Paramount Pictures named former New Line Cinema govt Daria Cercek and former 20th Century Studios govt Michael Ireland as co-presidents of manufacturing on the studio Thursday.
Both Cercek and Ireland will report back to Paramount movement image group president Emma Watts. Ireland joined the studio in late November, and Cercek begins her place efficient Jan. 11.
“I’m thrilled to be working again with both Daria and Mike,” Watts stated in a press release. “The key to success is having the right team, and having watched Daria and Mike grow over the years, I am quite confident their combined creativity, enthusiasm and extensive talent relationships will be a huge windfall for Paramount. They believe passionately in people and projects, which makes for better films.”
Cercek joins Paramount from New Line Cinema, the place she served as govt vp of manufacturing and improvement. In her function, she most lately oversaw Olivia Wilde’s upcoming subsequent movie “Don’t Worry Darling” starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles and Chris Pine.
“I am absolutely over the moon to be joining the incredible team at Paramount, and working again with some of my most esteemed and beloved friends and colleagues,” Cercek stated in a press release. “It is truly an honor to step into this role alongside Mike at such a historic studio, and to continue the legacy of making top-notch movies with world-class talent.”
Cercek was previously senior vp of manufacturing and improvement at Twentieth Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), having risen by means of the ranks after beginning as a artistic govt in 2010. During her eight years there, she oversaw such movies as “The Heat,” “The Other Woman” and “Spy,” in addition to the final three movies within the X-Men franchise. She was beforehand an govt for Scott Stuber when he had his manufacturing firm at Universal, and previous to that labored for Paula Wagner throughout her time as CEO of United Artists. Cercek started her profession as a literary assistant at William Morris in New York earlier than shifting to the motion-picture-lit division at CAA.
Ireland, who graduated with a level in screenwriting from USC, started his profession as a community govt at MTV in 2003. He joined Leonardo DiCaprio’s manufacturing firm, Appian Way, in 2007, the place he helped develop tasks together with “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
He left Appian Way to hitch Twentieth Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) in 2012, the place he was most lately senior vp of manufacturing and oversaw a slate of movies together with the upcoming Ryan Reynolds action-comedy “Free Guy.”
“I wanted to avoid saying I’m thrilled and excited because that’s what everyone says,” Ireland stated in a press release. “But I truly am thrilled and excited to be reunited with Emma, Jim [Gianopulos, chairman and CEO] and Daria at Paramount. Like the studio itself, they have a history of embracing big ideas and taking risks on new talent. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I feel like I’m home.”
