Walden Media and Anschutz Film Group has promoted general counsel Frank Smith to the position of COO as part of a broader corporate restructuring, the “Chronicles of Narnia” producer said Thursday. Smith will oversee day-to-day operations as the company behind “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Bridge to Terabithia” expands into television and animation. Afg CEO David Weil is stepping down at the end of the year, so Smith will run the show with the help of Walden co-founder and President Micheal Flaherty, publishing chief Chip Flaherty, CFO Ryan Jones and Naja Cucukov, VP of production and development.
- 12/6/2013
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Walden Media has announced a restructure as it emerged that David Weil, current CEO of parent company Anschutz Film Group (Afg), will leave the company at the end of the year.
Longtime general counsel and head of business affairs Frank Smith (pictured) becomes COO of Walden Media, the family producer behind the first three The Chronicles Of Narnia films and the Journey To The Center Of The Earth series.
Walden is supported by a renewable media fund backed by Afg that allows it to finance most third-party features, TV series and animated content as well as invest P&A funding and gap financing in select projects.
The first-look deal with 20th Century Fox remains intact, however Walden is free to partner with any distributors on those projects it co-finances and co-produces with outside partners.
Working alongside Smith and Walden Media president and co-founder Micheal Flaherty will be Chip Flaherty, who heads Walden Media’s Publishing division.
Longtime...
Longtime general counsel and head of business affairs Frank Smith (pictured) becomes COO of Walden Media, the family producer behind the first three The Chronicles Of Narnia films and the Journey To The Center Of The Earth series.
Walden is supported by a renewable media fund backed by Afg that allows it to finance most third-party features, TV series and animated content as well as invest P&A funding and gap financing in select projects.
The first-look deal with 20th Century Fox remains intact, however Walden is free to partner with any distributors on those projects it co-finances and co-produces with outside partners.
Working alongside Smith and Walden Media president and co-founder Micheal Flaherty will be Chip Flaherty, who heads Walden Media’s Publishing division.
Longtime...
- 12/5/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Live on August 14th at 7:30 p.m. from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Ken Ehrlich Productions, Anschutz Film Group/Walden Media, and Aeg present Teachers Rock presented by Walmart and Walden Media.s upcoming feature film .Won.t Back Down., a special tribute concert celebrating teachers and education and benefitting several non-profit organizations, featuring some of the biggest names in music, film and sports.
The benefit concert will showcase live performances by Dierks Bentley, Fun. and Josh Groban and special appearances by Viola Davis from .Won.t Back Down., Josh Hutcherson, Miranda Cosgrove, Pauley Perrette, Roshon Fegan and many more. Proceeds from Teachers Rock will benefit three non-profit organizations: DonorsChoose.org, Feeding America and Teach for America.
Tickets for this special benefit, starting at just $40, will go on-sale this Friday, July 27th at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, plus via Charge-By-Phone ( 800.745.3000). A limited number of VIP...
The benefit concert will showcase live performances by Dierks Bentley, Fun. and Josh Groban and special appearances by Viola Davis from .Won.t Back Down., Josh Hutcherson, Miranda Cosgrove, Pauley Perrette, Roshon Fegan and many more. Proceeds from Teachers Rock will benefit three non-profit organizations: DonorsChoose.org, Feeding America and Teach for America.
Tickets for this special benefit, starting at just $40, will go on-sale this Friday, July 27th at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, plus via Charge-By-Phone ( 800.745.3000). A limited number of VIP...
- 7/24/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
(Los Angeles – April 10, 2012) – Jonathan Helfgot has been named Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Walden Media, as announced by Anschutz Film Group CEO David Weil. In his new role, Helfgot will oversee the marketing of all Walden films and will also manage Walden’s branding strategies across publishing, licensing, promotions, outreach and new media. In addition, he will be responsible for broadening cross-promotional strategies with other divisions of The Anschutz Company. “We’re thrilled to have Jonathan join the Walden family and guide the growth and development of our brand,” Weil said. “We have worked with him with great success for several years and appreciate his experience in research, digital marketing and creative advertising. He’ll be a major asset here as we continue to deliver a diverse slate of family films to the market each year.” Added Jonathan Helfgot: “I am incredibly grateful to Fox for allowing...
- 4/10/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The prodigal movie franchise has returned. After the second "Narnia" film disappointed at the box office in 2008, Fox and Walden Media are hoping that a targeted play for churchgoing audiences will make “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" a hit. “We’ve gone back to doing faith outreach in a manner that is consistent with the first film,” David Weil, CEO of the Anschutz Film Group division of Walden Media, told TheWrap. “In the second film there was more of an effort to broaden the base and appeal to...
- 12/7/2010
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
The long-running legal drama over the 2005 superflop "Sahara" has taken a surprising turn, with a Los Angeles judge ruling that author Clive Cussler must pay Philip Anschutz's Crusader Entertainment nearly $14 million in legal fees.
In a decision issued after a spirited four-hour hearing Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shook found that Cussler's contracts with Crusader to adapt his "Sahara" novel into a film required the losing party in litigation to pay the winner's attorneys fees. Shook ruled that Cussler was the loser based on a 2007 jury finding that Cussler owed Crusader $5 million in damages.
"The issue boils down to whether the fees requested are reasonable and necessary," Shook said.
The $13.9 million award is extremely high and reflects the cost of a prolonged and contentious legal battle between well-funded Hollywood adversaries.
"This entire ordeal has been very long, very trying and very expensive," said David Weil, CEO of Anschutz Film Group,...
In a decision issued after a spirited four-hour hearing Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shook found that Cussler's contracts with Crusader to adapt his "Sahara" novel into a film required the losing party in litigation to pay the winner's attorneys fees. Shook ruled that Cussler was the loser based on a 2007 jury finding that Cussler owed Crusader $5 million in damages.
"The issue boils down to whether the fees requested are reasonable and necessary," Shook said.
The $13.9 million award is extremely high and reflects the cost of a prolonged and contentious legal battle between well-funded Hollywood adversaries.
"This entire ordeal has been very long, very trying and very expensive," said David Weil, CEO of Anschutz Film Group,...
- 3/10/2009
- by By Matthew Belloni
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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