FilmNation Entertainment Launches New Film Production Label Infrared Led By Drew Simon

FilmNation Entertainment announced today the launch of its new film production label Infrared led by Drew Simon, the label’s President of Production, who will report to CEO Glen Basner. Infrared will finance and produce mainstream films with franchise potential built around some of the industry’s greatest entertainers. The label plans to produce three to four mid to high level budget films each year appealing to a broad audience in the action, thriller, comedy and sci-fi genres. In his role, Simon will oversee all elements of the label’s films from development through production as well as manage the label’s team. Simon has hired Sam Speiser as Infrared’s Vice President of Production. She will support Simon in overseeing all stages of project development and production and will be responsible for sourcing and vetting new material, helping to build the ongoing slate of films, and managing feature film projects through their complete lifecycles.

Simon began his career at New Line Cinema before following Bob Shaye to his production company Unique Features. He then worked for The Mark Gordon Company and moved up the ranks to Vice President before leaving the company for STX Entertainment where he was an EVP at the time of his departure. During his time at STX, he oversaw, worked on and managed a slate of films including BAD MOMS, A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS, GREENLAND, MY SPY, DEN OF THIEVES, 21 BRIDGES, MILE 22, GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE, COUNTDOWN, THE FOREIGNER, MOLLY’S GAME, and THE GENTLEMAN, among many others.

“I am thrilled to move forward with this exciting new strategic growth initiative as we continue to scale our storytelling platforms. Under Drew’s leadership, Infrared will perfectly complement our award-winning FilmNation slate while becoming a market leading fully independent producer of fun and entertaining mainstream films,” said FilmNation Entertainment CEO Glen Basner.

“We look forward to offering filmmakers from a wide array of genres a collaborative and creative home for their films,” said Infrared President of Production Drew Simon. “We are also tremendously excited to fill the mainstream film space with fresh stories and franchises that will lead us to our ultimate goal of offering moviegoers a truly entertaining experience.”

Speiser is a producer and executive, previously working as Vice President of Development and Production at Solstice Studios. Speiser helped build and manage Solstice's slate of films that included HYPNOTIC and MIND FALL. As an independent producer, she developed a slate of projects including the upcoming sci-fi feature CALLING ME HOME, based on a short story by Spencer Nitkey. She is co-producing alongside Samantha Shear of Zoic Studios and Derek Kolstad. Speiser was previously the sole development executive under veteran studio head Rob Friedman (Summit, Lionsgate), where she spearheaded the acquisition for the company’s seminal project, RULES FOR VANISHING. At EuropaCorp, Speiser assisted in the development and production of SHUT IN, NINE LIVES, THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED, AMERICAN RENEGADES, and THE COMMAND.

FilmNation Entertainment, with a focus on bold original storytelling, has been highly prolific in the production space with a team led by FilmNation Entertainment President of Production Ashley Fox, and has produced critically acclaimed hits such as Emerald Fennell’s Academy Award winning PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN starring Carey Mulligan. Other standout productions for the company include Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award winning ARRIVAL starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s THE BIG SICK, Sean Baker’s RED ROCKET starring Simon Rex, Armando Iannucci’s THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF COPPERFIELD starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie, Dominic Cooke’s THE COURIER starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and THE OUTFIT directed by Graham Moore starring Mark Rylance. FilmNation Entertainment productions releasing this fall are THE GOOD NURSE starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain with Netflix, and Claire Scanlon’s THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING starring Allison Janney and Kristen Bell with Amazon Studios. The studio recently wrapped filming on Tayarisha Poe’s THE YOUNG WIFE starring Kiersey Clemons.

FilmNation has greatly broadened its avenues for storytelling in recent years with television, theater and podcasting. The studio’s first television series I Know This Much Is True for HBO garnered Mark Ruffalo an Emmy Award for his lead role. The studio has a number of high-profile television projects lined up including adaptations of Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits, Thomas Pierce’s and Lila Byock’s The Stephanies for Hulu, and Susan Choi’s National Book Award winner Trust Exercise. FilmNation is developing projects at networks including Amazon, Hulu, Peacock, and Sky. FilmNation TV UK, the company’s scripted series joint venture with Viaplay Group, has been actively developing a deep and diverse slate of projects and is anticipated to be in production on several series in the coming year. FilmNation was a producer on the Tony winning The Band’s Visit and The Sound Inside and the West End’s critically acclaimed True West from Empire Street and most recently the critically acclaimed hit Prima Facie which debuted on London’s West End and is heading to Broadway in the Spring of 2023. The company most recently produced podcasts Hyper-Thetical and Murder on the Towpath for Luminary and Torched for Stitcher.

Read the full article on Deadline.