Emmerich named COO of New Line
Production topper takes over downsized studio
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Wednesday's announcement -- made by Warner Bros. chairman Barry Meyer and president Alan Horn -- had been widely expected since news emerged that Warner was negotiating with Emmerich for the slot (Daily Variety, March 13). Emmerich will report to Horn and work closely with Jeff Robinov, prexy of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Warner, which plans to eliminate most of the 600 New Line jobs, said New Line will maintain its own development, creative and production teams. Its marketing, publicity, distribution, business and legal affairs and physical production will report to Emmerich.
Time Warner announced on Feb. 28 that it was folding New Line into Warner Bros. as part of a move designed to save $50 million annually, with New Line to make six to eight pictures per year with budgets below $50 million -- "The Hobbit" and proposed sequels to "Wedding Crashers" and "Austin Powers" excepted.
With New Line chiefs Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne ankling, initial speculation was that Emmerich would follow quickly.
As part of Wednesday's announcement, however, Horn touted Emmerich's familiarity with New Line.
"Toby has played a major part in New Line's success over the last decade and helped define the company's taste and style in movies," Horn said. "Quite simply, he's a great film executive. He's highly respected, and he has solid relationships across the industry."
Emmerich, who joined New Line in 1992 as a development and music exec, said he plans to continue New Line's history of creating hits in new niches and cited "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Freddy vs. Jason" and "Wedding Crashers" as examples.
Warners is taking over distribution of completed New Line pics. The next New Line titles are "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," which opens in late April, and "Sex and the City: The Movie," which opens at the end of May.
