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The racial reckoning spreading across America has driven Hollywood to reexamine longstanding storylines and symbols rooted in racist ideology as the entertainment industry adjusts to a radically altered cultural landscape. In the last two weeks, celebrities and studios have rushed to recast Black characters with nonwhite actors, remove offensive TV episodes featuring blackface and reimagine at least one popular theme park ride. But longtime cultural observers ask if the latest moves are planting the seeds for real change or merely slapping Band-Aids on long-festering wounds. “Remember in ‘War of the Worlds,’ when the aliens come and people are running away before they get zapped?” said Christine Birch, former top studio executive and CEO of the entertainment marketing firm Roygbiv Collective, referring to the 2005 Tom Cruise action thriller. “Well right now Hollywood is running, and they’re trying not to get zapped.” In recent weeks, streaming services and producers have pulled...

Exclusive: Former Columbia Pictures marketing chief and industry vet Christine Birch is opening the doors to The Roygbiv Collective, a new consulting firm which will provide media, tech, and lifestyle companies with powerful strategic narratives across their positioning, creative branding, messaging and overall vision.

As the former marketing boss not only at Sony, but DreamWorks Studios and FilmDistrict, Birch has been behind several blockbuster film campaigns that have yielded billions of dollars at the global box office working on such titles as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Rabbit, Transformers to name a few as well as Oscar-winning pics like The Help, The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl. With the Roygbiv Collective, Birch is bringing her entertainment marketing skills to a new generation of entrepreneurs, starting with the booming cryptocurrency firm Pi Network which since its March 14 launch, now counts over 2 million engaged users, all of whom are members by invitation.

There’s a shakeup in Disney’s marketing ranks.

As part of the overhaul, longtime studio marketing chief Ricky Strauss has been named president, content and marketing, for the upcoming Disney Svod service, a Netflix rival that is set to launch in late 2019. He will be replaced as marketing president by Asad Ayaz.

The moves had been rumored for some time, particularly after Ayaz was approached for and turned down top executive jobs at Fox and Paramount. The official announcement was made after a Thursday morning meeting on the studio lot. By promoting both men, Disney is able to keep two of the most widely coveted executives on its Burbank lot and, more importantly, out of the leadership suites of its rivals.

In his new role, Strauss will oversee the development of the service’s original programming and will manage production partnerships and acquisitions. The hope is to offer a...

Universal has elevated Michael Moses to the position of worldwide marketing president and hired Dwight Caines as co-president of marketing, the studio announced in a company-wide memo.

The moves come as Universal has been rocked by a series of executive dismissals following allegations of inappropriate conduct by former marketing chief Josh Goldstine. Seth Byers, executive VP of creative strategy and research in the department, and Scott Abraham, another senior marketing executive, were also fired for inappropriate conduct.

Moses has been with the studio for more than 18 years, and is respected for his publicity know-how and big-picture strategizing. The thought is that Moses will be tasked with overseeing the creative aspects of the department, while Caines focuses on media and data-driven strategy.

In a letter to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley praised Moses as “a trusted advisor” with “a strategic vision that few...

Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Tony Vinciquerra is continuing to streamline the studio with a series of new cost-saving cutbacks and realignments across its television and movie divisions aimed at improving the bottom line.

As part of the overhaul, Sony plans to fold its home entertainment department into its television arm, which, according to sources, will likely result in a headcount reduction. Sony signaled that change back in February when it announced that TV distribution president Keith Le Goy would be assuming oversight of home entertainment. As part of the shakeup, three president-level executives–international channels chief Andy Kaplan, chief Fv marketing officer Sheraton Kalouria and home entertainment topper Man Jit Singh, were let go.

Sony is also planning to cut layers in its film operations. Currently under the microscope for a restructuring and potential staff cuts is theatrical marketing. Marketing and distribution president Josh Greenstein is conducting a top-to-bottom review...

A string of women have left Sony over the past year — Christine Birch, Paula Askanas, Amy Carney, Andrea Wong and Jean Guerin come to mind — and now this: an email from two male executives inviting women to participate in a Women’s Creative Leadership Initiative “to better equip our women leaders with the tools necessary to amplify their voices.” It was signed by the two male execs: Tom Rothman and Mike Hopkins, the top managers at Sony representing both film and TV. Read the email below.

Bravo if women want to mentor other women and support is given for that from the top management, but the email as written is tone deaf and condescending to women. It suggests that the reason women aren’t being heard is they don’t have the know-how — or “tools” — to communicate. This is not about women being unable to express themselves. This suggests a broader cultural problem,...

