Lionsgate Motion Picture Group marketing president JP Richards and co-president Keri Moore are leaving the company. The move is effective immediately and was revealed Monday afternoon.
Their roles will not be filled immediately, and in the interim the group’s EVPs — Amanda Kozlowski, EVP Strategy & Chief of Staff; Jack Teed, EVP Global Creative Advertising and Nasim Cambron, EVP Worldwide Publicity — will help lead global campaigns. Lionsgate MPG chair Adam Fogelson will also take on a more active role in overseeing the department.
The news comes less than a week after Lionsgate upped motion picture production president Erin Westerman to president of of the Motion Picture Group, replacing Nathan Kahane who is moving at year’s end into a production deal with the studio.
“In looking at our slate ahead, we have decided to re-approach our marketing group to meet the needs of a rapidly changing market,” Fogelson said in a statement Monday announcing the news. “As we redefine the way we explore our campaigns, JP Richards and Keri Moore will be transitioning from their roles at the studio. I’m deeply proud of both JP and Keri, who have grown with and alongside me in their careers. JP has always brought bold, forward-thinking ideas to the table, and he’s a consummate innovator; Keri has proven herself a brilliant full-picture marketing strategist and wizard with filmmakers and talent.
“Transitions are never easy, especially when they involve longtime friends and colleagues, but I am beyond grateful for their creativity, partnership, and immense talent, and they have my full love and support as they take the next step in their careers.”
Warner Bros and Apple TV+ marketing veteran Richards and STX marketing exec Moore were hired by Lionsgate in October 2022 as President and Co-President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing, respectively. They replaced division president Marisa Liston and EVP David Edwards.
The exits come after Lionsgate saw turbulence with a couple of major releases including the John Wick spinoff Ballerina starring Ana de Armas and The Weeknd-Jenna Ortega movie Hurry Up Tomorrow. Big titles to come on this year’s slate include Good Fortune, the Aziz Ansari-directed pic that will debut at TIFF ahead of an October 17 bow; Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (November 14); and The Housemaid, directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried (December 25).
“The last three years have been some of the most deeply rewarding of my life,” Richards said. “I got to reunite with my mentor and friend Adam, dive into the heart of the work with the fearless Keri, and create alongside the most innovative, forward-thinking, generation-defying, TikTok-genius, and above all, genuinely kind team in the business. We dreamed big, pushed boundaries, and had a lot of fun doing it, and I can’t wait to see what they do next!”
Said Moore: “There is literally no one other than Adam Fogelson that I would have agreed to traverse the entirety of Los Angeles for each day. It has been a wild and remarkable few years. Amongst returning to post pandemic worldwide theatrical releases — John Wick: Chapter 4 —navigating the strikes — Saw X and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and a continually changing marketplace — Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, just to name a few, I am so proud of the team that JP and I brought together. They are some of the smartest, kindest, and hardest-working people you will ever meet. We are leaving them in excellent hands with a remarkable go-forward slate. Having seen much of what the team has in store for audiences, there’s a lot to look forward to and I am excited to cheer them on from well east of the 405.”
A couple of weeks ago, it emerged that Legendary was among the companies kicking the tires of Lionsgate Studios, which was just spun off from Starz and is a potential M&A target. Sources believe that will more likely lead to a co-production deal between the entities.
