Michael Wright, the outgoing President and Head of Programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, is opening a new career chapter with a clean slate, taking a top feature job at Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studios. His hire as CEO as of January 3 will fill the void left by the departure of DreamWorks chairman and CEO Stacey Snider, who will exit at the beginning of January, likely for the long-rumored job at 20th Century Fox.
Despite Wright’s background, which is entirely in television, his job will be focused on features as he will have responsibility for the creative aspects of DreamWorks’ motion picture business, reporting to Spielberg. Wright will have no involvement in Spielberg’s successful TV production company, the independent Amblin TV, which will remain in its current structure as a partnership between Spielberg, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, with Falvey and Frank running it. The company has seven series on the air, plus Halo, which is taking flight, a big Minority Report pitch and pilot Lumen with a blinking green light at TNT.
It was through Amblin’s relationship at TNT, where the company has two series — Falling Skies and the upcoming Public Morals — as well as Lumen, in addition to previous miniseries Into The West, that Spielberg got to know Wright and decided to entrust him with the top position in his feature company. First off for Wright will be to learn more about the film business. He will work with the team that is in place: Jeff Small, president and COO; Holly Bario, president, production, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producer. “I have had the pleasure of working alongside Michael for many years and have come to know him as a talented executive whose creative vision, leadership, and passion are a perfect fit for our company,” Spielberg said. “He has a keen understanding of storytelling and how to deliver those stories in every shape and size, regardless of platform. I am delighted to welcome him to DreamWorks Studios.”
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It is not a very busy time at DreamWorks, partnered with India’s Reliance, as the studio has paired down its movie output in the past couple of years. In the past year it has had the Aaron Paul-starrer Need For Speed, the videogame adaptation that grossed $43.6M domestically. Last month came The Hundred-Foot Journey, which has grossed $42.1M to date. It begins production this month on The Light Between Oceans, with Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Rachel Weisz starring and Derek Cianfrance directing his scripted adaptation of the M.L. Stedman novel. It also is in talks with Margot Robbie to star in the Rupert Sanders-directed Ghost In The Shell.
In addition, Spielberg has two pics in the mix. One is the untitled Cold War spy project starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan in the story of James Donovan, an attorney sent by the CIA to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot. Filming is set to start next month in New York and Berlin. Following that is the children’s fantasy adventure The BFG, an adaptation of the Roald Dahl children’s book.
Snider first worked with Spielberg while DreamWorks was based at Universal and left her post as Universal Pictures chairwoman to run DreamWorks in 2006, following the company’s move to Paramount. “Stacey Snider has been an important part of my life for two decades and I want to acknowledge her many accomplishments at the company as well as her friendship and counsel which have been so important to me,” Spielberg said. “I’d also like to expre
ss my appreciation for her guidance and support throughout the transition.”Wright, who had been a contender to replace Steve Koonin as head of Turner Entertainment Networks, left TNT on a high as the cable network logged its strongest summer performance in half a decade, ranking as the No. 1 basic cable network in primetime. Its ratings success was fueled by launching a breakout hit in The Last Ship and solid deliveries by Rizzoli & Isles and Major Crimes. During his 12 years at Turner, Wright also oversaw development of The Closer, Falling Skies and Cold Justice, TBS’ King Of The Nerds and the network’s off-network acquisition of The Big Bang Theory. He was also part of the team that recruited Conan O’Brien for a late-night show on TBS.
This has to be a joke. The man oversaw programming at two networks in the golden age of American television. The net result of that is exactly zero shows anyone will be talking about in ten years. Zero shows anyone was talking about at the time. Now he’s at the reigns of a once-prestigious feature studio? Spielberg’s instincts are way, way off on this.
“a once-prestigious feature studio”??? Studios finance and distribute their own movies. DreamWorks gets its money from Reliance, or other co-financiers, and Disney handles the distribution. This is a production company — seems like a lot of staff there for such limited output.
Michael Wright replacing Stacy Snyder? Replacing Stacy Snyder?? How ridiculous a story can this possibly be? He’s no more prepared to replace Stacy Snyder than he is to run a Studio of any size and reach. He navigated a great brand in TNT right into the toilet!
What’s even more ridiculous is Stacey Snider only has two names – – and you got them both wrong…..
Dreamworks is a boutique production company where big movies go to die.
Can’t say that this seems like a sane decision, but then again, I don’t think Steven Spielberg is that closely in control of Dreamworks anymore. Most likely just puts a signature down, and that’s about it.
Congratulations Michael!
b/c he didn’t get the TNT job….
Why does Dreamworks still exist?
This is an amazing choice and it couldn’t happen to a smarter or nicer guy.
The business is changing and Wright is a person who isn’t afraid to try something new.
when has he tried something new? you mean Leverage? Dark Blue? all middle road programming that died out.
Aw, come on. Look at Michael! He’s a perfect man, a golden boy. Don’t know him, wish him well, but if he’s not up to the task, cut the cord quickly. Dreamworks could be sooo much better than it’s been of late. Even the busy TV arm can hardly be deemed highly successful(that’s a whole other story!).
just call it Amblin and merge the two
And Snider gets a job at Fox after squandering every opportunity at Dreamworks. Shit rolls uphill in Hollywood.
Agreed. From Fright Night to I Am Number 4 to the “wikileaks” movie, there’s not one film in Dreamworks 2.0’s lineup that should have been greenlit. NOT ONE! And now this dizzy jackass has a top level job at Fox?!
Fox is fucked.
It is unreal that from Universal, Dreamworks and Fox she has had prestigious positions and accomplished nothing. What does she have that corporate males want her around? What does she bring to the table. I don’t get it.
I have Michael Wright’s old cell phone number and now I know why I’m getting so many calls asking for him and getting voicemails on congratulating me on my new position.
What is it the makes SS seemingly so accomplished. What has she done and is solely responsibly creatively at Dreamworks to be so admired by Fox, or for that matter any other studio. It also seems that she has been leaving ever since they got Reliance funding. How many years ago was that…other then Spielberg’s own movies have there been successful ones lately. As many movies as Spielberg has in them left, I want him to be uncluttered focused happy creative. I think it is best that she is gone. It has been a distraction.
Ridiculous pick to replace Snider. What does he know about making and distributing movies? As for Dreamworks over all, even the the Spielberg films haven’t made money for the company. When Spielberg is getting 20-30% of gross, he’s the only one who makes money.