Gaumont Sets Up U.S. Feature Film Unit

PARIS/LOS ANGELES: Gaumont has established a U.S. feature-film division, naming Johanna Byer to the newly created position of VP of creative affairs to oversee the unit.

In her new position, Byer will draw upon Gaumont’s film library of more than 1,100 titles to develop and produce English-language movies for an international audience. Based in Los Angeles at Gaumont’s U.S. headquarters, Byer will work closely with Paris-based Cecile Gaget, Gaumont’s head of international production, and Los Angeles-based Adam Fishbach, the senior VP of creative affairs. Byer most recently served as VP of development at Working Title Films.

The first four projects currently slated for priority development are Train to Busan, Point Blank, Dead Tired and Barbarella. Gaumont originally unveiled Barbarella as a television project. It will now be moving from Gaumont’s television division to be reimagined as a feature film.

“The creation of this division, with four top-notch projects already on the slate, fits perfectly into Gaumont’s ambition to expand our global footprint with English-language movies, tapping into the network of talent and producers we have established these past few years in the U.S.,” commented Sidonie Dumas, the CEO of Gaumont. “We are delighted to be adding Johanna to the Gaumont team. Her entrepreneurial spirit is refreshing and it’s clear by her optimism and drive that she will be a trailblazer for the next generation of Hollywood.”