How Defiant Studios Banks on a Financing Model With Microbudgets and Emerging Talent

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Producers Eric B. Fleischman and Maurice Fadida are finding success and earning trust with a plan modeled off the folded Paramount division Insurge

Eric B. Fleischman Maurice Fadida Defiant Studios
Maurice Fadida (left) and Eric B. Fleischman of Defiant Studios/Ben Abarbanel

Within the DNA for Defiant Studios, the production banner behind Terry Crews’ 2020 hit “John Henry” and last month’s “Phobias,” are two companies: You’ve definitely heard of the scrappy, microbudget mentality that has made Blumhouse Productions a juggernaut. But you may have forgotten about Insurge, a one-time division of Paramount born with the mission to incubate young, first-time filmmakers. Defiant Studios producer Eric B. Fleischman is a veteran of both companies, and he and partner Maurice Fadida have quietly found success by embracing a model that is built around small-budget genre films from emerging talent and slate financing that mitigates risk and allows for taking more chances on talent.

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