Tom Rothman to lead Sony film group

Rothman beat out president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group and president of Columbia Pictures Doug Belgrad to the role and takes over from Amy Pascal.

The latter was given her marching orders in the wake of the Sony hack scandal and is expected to vacate her role as SPE co-chairman and chairman of SPE’s motion picture group imminently as she segues into a producer role on the lot.

Pascal publicly admitted at the Women In The World conference in San Francisco shortly after her departure that she had been fired.

Rothman brings undisputed leadership ability, strong talent relations and a reputation for watching the bottom line closely. He will report to SPE chairman and CEO Michael Lynton, whose contract as SPE chairman and CEO and as CEO of Sony Entertainment has been extended in a show of faith by Sony Corp’s Japanese leadership.

According to the studio Rothman will continue “for the near term” to oversee TriStar Productions and its slate of films, which includes Ricki And The Flash, Billy Lynn, Money Monster and The Walk. 

Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures Television, will continue to report directly to Lynton.

“Tom has had an extraordinary career and we are thrilled to have him run the Motion Picture Group,” said Lynton. “Tom’s creativity, strong talent relationships and track record of enduring films and commercial success are unparalleled in this industry and exactly what we are looking for to grow our film business.

“Having run Fox Filmed Entertainment during a time of great successes and growth for that studio, and then producing at TriStar here at SPE, Tom knows this business inside and out like few others do.”

“I am grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to lead the Motion Picture Group,” said Rothman. “I have had the pleasure of working closely with the exceptionally talented teams at SPE for the past year, and I am excited to build on those relationships in this new role.

“I want to thank Michael and Amy for their support ever since I came to the lot with TriStar. I am thrilled at this rare opportunity to lead the Motion Picture Group at such an exciting and transformative time for the studio.”

Rothman has led TriStar Productions since late 2013. He served as chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment from 2000-2012. He founded Fox Searchlight, led worldwide production for the Samuel Goldwyn Company from 1989-1994, worked at Columbia Pictures from 1987-1989 and was an entertainment lawyer and independent producer.