a creative executive at Touchstone Pictures in 1987, and moved to Simpson/Bruckheimer Productions, where he was vice president, production, in 1988. He became president of Lee Rich Productions in 1991, and executive vice president, production, at Twentieth Century Fox in 1993. At Fox, he oversaw There’s Something about Mary, Kiss of Death, The Edge, and Nine Months, among other movies.
Glasser said the divisions will still remain the same size, about 18 executives.
Lawson will be taking a position as president of production at Thunder Road, Basil Iwanyk’s Warner Bros-based production company.
Links:
[1] http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/weinstein-company-merging-acquisitions-production-departments-34055