Latest news with #Karpen
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Bleecker Street CEO and indie film champion Andrew Karpen dies at 59
Andrew Karpen, chief executive and founder of independent film distribution company Bleecker Street Media, died Monday of glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 59. Karpen founded the New York City-based Bleecker Street in 2014 with backing from 5-hour Energy founder Manoj Bhargava. In its first few years, Bleecker Street released such films as 2015's 'Trumbo,' starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and the Viggo Mortensen-led 'Captain Fantastic' in 2016. Since its founding, Bleecker Street has released more than 75 films, including the 2017 Steven Soderbergh comedy 'Logan Lucky,' 2024's Oscar-nominated 'Golda,' comedy-drama 'Hard Truths' and, most recently, 'The Wedding Banquet,' a remake of the 1993 Ang Lee romantic comedy starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran. 'Our industry has lost a giant,' Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street president and Karpen's longtime friend, said in a statement. 'Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives, and we are dedicated to continuing his passion for and legacy of championing cinema.' Karpen began his career at Miramax before moving to Oxygen Media as its senior vice president of finance and planning. He then spent more than a decade at Focus Features, the specialty film arm of NBCUniversal, starting as its chief operating officer responsible for finance, strategic planning and operations before rising to president and then co-chief executive. He left Focus Features in 2013, after Universal Pictures named a new head of the specialty imprint and relocated its headquarters from New York to the studio lot in California. Universal said at the time that the company asked Karpen to remain with the studio but that he opted to stay in New York with his family. He is survived by his wife, Pam; sons Josh and Zack; daughter Sloan; and Josh's wife, Kristen, who is expecting their first child.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Andrew Karpen Dies: Bleecker Street Media Founder And CEO Was 59
Bleecker Street Media founder and CEO Andrew Karpen died Monday from glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that upended his life when it was discovered in January 2024. He was 59. Karpen has been a fixture in the independent film space for decades, and went from co-CEO of Focus Features to form Bleecker Street Media in 2014. Bleecker has released more than 75 films since then, theatrical releases across all genres. That includes films from auteurs like Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky), Debra Granik (Leave No Trace), andOscar-nominated films including Captain Fantastic and Trumbo. He was known as the epitome of class; an executive you could look in the eye and trust what he told you. He turned 59 on April 18. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Bleecker Street Media CEO Andrew Karpen Rebounds From Harrowing Brain Cancer Diagnosis Bleecker Street Acquires U.S. On Josh O'Connor Drama 'Rebuilding' Deadline detailed the ordeal that Karpen and his wife Pam went through, a piece I wrote to spur donations to help the work of Dr. John Boockvar, a neurosurgeon at the Brain Tumor Center at Lenox Hill Hospital, and the pioneering work they do to combat glioblastoma. It went against his penchant for spurning the spotlight, but Andrew and Pam's revelations helped raise a significant sum for a worthy cause and a doctor who prolonged his life and gave him precious time. Karpen was feeling robust when he headed to his office on January 2, 2024, getting a start on a year that would see 11 film releases over the next 12 months. He had been experiencing unusual feelings; stumbling while he and Pam played pickleball with friends over the holiday and some numbness in his right leg. When he got to the office, he had difficulty typing with his right arm. He called his doctor and was told to come home immediately. A CAT scan and MRI revealed the fatal brain cancer. A first brief surgery revealed the depths of the problem. The first surgeon could not get deep enough into the brain to remove much of the tumor. Karpen was losing dexterity quickly because the tumor was sitting on and putting pressure on the part of the brain that controls those motor skills. That led Andrew and Pam to Boockvar, who attacked the cancer aggressively. The doctor and his work has been featured in two Netflix documentaries. Karpen underwent a full craniotomy, a four-hour procedure that excised most of the tumor. While there was danger of paralysis or worse, Karpen pulled through. After a course of chemotherapy and radiation, the Karpens got news that the tumor was gone. While they knew that the glioblastoma could reassert itself in other ways, which it did, this was a miracle reprieve. It allowed Andrew to be able to see his oldest son, Josh, get married last July in Colorado, something that meant the world to him. Josh and wife Kristen are now expecting their first child. DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: I've known Andrew for years. We bonded quickly over three things: a passion for independent theatrical film and all the challenges that come with toiling in that space; being able to be part of Hollywood and live on the East Coast, he in Connecticut and me from Long Island. Also, there was our mutual passion for the New York Football Giants. Pam's family has been season-ticket holders since 1938, and Andrew stayed in proximity to be a tailgating fixture at most home games. The season opener always fell during the start of the Toronto Film Festival, and we made it a point to catch the game at some bar, usually surrounded by other execs and agents. One year, Karpen had to beg out because he was obliged to go to a premiere of a female-driven acquisition title which he didn't buy. I gave him good-natured abuse for years, mindful he was doing his job. As Karpen dealt with brain cancer, Bleecker Street was held together by a team of execs headed by his longtime friend and colleague Kent Sanderson. 'Our industry has lost a giant,' Sanderson told me. 'Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives, and we are dedicated to continuing his passion for and legacy of championing cinema.' Karpen is survived by wife Pam; his sons Josh and Zack; his daughter Sloan; and Josh's wife Kristen. The family would appreciate donations made in Karpen's name to the Lenox Hill Brain Tumor Center, or Fairfield County Hospice House. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Reminders of Him' Movie So Far 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Everything We Know About 'The Phoenician Scheme' So Far
