Roadside Attractions restructures for the new era

There’s been a considerable shakeup at Roadside Attractions in preparation for the ‘changing theatrical marketplace’. In particular, we’ve seen high-profile exits from their marketing and distribution executives. We turned to Brandon Blake, an entertainment attorney with Blake & Wang P.A, for more details. 

 

What’s driving the shakeup? According to co-presidents and co-founders Eric d’Arbeloff and Howard Cohen, there’s a need to restructure for the near-term future as we navigate the new theatrical marketplace. Despite their recent decision regarding their other subsidiary, Starz, Lionsgate will not be changing its 40% stake in the studio even with the upheaval. 

 

At the moment, it doesn’t look as though the existing roles of Head of Marketing (Dennis O’Connor) and Senior VP of Publicity (David Pollick) will be replaced. Instead, ‘veteran team members’ will be adding different duties to their slates. 

 

 

                                                               Brandon Blake


Roadside Attractions’ 2022 slate should start strong, peppered with Cannes Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival acquisitions. It’s well within the typical fare for Roadside, which has something of a reputation as an ‘Indie Smart House’, with higher-tier filmmakers banking on their Oscar-winning reputation in bringing their (to date) half-billion in Box Office takings to life. Let’s also not forget that Roadside Attraction has been the funnel for several Lionsgate career starts, including Jennifer Lawrence in her debut in Winter’s Bone, leading to her eventual Hunger Games success. Best known for double Oscar winner Manchester by the Sea and Judy, the source of Renee Zellweger’s second Oscar win, Roadside Attraction has also had a few runs at early VOD distribution models. 

 

It will be interesting how this company-wide shakeup will result in the promised revitalization for the new theatrical era. Despite the announcement of new and outgoing appointments, we haven’t been given much of a glimpse into these planned changes or how they will function practically. We will, however, be keeping an interested eye on the studio.

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