Former head of broadcast production at Droga5 moves over to production house side of the business
Ben Davies, who had most recently served as head of broadcast production at Droga5 NY, has joined Furlined as executive producer/director of development.
At Droga5, Davies had a hand in lauded work for Under Armour, Hennessy, Toyota, Newcastle Brown Ale, Honey Maid, Chobani and Spotify, among others. Prior to his Droga5 tenure, Davies spent 14 years at BBH London, working on campaigns for such brands as Audi, Levi’s, Vodafone and Johnny Walker.
Through his work with these two top creative agencies, Davies gained recognition for his international industry expertise. Davies is currently serving as a Film Craft jury member at the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and has also been a valued speaker at the Ciclope Festival in Berlin.
At Furlined, Davies will work closely with that company’s roster of directors, noting that “the opportunity to partner with, and build a team around them to bring their visions to life is truly exciting. Furlined’s culture, values and creative sensibilities match my own and I look forward to being part of the continued growth and development of new creative opportunities for the team.”
Diane McArter, founder and president of Furlined, said, “Production companies in particular are expected to possess a wider set of capabilities and more nimble processes for developing and delivering work to clients. Multi-platform storytelling, entertainment-style content, and a sustained dedication to craft—these are skills we continue to foster and Ben is the ideal candidate to help lead that charge.”
“Venom: The Last Dance” Tops Box Office For 2nd Straight Weekend
"Venom: The Last Dance" enjoyed another weekend at the top of the box office. The Sony release starring Tom Hardy added $26.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was a relatively quiet weekend for North American movie theaters leading up to the presidential election. Charts were dominated by big studio holdovers, like "Venom 3," "The Wild Robot" and "Smile 2," while audiences roundly rejected the Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Robert Zemeckis reunion "Here." Thirty years after "Forrest Gump," "Here" opened to only $5 million from 2,647 locations. "Venom 3" only fell 49% in its second weekend, which is a notably small drop for a superhero film, though it didn't exactly open like one either. In two weeks, the movie has made over $90 million domestically; The first two opened to over $80 million. Globally, the picture is brighter given that it has already crossed the $300 million threshold. Meanwhile, Universal and Illumination's "The Wild Robot" continues to attract moviegoers even six weeks in (and when it's available by video on demand), placing second with $7.6 million. That's up 11% from last weekend. The animated charmer has made over $121 million in North America and $269 million worldwide. "'The Wild Robot' has quietly been this absolute juggernaut for the fall season," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "For that film to see an increase after six weeks is astounding." "Smile 2" landed in third place with $6.8 million, helping to push its worldwide total to $109.7 million. The time-hopping "Here," a graphic novel that was adapted by "Forrest Gump" screenwriter Eric Roth, was financed by Miramax and distributed by Sony's TriStar. With a fixed position camera, it takes audiences through the... Read More