Paramount Pictures has named longtime Lionsgate executive Shaun Barber as head of domestic theatrical distribution.
In his new role, he’ll oversee the studio’s North American distribution strategy and operations for all big-screen releases, including this December’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” and upcoming titles like “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” and “Aang: The Last Airbender”.
Barber is taking over for Chris Aronson, the veteran executive who is exiting his role at Paramount on Dec. 1 amid the executive shakeup surrounding the company’s $8 billion merger with Skydance.
Barber, who begins on Dec. 1, will work closely with the studio’s international theatrical distribution chief Mark Viane. Both Barber and Viane will report directly to Josh Goldstine, Paramount’s newly appointed president of global marketing and distribution.
“Shaun is a deeply respected leader who has spent his career building meaningful partnerships across exhibition and the industry at large,” Goldstine said. “He brings extensive expertise in domestic distribution strategy and will help us strengthen our theatrical business and deliver exceptional experiences for moviegoers.”
Barber was most recently at Lionsgate as co-president of worldwide theatrical distribution. During his 18-year tenure at Lionsgate and its subsidiary Summit Entertainment, he worked on blockbuster franchises including “John Wick,” “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight,” as well as original hits like “Knives Out,” “La La Land” and “The Hurt Locker.”
Barber began his career at 20th Century Fox in New York City before moving to Los Angeles in 1998 to work at Warner Bros. There, he spent nearly a decade in theatrical distribution and worked on films such as “Harry Potter,” “The Matrix,” “Batman Begins” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” He joined Summit Entertainment in 2007 and helped launch the domestic distribution arm of the company, which was acquired by Lionsgate in 2012.
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
“I’m honored to join Paramount Pictures at this defining moment in its storied history,” Barber said. “I look forward to collaborating with the exceptional team guiding the studio’s next phase of growth. Together with our exhibition partners, we’re committed to championing and elevating the power of the theatrical experience for audiences everywhere.”
From Variety US