Sanford Panitch to Remain Sony Pictures President, Studio Announces Key Promotions as Josh Greenstein Departs
As part of the shift at Sony, Peter Kang has been promoted to president of production for Columbia Pictures, Nicholas Weiss and Dave Fruchbom were elevated to co-heads of global creative and strategy, and Andrea 'Ange' Giannetti has been upped to executive VP of production and senior creative for Columbia Pictures.
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Danielle Misher, head of theatrical marketing, and Steven O'Dell, president of international marketing and distribution, will continue to oversee Sony's marketing operation. Weiss and Fruchbom will report to Misher and work closely with O'Dell on international efforts. Kang and Giannetti will continue to report to Panitch. Misher and O'Dell will report directly to Tom Rothman, the CEO and chairman of Sony's Motion Picture Group.
'We are all sorry to see Josh go. He has been a wonderful colleague for many years, and we wish him the very best,' Rothman said in a statement. 'The key to a sound organization, however, is to have a strong bench. Our marketing group has that, and I am very pleased to recognize some of our outstanding longtime talent with expanded roles. Dave and Nick are two of the finest creative advertising minds I have encountered in my many years of doing this, and Danielle and Steven provide expert, experienced leadership. I am confident our marketing prowess will only grow.'
Rothman continued, 'Likewise, Peter is one of the most skillful and dedicated production executives in all of Hollywood. Sanford and I have worked with him off and on for over 25 years, with great success. I'm sure that Peter will keep the Columbia lady's torch shining brightly, and that Ange will continue to deliver big hit movies, as she always has. And I know I can count on Sanford to embrace his expanded responsibilities. The depth and breadth of his abilities are unmatched and critical to our success.'
Panitch joined Sony in 2016 and was named co-president of the motion picture group with Greenstein in October 2019. He has overseen the studio's blockbuster franchises such as 'Spider-Man,' 'Jumanji' and 'Venom,' as well as some recent duds like 'Morbius,' 'Madame Web' and 'Kraven the Hunter.'
Kang joined Sony Pictures in 2019 and worked on the development and production of such films as 2024's 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' and Jennifer Lawrence's comedy 'No Hard Feelings.' He played a key role in launching Sony's collaboration with PlayStation Productions, which yielded 2022's 'Uncharted' with Tom Holland and Neill Blomkamp's 'Gran Turismo.'
Fruchbom, who joined Sony Pictures in 2015, and Weiss, who joined in 2014, have led the creative campaigns behind Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,' Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women,' Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's rom-com 'Anyone But You' and 'Jumanji: The Next Level,' among many others.
Giannetti, a 35-year veteran of the company, has overseen the production on the newest 'Jumanji' films, 'It Ends With Us,' and 'The Equalizer 3.'
'I'm thrilled to have someone as accomplished and smart as Peter leading Columbia Pictures,' Panitch said. 'And in addition to the pleasure of working with all the many capable executives at each of the divisions I oversee, I feel especially fortunate to collaborate directly with the exceptional Ange Giannetti. We have a lot of big event movies moving down our pipeline, so it is a very exciting and promising time at Sony, where we continue to prioritize and prize the theatrical experience.'
Sony's upcoming film slate includes Darren Aronofsky's crime thriller 'Caught Stealing,' the sequel '28 Years Later: Bone Temple,' Marvel's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' and a new 'Jumanji' installment.
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