Longtime DreamWorks Chief Financial Officer Larry Wasserman has joined David Ellison‘s Skydance Productions in the same post.
In the newly created role, he will oversee Skydance’s finance, accounting and administrative operations. He’ll also support the analysis and execution of new initiatives.
The move comes two weeks after veteran TV executive Michael Wright was announced as the new CEO at DreamWorks, replacing Stacey Snider who will leave the company at the beginning of January. A DreamWorks spokeswoman said that the company would issue an announcement related to Wasserman’s departure later this week.
“I am thrilled to welcome Larry Wasserman to the Skydance family,” said Ellison, who’s the CEO of Skydance. “Larry’s wealth of knowledge and depth of experience make him the perfect addition to our company as we continue to grow and expand our film and television business.”
Wasserman spent a decade at DreamWorks in a variety of senior posts. He’s credited with securing over $1 billion in financing for the company in 2008, working with Reliance Entertainment and an 11-bank syndicate led by JPMorgan Chase.
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Before joining DreamWorks, Wasserman spent several years in business development and strategic planning at Universal Pictures, where he managed the deal analysis process and evaluated strategic expansion opportunities.
“David Ellison is building a dynamic next-generation media company, and has set Skydance on an amazing trajectory,” Wasserman said, “I’m excited to be joining David and his team at a time of rapid growth and incredible potential.”
Ellison founded Skydance in 2010 and raised $350 million to co-finance and co-produce movies with Paramount. He launched Skydance Television last year, hiring Marcy Ross as its head.
Under the Paramount deal, Skydance has backed “True Grit,” “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “World War Z.”
Skydance recently wrapped production on the reimagining of the Terminator franchise, with “Terminator: Genisys” set for a July 1 release through Paramount. The studio recently set release dates for sequels in 2016 and 2017.
Skydance is also in production on Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible 5” and will start production later this year on “Star Trek 3,” with Roberto Orci set to direct, as well as disaster film “Geostorm” with Dean Devlin directing.
Skydance’s television division recently premiered its first series “Manhattan” on WGN America. Its 13-episode comedy series “Grace and Frankie,” starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and written and created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, will premiere on Netflix next year.
