The horror production house Blumhouse said it has plucked Josh Small from indie studio Annapurna, to be the company’s new chief financial officer.
Small was the CFO at Annapurna, the studio behind “Detroit” and 2018’s “Sorry to Bother You.” Annapurna will promote James Pong in Small’s place.
He joined Annapurna in 2015 after a two-year stint running the operations at Topline Game Labs. Small previously worked at Canon Media Partners, JP Morgan, and Universal Pictures. He is replacing Roland Wieshofer at Blumhouse, and will be tasked with helping continue the company’s expansion into television.
Wieshofer, who played an instrumental role in Blumhouse’s growth, is leaving the company to pursue an opportunity in the start-ups world.
Blumhouse has been aggressively moving into TV, currently producing HBO’s big summer show “Sharp Objects,” starring Amy Adams.
Earlier this week, the first trailer for the Blumhouse-produced Netflix horror series “Ghoul” was released. The studio also has a true crime documentary series, “No One Saw a Thing,” in the works with SundanceTV and its streaming service Sundance Now.
Since joining Annapurna from Sony, Pong has led business development at the company and was responsible for new initiatives, long-term strategy and partnership opportunities. He began his career in investment banking and strategic consulting.
Read Blumhouse president Charles Layton’s email to staff regarding Small’s hiring:
Dear All:
I wanted to share the news that Roland Wieshofer will be leaving the Company over the next month or so. Roland came to me several months ago and told me he wanted to go back to the world where his real passion lies, which is start-ups. I understood and supported his decision. We’ve been working together since to identify his successor.
As the first CFO of Blumhouse, he played an instrumental role in our growth from a glimmer in the eye of Blum to a growing force in both film and television. He also was a key player in launching Operam, an investment of which both he and I are very proud.
He has been a trusted colleague and confidante for more than four years and Jason and I are sincerely grateful for all his contributions to Blumhouse.
At the same time, I am pleased to announce that Josh Small will be joining the company next month as our new CFO. Josh has spent his career advising and managing entertainment companies in all aspects of corporate finance and business strategy. For the past three years he has served as CFO of Annapurna Pictures. Previously, he spent two years as COO of fantasy sports start-up TopLine Game Labs. Earlier, he advised investors and early-stage media companies as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan. He started his career at Universal Pictures on the studio’s business development and strategic planning team.
Josh will begin spending time in the office in the next couple of weeks and he and Roland will be working together on the transition. I know you will join Jason and me in welcoming Josh to Blumhouse and wishing Roland all the best in what comes next.
'Hereditary' and 9 Other Indie Horror Films to Watch Next (Photos)
The best scares always come from unexpected places. In the last few years, there have been a spate of indie horror films that have broken into the mainstream. Without the same star power or effects as your typical studio horror film, these scary movies rely on mood, style and character to create a feeling of dread, rather than jump scares. The latest is “Hereditary,” the debut film of Ari Aster that premiered at Sundance and is quickly earning a reputation as one of the scariest movies ever. If after seeing it you have a renewed taste for fright, here are nine other recent horror gems that use their modest scale to their advantage.
A24
“The Witch”
Set in 1630s New England, a family is banished from their village and starts to unravel when their baby vanishes. Starring “Split’s” Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Eggers creates a world devoid of God in this thunderous and bleak religious melodrama.
A24
“Green Room”
Released in the wake of Anton Yelchin’s untimely passing, Jeremy Saulnier’s “Green Room” is a grizzly and intense thriller in which a young punk rock band witnesses a murder and fights off a group of Neo Nazis, led by Patrick Stewart no less. Saulnier expertly contains conflict, depth and gore within small confines.
A24
“It Follows”
“It Follows” takes the horror trope of getting punished for having sex to a new level. This monster slowly stalks you when you sleep with the wrong person, and the only way to pass it on is to bed another partner. It’s a film about guilt that forever haunts you and the fear of being watched. And check out the haunting synth score by Disasterpiece.
RADiUS-TWC
“The Babadook”
The monster at the center of “The Babadook” is a personal demon, not a literal one. Essie Davis is insanely good as a single mother on the brink of a mental breakdown as she attempts to care for her troubled young son. Jennifer Kent’s drama is a psychological heavyweight that examines how parents feed their demons to quell the pain.
IFC Films
“Goodnight Mommy”
This elegant, yet sadistic horror film from Austria resembles Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games,” yet the home invader was under the victims’ noses all along. A mother undergoes reconstructive facial surgery, but her two twin boys don’t recognize the woman beneath her bandages.
RADiUS-TWC
“Under the Skin”
Scarlett Johansson gives the most daring performance of her career in Jonathan Glazer’s surreal, experimental film. Johansson plays something between an android and alien symbiote who seduces men in order to envelop them in a dark, infinite pool of nothingness.
A24
“Only Lovers Left Alive”
Leave it to Jim Jarmusch to make the coolest vampire movie ever. “Only Lovers Left Alive” drips with style, wisdom and ironic humor as Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton play hip, immortal layabouts. The fact they’re vampires might just be an excuse for them to wear sunglasses indoors.
Sony Pictures Classics
“The Invitation”
Karyn Kusama is a rapidly rising female director, and for good reason. Her film “The Invitation" plays on agitation and insecurities between a group of old friends and some suspicious strangers at a lavish dinner party. It would be fascinating for just the unnerving dread of an awkward gathering of friends, but Kusama then provides the film a killer twist.
Drafthouse Films
"It Comes at Night"
The only monsters we ever see in "It Comes at Night" are the ones that live under one roof. Trey Edward Schultz's moody, atmospheric thriller plays on our country's present division and how mistrust in others can come back to harm us.
A24
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From ”It Follows“ to ”The Babadook,“ these horror gems didn’t have blockbuster budgets
The best scares always come from unexpected places. In the last few years, there have been a spate of indie horror films that have broken into the mainstream. Without the same star power or effects as your typical studio horror film, these scary movies rely on mood, style and character to create a feeling of dread, rather than jump scares. The latest is “Hereditary,” the debut film of Ari Aster that premiered at Sundance and is quickly earning a reputation as one of the scariest movies ever. If after seeing it you have a renewed taste for fright, here are nine other recent horror gems that use their modest scale to their advantage.