Lionsgate has named film executive Joe Drake co-chair of its Motion Picture Group, the company announced Thursday.
Drake will team up with co-chair Patrick Wachsberger, who recently signed a new agreement to run Lionsgate’s worldwide motion picture operations. This marks Drake’s return to Lionsgate — he served as co-COO and motion picture group president for five years before founding Good Universe in 2012.
Good Universe cofounder and CEO Nathan Kahane will continue to head the production company under Lionsgate ownership. Under the Lionsgate banner, Kahane will oversee key talent partnerships, which includes Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver’s Point Grey Pictures and Fede Alvarez’s Bad Hombre.
“We’re delighted to welcome Joe and Nathan, entrepreneurs with a great track record, back to Lionsgate,” said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer and Vice Chairman Michael Burns. “Joe is one of the architects of our portfolio film strategy and a perfect fit for our culture. With Joe joining an incredibly talented group of executives, we’ve assembled a team with unparalleled knowledge of the global film marketplace while at the same time strengthening our relationships with best-in-class talent and continuing the diversification of our content platform.”
At Good Universe, Drake and Kahane worked with Point Grey on films including “Neighbors,” “The Night Before,” “The Disaster Artist” and the upcoming Charlize Theron comedy “Flarsky.”
The deal was negotiated by Sheppard Mullin, Richter & Hampton and Lionsgate Co-COO Brian Goldsmith and General Counsel & Chief Strategic Officer Wayne Levin for Lionsgate. It was negotiated by O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Good Universe’s Michael Meyer and Jeremy Needleman for Good Universe.