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Good Universe has made several key hires and promotions as it seeks to ramp up a production slate for 2014.
Erin Westerman, who served as an executive at Disney where she oversaw Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland, has been brought on as vp production while Cristen Carr Strubbe has been tapped as senior vp physical production.
Meanwhile, Spencer Wong, who was previously director of development, has been promoted to vp production, and Jeremy Needelman has been named senior vp strategy, finance and accounting.
Westerman was well-regarded at Disney, where she oversaw films such as the upcoming Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and Rob Marshall’s all-star adaptation of Into the Woods. She also helped build and shepherd The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Prom and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3. Westerman will be responsible for bringing in new projects as well as managing her productions on the company’s slate.
Carr Strubbe is a veteran line producer and production manager whose numerous credits range from Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell and Oz the Great and Powerful to Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige and Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. She most recently worked on Showtime’s Ray Donovan. At Good Universe, Carr Strubbe, who got her start in the production offices of the ’80s cult classics Critters and Reform School Girls, will run all aspects of the company’s physical production matters.
Wong currently is overseeing an untitled comedy to be directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg and produced by the duo as well as Point Grey’s Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver; and the sci-fi/romance Departure, written and to be directed by Billy Ray and produced by Jim Whitaker. Wong worked at Lionsgate before Good Universe and started his career at CAA.
“This group epitomizes the entrepreneurial and creative thinking that is the cornerstone of our business,” said company co-founders Nathan Kahane and Joe Drake. “Erin and Cristen are each bringing such breadth of experience and fresh pairs of eyes to our team. Spencer and Jeremy have each demonstrated true leadership in shaping the evolution of our company.”
Good Universe’s recent productions include Last Vegas, the hit comedy starring Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro, released by CBS Films, and Oldboy, which starred Josh Brolin. Among its upcoming releases are Neighbors, starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, which Universal will open May 9.
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