Christine Birch has resigned her post as Sony Pictures president of domestic marketing after a two-week probe into her workplace behavior, including reports that she smoked marijuana at the office, insiders told TheWrap.

Official word of her resignation came down from Sony’s marketing chief Josh Greenstein on Wednesday, who said Birch originally approached him about resigning in January.

In late March, Variety reported that Birch’s marketing subordinates had filed complaints about her behavior — including that she vaped marijuana during work hours, despite numerous warnings to stop.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Names Michael Helfand, Joe Matukewicz Worldwide Acquisitions Heads

Multiple individuals familiar with the workplace downplayed the seriousness of the investigation. Birch was asked to take time off during the probe, one of the insiders said, but was never formally suspended.

That individual, and a second one who spoke to TheWrap, speculated that the press leak likely came from Birch’s staff in an attempt to force her resignation. Andre Caraco, co-president of domestic marketing, will fill Birch’s shoes for now.

Greenstein applauded her recent successes like the record-setting “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

Birch herself thanked studio head Tom Rothman and Greenstein, saying “I’m very proud of the team and I’m incredibly grateful … now, I’m ready for a new challenge.”

Also Read: Sony Pictures CEO Admits Need to Grow Studio Amid 'Floodgates' of Big Media Mergers

Read the full memo obtained by TheWrap:

Dear colleagues,

Following an extraordinarily impressive run in Columbia’s Domestic Marketing department, Christine Birch is stepping down from her post as President of Domestic Marketing.

Christine approached us about leaving in January 2018, following the record-setting performance of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Under her tenure, Sony’s domestic marketing department produced some of its best results in years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Magnificent Seven, Peter Rabbit, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Below is a short note from Christine regarding her departure:

“The transformation of the Columbia Pictures marketing department has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career. I’m very proud of the team and I’m incredibly grateful to Tom Rothman and Josh Greenstein for supporting my vision. Now, I’m ready for a new challenge.”

Christine’s direct reports will report to Andre Caraco, Co-President of Domestic Marketing, on an interim basis.

Please join me in thanking Christine for her hard work and dedication to Sony Pictures, and in wishing her all the best in the next chapter of her career.

Josh

Read original story Christine Birch Steps Down as Sony Pictures Domestic Marketing Head At TheWrap...

Christine Birch is out as domestic marketing chief at Sony.

Her exit was announced Wednesday in a note to studio staff from worldwide marketing and distribution president Josh Greenstein that included a short statement from Birch.

"Christine approached us about leaving in January 2018, following the record-setting performance of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," Greenstein wrote. "Under her tenure, Sony’s domestic marketing department produced some of its best results in years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Magnificent Seven, Peter Rabbit and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle."

In her note to staffers inside the memo, Birch called the "transformation" of Columbia Pictures'...

Christine Birch is out as Sony’s Domestic Marketing President.

Josh Greenstein, President of Global Marketing and Distribution, sent out the following note to staff regarding her stepping down, which is mutual between her and Sony:

Dear colleagues,

Following an extraordinarily impressive run in Columbia’s Domestic Marketing department, Christine Birch is stepping down from her post as President of Domestic Marketing.

Christine approached us about leaving in January 2018, following the record-setting performance of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Under her tenure, Sony’s domestic marketing department produced some of its best results in years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Magnificent Seven, Peter Rabbit, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Below is a short note from Christine regarding her departure:

“The transformation of the Columbia Pictures marketing department has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career. I’m very proud of the team and I’m incredibly grateful...

Christine Birch is out as head of domestic marketing at Sony Pictures, Variety has learned.

Her status at the studio has been in question after employee complaints about alleged marijuana use on the Sony lot prompted a human resources investigation, first reported by Variety on March 21. Birch denied to human resources executives that she smoked pot at the office. There was a growing sense, however, that Birch’s position at the company was untenable and that employees in the department were balking at working under the executive due to her caustic style. She was asked to take a leave as an investigation took place.

The investigation found no official wrongdoing and Birch was not suspended. But it’s understood that Birch came to agree with the company’s senior leadership that a return to work had become impossible after news broke about the investigation.

Birch joined Sony in 2016 from Focus Features,...

Christine Birch is out as domestic marketing chief at Sony.

Her exit was announced Wednesday in a note to studio staff from worldwide marketing and distribution president Josh Greenstein that included a short statement from Birch.

