Former WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt has launched a new production company, The Green Room, and has set up shop at Lionsgate, where he will develop and produce TV projects under a new first-look deal. As part of the pact, Jon Wu will join Greenblatt to serve as a producer and The Green Room’s head of filmed content.
The Greenblatt deal was announced Tuesday by Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs.
Greenblatt has been busy since departing WarnerMedia in August; prior to the Lionsgate deal, he had already been setting up projects around town including NBC’s upcoming “Annie Live!” — a new take on the musical, starring Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr., Nicole Scherzinger and Titus Burgess — which will air on Dec. 2.
The deal is a major get for Lionsgate, given Greenblatt’s successful and prolific output over the years as both a producer and executive. Most recently at WarnerMedia Entertainment, early programming hits to come out of his oversight included the Emmy-nominated HBO Max series “Hacks,” “The Flight Attendant” and the heralded “Friends” reunion special.
Previously, as chairman of NBC Entertainment, projects developed under his watch included Dick Wolf’s “Chicago” trilogy, “The Blacklist,” “The Good Place,” “This Is Us” and “The Voice,” as well as a string of live musical events, starting with “The Sound of Music Live.” Greenblatt also worked closely with Lionsgate during his time as entertainment president at Showtime, which found success with Lionsgate-produced shows such as “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie.”
“I’m proud to welcome Bob to the Lionsgate family,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. “During the more than 30 years I’ve known him, he has been associated with some of the most iconic television shows in history, and his creative talent relationships and instincts for great IP are second to none. He brings to our television business a major studio and world-class platform perspective that will help to continue driving our growth.”
As a producer, Greenblatt’s credits include “Six Feet Under” (for which he won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award, among other accolades) and “The Hughleys.” And as an head of primetime programming at Fox, he helped usher in series such as “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Melrose Place” and “The X-Files.” Greenblatt is also a prolific theater producer, winning Tony awards for “Dear Evan Hansen” and “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” as well as the Olivier Award for “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“After working with them on hits like ‘Weeds’ and ‘Nurse Jackie,’ this felt like the most fitting and entrepreneurial creative home for my next chapter,” Greenblatt said. “I’m awed by their tenacity and track record as visionaries who are passionate about our business… what I love about Lionsgate is that they are really an independent studio and they manage to set up significant projects all over town. I am also joining the company of some very distinguished producers.”
Wu will join the company in October. He was most recently at Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine shingle, where he served as vice president of film and TV and oversaw projects including Apple TV Plus’ “The Morning Show” and “Surface.” He also executive produced the feature “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Before that, he was based at 20th Century Fox, working on features such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Deadpool 2” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” He began his career at WME Entertainment.
“I’m also thrilled to welcome Jon Wu to the new company and I look forward to our collaboration with all of the Lionsgate teams,” Greenblatt added.