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Sarah Schechter Elevated to Newly Created Role of Chairwoman and Partner at Berlanti Productions; David Madden Named President, Will Spearhead Television Operations


WEBWIRE
  • Berlanti Productions — the prolific television and film production company founded by Emmy®, Golden Globe, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award–nominated writer, producer and director Greg Berlanti — today announced that Sarah Schechter, who has served as President of the company for six years and oversees both television and film, has been elevated to the newly created position of Chairwoman and Partner.
  • Additionally, former AMC Networks and FOX Broadcasting Company President David Madden has joined Berlanti Productions as its new President, spearheading the company’s television operations. He will report to Berlanti and Schechter.
  • Greg Berlanti said:


“Sarah is simply the best at what she does. I am inspired by her leadership, passion, smarts and vision every day. I’m grateful for everything she has done for this company, and I’m beyond thrilled all of our shows, and everyone who works so hard on them, will continue to benefit from her immense talent for years to come.”
“I’ve admired Dave since we first worked together for his creative insight and his warm and beloved leadership style. Sarah and I couldn’t be happier that he has chosen to join us as we continue to build the TV side of our company.”
 

  • Berlanti Productions’ television business is based at Warner Bros. Television Group, under an exclusive multi-year overall deal that runs through 2024.
  • Warner Bros. Television’s Peter Roth, Susan Rovner and Brett Paul said: “Berlanti Productions is synonymous with creative excellence, and all of us at Warner Bros. are both honored and privileged to be associated with Greg and his entire team. Crucial to the company’s extraordinary success is the incomparable Sarah Schechter. Sarah is an exceptional producer, and we are delighted that she will continue to lead this company with Greg. We are also very excited to welcome the outstanding David Madden to Berlanti Productions. The sky is truly the limit for this group, and we look forward to our storied and very successful collaboration for many years to come.”
  • Schechter joined Berlanti Productions in February 2014 and has played an instrumental role in the growth of the company during her tenure. At the time, Berlanti Productions was producing “Arrow” and “The Tomorrow People” for The CW and developing the pilot for “The Flash.” As of February 2020, the company produces a record 20 television series across seven outlets, including 19 live-action scripted series and one unscripted docuseries. On the film side, Schechter produced Joe Wright’s “Pan,” as well as the upcoming Shawn Levy–directed “Free Guy,” starring Ryan Reynolds.
  • A highly respected programming executive and producer, Madden joins Berlanti Productions after most recently serving as President of Programming, Entertainment Networks, at AMC Networks. In that role, he oversaw all program development and production for the AMC, BBC America, IFC, and Sundance TV channels, as well as AMC Studios. Prior to that, Madden worked for nearly two decades at FOX, rising to President of Entertainment for the FOX Broadcasting Company after having previously served as President of FOX Television Studios.
  • Sarah Schechter said: “I’m beyond excited and honored to be taking on this new role at the company I love so much. These past six years working alongside Greg have been the most creatively satisfying of my career. He is the most extraordinary partner and friend anyone could ask for. I’m constantly inspired by his talent and his kindness. I’m also very grateful to Susan Rovner, Brett Paul, Peter Roth, Ann Sarnoff and everyone at WBTV for their support and friendship. I am thrilled to have Dave Madden joining us and our brilliant team. He is one of the most respected leaders in the television industry, and I’m confident he will help us take the TV business to new heights.”
  • David Madden said: “Ever since leaving AMC, I’d been looking for an opportunity to return to my roots in producing, to get closer to the shows and work more meaningfully with the showrunners. What better way to accomplish that than by joining the most prolific television production company in the business, and at the same time to work for two of the nicest and smartest people around? I’m an enormous admirer of the Berlanti brand, of the range and quality of their shows. After this little break, I am more than ready to dive in.”
  • Madden comes to Berlanti Productions as the company is preparing new DC drama “Superman & Lois,” ordered direct to series by The CW, as well as broadcast network pilots “The Brides” (from “Riverdale’s” Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa) for ABC and “Kung Fu” (from “Blindspot’s” Christina M. Kim and Martin Gero) for The CW. The company also produced the “Arrow”-verse backdoor pilot “Green Arrow and the Canaries” (which aired as an episode of “Arrow”) for The CW. For cable and streaming, Berlanti Productions is readying the Showtime pilot “Spoonbenders” (from Stephen Falk), and developing “Green Lantern” and “Strange Adventures” for HBO Max, among many other projects.
  • Current series produced by the company include The CW Network’s “Arrow”-verse of DCTV dramas: “Arrow” (which completed its eight-season run in January 2020), “Batwoman,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash” and “Supergirl.” The company also produces “All American,” “Black Lightning,” “Katy Keene” and “Riverdale” for The CW, “Blindspot” for NBC, “God Friended Me” for CBS, “Prodigal Son” for FOX, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” “The Girls on the Bus” and “You” for Netflix, “Doom Patrol” for DC Universe and HBO Max simultaneously, “Stargirl” for DC Universe (with next-day broadcast on The CW), “Titans” for DC Universe, plus “The Flight Attendant” and docuseries “EQUAL” for HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service.
  • Prior to joining Berlanti Productions, Schechter spent nine years at Warner Bros. Pictures, serving as senior vice president of production. During her tenure at Warner Bros., she oversaw films such as Spike Jonze’s “Her” and Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino.” Other projects include Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows,” “Invictus,” “J. Edgar,” “Life As We Know It” (directed by Berlanti), “I Am Legend” and “300: Rise of an Empire.”
  • Schechter joined Warner Bros. as a creative executive in 2005, ascended to vice president in 2007, and then senior vice president in 2009. Prior to joining Warner Bros., Schechter was an executive at Barry Mendel Productions at Universal Pictures for several years. While there, she oversaw “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and worked on “Munich” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” among others. She began her career working for Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple.
  • During his tenure at the FOX network, Madden was responsible for all programming and development. Projects developed and produced during his tenure include “Empire,” “911,” “Brooklyn 99,” “MasterChef Junior” and “Grease Live,” among many others. Series produced by FOX TV Studios under Madden include “The Shield,” “The Americans,” “The Killing,” “White Collar,” “Graceland,” “Burn Notice” and many more.
  • Before joining FOX, he was a producer and executive at a number of leading companies. As a producer and partner in The Cort/Madden Company, his credits include the Emmy® Award–winning HBO film “Something the Lord Made,” plus the feature films “Runaway Bride,” “Save the Last Dance,” “Against the Ropes” and “The Out of Towners.” At Interscope Communications, he developed and produced titles such as “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” “The Associate,” “Operation Dumbo Drop,” “Renegades,” and “Blind Fury.” As an executive at Paramount Pictures, he supervised hit films such as “The Untouchables,” “Fatal Attraction,” “The Naked Gun,” “The Accused,” and “Children of a Lesser God.” And as an executive at 20th Century Fox, he supervised the hit movies “Romancing the Stone,” “Jewel of the Nile,” “Revenge of the Nerds,” and “The Fly.”



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