EFM: The fate of Exclusive Media remained unclear on Friday night (7) as it appeared that co-chairmen Nigel Sinclair and Guy East were headed for the exit.

As Alex Walton and his team pressed ahead with sales on, among others, the reconstituted Black Mass project starring Johnny Depp (Tom Hardy is in talks to join), the co-chairs were locked in crisis talks.

While Woman In Black was a bona fide smash, the disappointing global performance of Rush and perhaps more significantly the financial ramifications of Exclusive Media’s top-heavy structure have clearly tested the patience of prime backer Dasym Investment Strategies, the investment vehicle of Dutch mogul John de Mol.

Insiders noted that Sinclair and East, who own part of Exclusive Media, could segue into a producer role on the back of their past successes.

Speculation has inevitably turned to who will now run the company, with the smart money on COO Marc Schipper as the strongest candidate.

On Friday (7) CEO and co-chairman Sinclair issued a statement that read, “Exclusive Media’s management is engaged in collaborative discussions with our partners from Dasym Investment Strategies BV regarding the forward plan for the company.

“We will make an announcement regarding the outcome of these discussions at the appropriate time.”