Ashley Brooks has been tapped to lead Screen Gems, the Sony Pictures division behind the “Resident Evil” and “Insidious” franchises. No deal has been finalized and several other candidates were in the running for the position, but insiders say the job is Brooks’s and a formal announcement is expected soon.
She joins the company from Paramount, where she worked as head of development for Paramount Players, a production label focused on creating comedy and genre. At Screen Gems, Brooks replaces Steve Bursh, who will be leaving the label when his contract expires in December. The decision was made by the executive, who had been with Sony for more than 15 years in various positions.
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Brooks is a longtime executive at Paramount, serving there for more than a decade as executive vice president and later senior executive vice president. Paramount Players was launched by Brian Robbins, who later became studio head in 2017. Last year, the division was transformed into a larger film group.
Brooks also worked as a production and development executive at DreamWorks Animation, the studio behind “Shrek” and “Kung Fu Panda.”
Screen Gems’ previous hits include the films “The Wedding Ringer,” “Dear John,” “Easy A,” “Think Like a Man,” and “Don’t Breathe.” It recently released “Insidious: The Red Door” in July, as well as the action-comedy “The Machine” and “The Pope’s Exorcist,” a horror film with Russell Crowe. Upcoming films include “They Listen,” a horror-thriller from Blumhouse, as well as “Border Patrol” with “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” directed by Johannes Roberts.
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