Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse director Peter Ramsey has been tapped as one of the directors for Lucasfilm’s latest Disney+ Star Wars series, Ahsoka. Ramsey will direct at least one episode of the live-action series, which focuses on Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Padawan, played by Rosario Dawson in The Mandalorian and introduced in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The series is being written by Dave Filoni, who also serves as exec producer with Jon Favreau. The cast will include Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Hayden Christensen as Anakin and Ray Stevenson as an unnamed villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story.
Ramsey is also keeping busy as an executive producer on the Sony animation sequel Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse. His directing and producing credits also include DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians, Sony/Lion Forge’s Oscar-winning short Hair Love, Netflix citizenship series We the People and upcoming hybrid limited series Lost Ollie. He is repped by Verve and attorney Todd Stern.
Berlin-based animation and content studio Woodblock (woodblock.tv) has announced that senior media and marketing executive Kai Fischer will be joining the team as Chief Commercial Officer. His efforts will be focused on business development and commercial partnerships, further developing the Woodblock brand and accelerating IP business.
“I was drawn in by Woodblock’s raw creative talent, executional excellence and company culture that’s second to none. Impact and business-wise, I’d say that the sky’s the limit for the Woodblock family — and I really want to help write the next chapter of their success story,” commented Fischer. “I’m particularly excited to collaborate creatively with people on all levels and from various businesses and backgrounds. Furthermore, I’m really looking forward to helping Woodblock grow and tell great stories with amazing partners that have world-changing impact.”
Fischer brings over 15 years of experience in digital and entertainment, content creation, business development and commerce to his new post. He has built business partnerships with more than 80 companies, aiding them to create long-lasting impact for their customers, business and society — notably an impressive host of brands and media companies, including AOL Germany, ADAC (Europe’s largest automobile club), and ProSiebenSat.1 (one of the continent’s largest media corporations). One of his latest endeavors was building the branded entertainment business from scratch at Constantin Film, one of Germany’s most important independent filmmakers and distributors.
BREAK+ENTER (breakenter.io), the Nice Shoes visual effects company behind Pennyworth (Epix) and Dexter: New Blood (Showtime), has appointed Camille Geier as Executive Producer. A widely-esteemed industry stalwart, Geier brings more than 20 years of top-level experience spanning features, episodic television and advertising. She will lead the studio’s creative, production and sales teams, overseeing current operations, directing sales and setting strategic direction. Geier’s initial priority will be to raise the studio’s profile among studios, streaming services and networks
“We have a phenomenal core group of artists and plenty of resources to work with in expanding the business. It’s exciting and feels like the right place for me,” Geier observed. “It’s a well-oiled machine. We have top-notch systems in place and expertise across creative, production and the technology that give us the capabilities of a much larger studio.”
Geier joins BREAK+ENTER after five years as EP at BOT VFX, where her credits included The Tragedy of Macbeth, Stranger Things, Lovecraft Country, Dexter: New Blood, The Mandalorian, The Watchmen and The Boys. Previously, she held senior management positions with Click 3X, Curious Pictures, Rodeo FX and Rhino (Gravity). Geier’s early career experience includes seven years at Industrial Light & Magic. There, she produced visual effects for Gangs of New York, Starship Troopers, Van Helsing and other blockbusters.
Multi-discipline post production company OKAY STUDIO (okaystudio.co.uk) announces two exciting new hires to broaden the depth of their young team. “2021 was an incredible year with us significantly growing our team and client list. 2022 is all about adding some exclamation marks with key creative hires and doubling down on all the amazing work the team has put out last year,” said MD and Co-Founder Nikolaj Belzer.
Josh Sanders will be joining OKAY as Executive Producer, from Droga 5. His four-and-a-half years as a senior producer at Droga followed a successful run at agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and The & Partnership. Prior to that, Sanders worked at production companies MJZ and Stink. He has worked on a number of award-winning campaigns with directors Andreas Nilsson and Jeff Low, as well as comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!).
Carla Thomas joins the expanding production team at OKAY STUDIO as Producer. She brings with her a wealth of experience, having previously worked at MPC, Cheat and Nomad. The studio notes that Thomas’ “infectious enthusiasm, fierce work ethic and natural warmth — together with her profound knowledge of different post disciplines — make her the perfect addition to the team.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced the promotion of Shannon Spisak to her new role as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Spisak, who previously held the role of Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, will spearhead all marketing-related activities for the company.
Spisak will report directly to the CEO & President of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Susan Brandt, and will be involved as part of the DSE executive management team, helping to move the business forward while continuing to support its strategic vision. Additionally, Spisak will play a key role in helping to develop the company’s product, marketing, creative, social media, and business plans. As an industry veteran, Spisak will continue to help the company evolve and expand the Dr. Seuss brand platform, while developing strategic, 360-degree marketing programs that create excitement, retail opportunities and collaboration moments with key partners.
Additionally, three new hires have been announced at Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Vienna Downes will join the team as the Senior Director of Licensing and Sales, leaning on her extensive experience in orchestrating winning business initiatives and innovative licensing programs. Raquel Ojalvo is also joining the team as the Director of Retail Sales. She brings 10+ years of experience in entertainment licensing and sales, focusing on new business development and category management. Jimeka Broussard has been hired as Licensing Manager, and brings to the team a background in budget, product and contract management that has propelled her performance to deliver best-in-class results.
Paramount Global announced Pam Kaufman will take on the role of President, Consumer Products and Experiences, effective immediately. In addition to leading the Consumer Products business representing well over $5.5 billion in worldwide retail revenue, Kaufman will now have oversight across the Paramount global portfolio of Live Experiences including Hotels, Resorts, Theme Parks, Tours and Broadway, as well as VidCon and Gaming. She continues to report to Brian Robbins (President and CEO, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon and Chief Content Officer, Kids & Family, Paramount+) and Raffaele Annecchino (President and CEO, Paramount International Networks, Studios and Streaming).
Kaufman will add these new responsibilities to those in her current Consumer Products role which includes managing worldwide product merchandising and licensing as well as business development, marketing, franchise planning, creative strategy, retail sales and consumer insights. Additionally, the company announced its launch into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), in a collaborative cross-functional effort driven by Consumer Products, to bring some of the biggest Paramount’s franchises and beloved characters to the metaverse.
Her oversight covers the global Paramount portfolio including blockbuster franchises PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Avatar, Star Trek and South Park.