"Christine approached us about leaving in January 2018, following the record-setting performance of <em>Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle</em>," Greenstein wrote. "Under her tenure, Sony’s domestic marketing department produced some of its best results in years, including <em>Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Magnificent Seven, Peter Rabbit </em>and<em> Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle</em>."

In her note to staffers inside the memo, Birch called the "...

Christine Birch, who spent 12 years at Sony Pictures and before moving to posts at DreamWorks Studios, FilmDistrict and most recently at Focus Features as president of marketing, is returning to the Culver City lot. She has been tapped as Evp Domestic Creative Marketing Strategy, reporting to Domestic Marketing President Dwight Caines. She also will work closely with Josh Greenstein, the president of Worldwide Marketing & Distribution at Sony Pictures Motion Picture…...

Focus Features is returning to its roots and will merge with Universal Pictures International Productions (Upip) to form a global specialty brand with a burgeoning worldwide production and acquisitions pipeline.

Peter Kujawski, a Universal star who has served as managing director of Upip and scored hits for the studio with territory buys on The Wolf Of Wall Street, Boyhood and Room, will lead the new Focus Features as chairman.

Kujawski will transition into the role following the exit of Current Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel on April 1. Schlessel has worked on the merger over the last few months with Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley, who paid tribute to the executive said his departure was a mutual decision given that “his interests are not solely focused on the specialised film marketplace.”

Upip co-managing director Robert Walak will become president and illustrates the global perspective and filmmaker ties the studio is keen to foster. As former...

Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel will exit his post come April, as the studio division merges with Universal Pictures International Productions. Peter Kujawski, current Managing Director of Upip, will assume the role in the newly-integrated Focus as Chairman. The rebranding, announced by Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley, also sees Upip Co-Managing Director Robert Walak as President of the division and Universal Pictures’ Film Strategy Evp Abhijay Prakash named COO. Current Focus COO Adrian Alperovich, Marketing head Christine Birch and President of Acquisitions, Lia Buman, are all leaving in step with Schlessel. Also Read: Universal's Donna Langley Named 2016 Pioneer of Year...

Universal Pictures said Thursday that Focus Features will merge with Universal Pictures International Productions. As part of the move, Focus CEO Peter Schlessel will exit his post on April 1. Peter Kujawski, current managing director of Upip, will lead the newly integrated Focus Features as chairman. A specialty film veteran, Kujawski will transition into his new role following Schlessel's departure. In addition, Upi co-managing director Robert Walak will become president, and Universal Pictures executive vp of film strategy Abhijay Prakash will join Focus as chief operating officer. As part of the shake-up, Focus COO Adrian Alperovich, marketing president Christine Birch and president

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Incoming Focus CEO Peter Schlessel has announced several senior hires ahead of the January 2014 launch of the reconfigured company.

Film District’s Beth Lemberger will serve as evp of business affairs and joins Howard Meyers who is currently evp of business affairs, production at Focus Features. Both executives will report to Schlessel. FilmDistrict’s Kevin Monroe will serve as svp of business affairs for Focus, reporting to Lemberger.

Focus Features’ Robert T Gibson will continue as Focus’ CFO and svp of finance, reporting to newly appointed Focus Features COO Adrian Alperovich.

Brad Goldberg of FilmDistrict will serve as evp of marketing and reports to the newly appointed Focus Features president of marketing Christine Birch. FilmDistrict’s Tracy Pollard will become Focus’ svp of creative advertising and reports to Birch.

Joshua M McLaughlin will stay on with Focus and serve as svp of production reporting to Focus Features president of production Jeb Brody. Louis Phillips will remain...

Breaking: Peter Schlessel, who took over Focus Features after Universal swallowed his FilmDistrict label, has begun assimilating the staffs of those two companies for January’s company relaunch. This happens a day after the company formalized the widely expected news that Focus Features International would shutter. More of this mixing and matching will happen over the next few weeks, and we’ll get a sense of the final layoff count soon. For now, here’s who is staying: · FilmDistrict’s Beth Lemberger will be Evp Business Affairs, joining Howard Meyers who is currently Evp Business Affairs, Production at Focus Features. Both executives will report to Schlessel. FilmDistrict’s Kevin Monroe will also serve as Svp Business Affairs for Focus reporting to Lemberger. · Focus Features’ Robert T. Gibson will continue as Focus’ Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance, and report to newly appointed Focus Features Chief Operating Officer Adrian Alperovich.

