Production company No Smoke has brought on Michael Merryman as executive producer. The announcement was made by Andrew Swee, partner and executive producer at Creative Film Management (CFM), the production management company of which No Smoke is a unit.
Merryman has enjoyed a multifaceted career in the space where art, advertising and entertainment intersect. In 2011, he co-founded Durable Goods, a company known for producing moving images for brands and entertainment properties, connecting talent with ideas and communicating clearly with clients in an open, creative atmosphere.
Earlier, Merryman enjoyed a 15-year freelance career beginning while in film school (literally sweeping stage floors) and continuing through nearly every creative department—with forays in the art world, TV and ultimately back to directing commercials—before realizing his true passion as an executive producer. Since then, his focus has always been on bringing his particular point of view to the creative process by working intimately with directors to capture value in their vision while achieving the overarching goals of the clients and agencies that make it all possible.
“Michael’s cross-disciplinary experiences uniquely suit him to help us lead No Smoke and CFM to its next chapter,” Swee said. “He’ll serve as a liaison between talent, ideas, and production while opening new paths to growth.”
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” Tops Weekend Box Office
In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures' "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" sped past the Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" to take the top spot at the box office ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates. With strong reviews (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a high score from audiences (an "A" on CinemaScore), "Sonic 3" is well positioned to be the top choice in cinemas during the busiest moviegoing period of the year.
It was telling of some wider trends that "Sonic 3" — made for $122 million — bested one of Disney's top properties. Videogame adaptations, once among the most derided movie genres, have emerged as one of the most dependable box office forces in recent years. The two previous "Sonic" movies together grossed more $700 million worldwide and the third installment appears likely to do better than both of them. A fourth "Sonic" movie is already in development.
"Mufasa," however, was humbled in its opening weekend, with its $35 million in domestic ticket sales coming in notably shy of expectations . The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel even opened wider than "Sonic 3," launching on 4,100 theaters and gobbling up most IMAX screens, compared with 3,761 locations for "Sonic 3."
Though "Mufasa's" reviews were poor (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave it an "A-" CinemaScore.
"Sonic 3" nearly doubled the haul for "Mufasa," which cost more than $200 million to make. Disney could look to $87.2 million in international sales to help make up the difference. The third "Sonic" will rollout in most overseas markets in the coming weeks.
In director Jeff... Read More