Thomas Rothman, former chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment Group, is set to head Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, replacing Amy Pascal, who enjoyed a nine-year stint as the company's movie chief.
Pascal, who had a meteoric rise in the company, was forced to step down after the Sony Pictures hacking controversy, which led to a PR nightmare for the executive. Hacked emails exposed Pascal's disparaging remarks against Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie.
Pascal and producer Scott Rudin had also joked about President Obama's choice in movies, suggesting films that had black men as leads, in the racially charged mails that were leaked publicly by the cyber attackers.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Sony Pictures named Rothman as the new head of Sony's TriStar Productions. It was during Rothman's stint as CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment that Avatar, the highest-grossing movie ever, was released.
"Tom's creativity, strong talent relationships and track record of enduring films and commercial success are unparalleled in this industry and exactly what we are looking for to grow our film business," said Michael Lynton, Sony Pictures CEO.
The 60-year-old Rothman, who loves challenges, is looking forward to his new role.
"I have had the pleasure of working closely with the exceptionally talented teams at SPE for the past year, and I am excited to build on those relationships in this new role," revealed Rothman.
With Sony Pictures attempting to re-launch and revive its popular Spider-Man and Ghostbusters franchises, Rothman could well be the man for the job. When Rothman had taken over the leadership at Fox Filmed Entertainment in 2000, the company was yet to launch its popular X-Men and Planet of the Apes franchises.
Rothman's Midas touch, as well as his rapport with Hollywood A-Listers like Jodie Foster and George Clooney, is seen as one of the primary reasons for his selection over rival candidates Michael De Luca and Doug Belgrad.
Pascal, for her part, will shift to another role within the company and aid Rothman in his transition.