Focus Features is no longer Focus Features. It’s FilmDistrict — with a new owner and a new name. That’s the takeaway from Universal’s announcement on Tuesday, which unveiled the label’s new executive team. Former CEO James Schamus’ co-ceo Andrew Karpen will leave the company, which means neither of Focus’ leaders will have any involvement in the specialty division’s future operations. The two executives who ran FilmDistrict — CEO Schlessel and COO Adrian Alperovich — are taking their place. Most other top FilmDistrict executives will also transition to Focus, including the presidents of marketing (Christine Birch), distribution (Jim Orr...

Incoming Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel has announced his core team in the wake of the company’s merger with FilmDistrict as it emerged that senior executives Andrew Karpen, David Brooks and Jack Foley will be leaving the new set-up.

Current Focus Co-ceo Andrew Karpen was asked to relocate to Los Angeles but declined in order to keep his family in New York.

Karpen will remain in in his current role during the transition period, as will president of marketing David Brooks and president of distribution Jack Foley before they move on.

FilmDistrict COO Adrian Alperovich and president of marketing Christine Birch transition into the same respective roles at the new-look Focus, while FilmDistrict’s Jim Orr will head distribution and Lia Buman moves over to become president of acquisitions.

Current Focus Features president of publicity and evp of marketing Adriene Bowles will retain her current title and responsibilities, as will production president Jeb Brody.

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Incoming Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel has announced his core team in the wake of the company’s merger with FilmDistrict as it emerged that senior executives Andrew Karpen, David Brooks and Jack Foley will be leaving the new set-up.

Current Focus Co-ceo Andrew Karpen was asked to relocate to Los Angeles but declined in order to keep his family in New York.

Karpen will remain in in his current role during the transition period, as will president of marketing David Brooks and president of distribution Jack Foley before they move on.

FilmDistrict COO Adrian Alperovich and president of marketing Christine Birch transition into the same respective roles at the new-look Focus, while FilmDistrict’s Jim Orr will head distribution and Lia Buman moves over to become president of acquisitions.

Current Focus Features president of publicity and evp of marketing Adriene Bowles will retain her current title and responsibilities, as will production president Jeb Brody.

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Getting quickly down to business, new Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel has named key members of his management team. As expected, he's bringing with him several colleagues from FilmDistrict, the independent distribution company he founded with Graham King and Tim Headington. They include chief operating officer Adrian Alperovich, marketing chief Christine Birch, distribution head Jim Orr and acquisitions president Lia Buman (they will keep the same titles at Focus). Executives from Focus who have been asked to stay include president of publicity and executive vp marketing Adriene Bowles and president of production Jeb Brody, who is working on Fifty Shades

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Sunday 8 Am, 4th Update: No surprise that a genre scarer did so well on a weekend frontloaded by Friday The 13th. But grosses flattened Saturday because of what my sources say was the big Mayweather vs Alvarez fight which scored big TV ratings from Las Vegas last night. That cooled what initially was hot total moviegoing this September weekend to $95M, only +10% over last year’s. Regular readers know that I believe online domestic pre-sales are a more accurate indicator of a movie’s box office opening strength than traditional tracking. So it’s meaningful that FilmDistrict’s PG13 and 2D Insidious: Chapter 2 (released into 3,049 theaters) trended as Fandango’s top horror pre-seller of the year. And the grosses produced by Blumhouse horrormeisters Jason Blum and Oren Peli on just a $5 million budget were indeed record-breaking: an impressive $20.1M debut Friday (including $1.5M in Thursday’s late shows and...

Elissa Greer has joined indie distributor FilmDistrict as senior vice president of publicity. She will report to Christine Birch, president of marketing, who announced the appointment Monday. Story: FilmDistrict Takes U.S. Rights to 'Dead Man Down,' Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace Greer, who will oversee the company’s domestic theatrical publicity and promotional campaigns, most recently worked on as publicity consultant on such films as Bully, Me and Orson Welles and Precious. Prior to that she held the post of executive vice president of publicity and promotion at New Line Cinema, where she began her career in 1992 as director

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FilmDistrict has hired Elissa Greer as its Svp of Publicity, placing her in charge of the independent distributor's domestic publicity and promotional campaigns. Greer will report to Christine Birch, FilmDistrict's president of marketing. The hiring fills out the senior executive team under Birch. "I'm thrilled to have someone of Elissa's experience join our team at FilmDistrict," Birch said in a statement. "She has built great press and talent relationships throughout her years in the business, and she has a unique understanding of what it takes to build a nimble, aggressive publicity campaign in...