Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Taps Warner Bros. Vet Jay Levine as CEO

“With Jay at the helm, working closely with our seasoned leadership team, we’re going to keep setting the standard,” Hart says

Jay Levine
Jay Levine (Courtesy Warner Media)

Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat has tapped longtime Warner Bros. executive Jay Levine as CEO. He takes over for Hart, who served in the role as interim chief after Thai Randolph exited in November.

“With Jay’s extensive background, leadership and relationships, we will continue to build on our successes and bring value to our partners and consumers across all of our businesses,” Hart said in a statement Tuesday. “With Jay at the helm, working closely with our seasoned leadership team, we’re going to keep setting the standard!”

Levine echoed Hart’s sentiments, adding, “Kevin is a one-of-a-kind trailblazer in this industry. I am honored to partner with him to further scale and build Hartbeat’s businesses. I look forward to working with the team, along with all of Hartbeat’s incredible partners and brands, as we set out to take the company to the next level.”

Hartbeat is responsible for multiple recent Hart movies, including “Die Hart,” “The Man From Toronto,” “Me Time,” “Fatherhood,” “Night School” and, most recently, “Lift,” as well as many of the comedian’s stand-up specials.

Meanwhile, Levine was previously Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Business Operations at Warner Bros. He left WarnerMedia in October 2022 once it was acquired by Discovery and became Warner Bros. Discovery.

Also in 2022, Hart merged Hartbeat Productions and Laugh Out Loud into one entity, which now operates through three arms: Hartbeat Studios, Hartbeat Media and Pulse. Hartbeat also boasts notable production deals with Netflix and Peacock.

Upcoming projects for Hartbeat include the revival of “Comic View” for BET+, “Prom Dates” for Hulu, “Fight Night” starring Hart, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson and Terrence Howard and “The Backup” with Keke Palmer.

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