© Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter
Shockingly, Megan Colligan is stepping down as president of IMAX Entertainment next month. The veteran Hollywood director has been part of the major wide-format exhibition since 2018, after Imax CEO Richard Gelfond hired the company to work alongside Hollywood studios and filmmakers. The search for his successor continues.
Prior to joining IMAX, Colligan was President of Worldwide Marketing and Sales at Paramount Pictures, a position he left at the end of 2017. He is known for his previous high-profile marketing work, including Oscar-nominated Paramount Vantage and Fox's Specialty Label. search engine He is also known for his close relationship with top filmmakers.
More at The Hollywood Reporter
Much of Colligan's time at IMAX Entertainment coincides with the COVID-19 crisis.
"Megan's four years with us have been among the most uniquely challenging in IMAX's history," Gelfond said of Colligan's departure in a statement to staff Thursday. "The defense of its brand is one of the many reasons IMAX has survived the pandemic; we are growing, poised for a great year at the box office and significant network growth across our global footprint.
"We are grateful for Megan's contributions to the company during her tenure and wish her well in her next chapter," Gelfond said in an official statement. He also confirmed that the company "expects to hire a new president of IMAX Entertainment who will accelerate our momentum this year and beyond."
Below is Gelfond's full statement to all employees, following Colligan's separate message to the IMAX team.
I am writing to inform you that our President of IMAX Entertainment, Megan Colligan, has decided to leave IMAX. Megan will remain with the company until the end of April and will support us during busy times including our annual CEO Forum, CinemaCon and our first quarter earnings report as we search for her replacement.
Megan's four years with us have been some of the most special and inspiring in IMAX history. Defending its brand is one of the many reasons why IMAX didn't survive the pandemic; We're growing: poised for a record-breaking year at the box office and significant network growth across our massive global footprint.
Megan helped build our camera program for IMAX, which continues to bring us a diverse collection of filmmakers. Under Megan's leadership, IMAX has grown local language hits and strengthened partnerships with independent studios, bringing the power of our platform to their films. And, of course, Megan helped launch our IMAX Live strategy, which we continue to test at more than 250 affiliate sites around the world.
Megan is a true cinephile, and that passion always shines through in her time, whether she's collaborating with filmmakers, creating new IMAX experiences, strategizing around our film lineups, or deciphering box office results. – I know that he will be a positive force in the region on the Board of Directors of the Academy of the Office and beyond during his term, and I look forward to seeing what he will do.
I hope you will join me in thanking Megan for her contributions to IMAX and welcome her to the next chapter.
as possible
the rich
Colligan's Notes:
dear colleague,
When I joined IMAX four years ago, I had a big dream and an even bigger mandate: to take a global brand and create new growth initiatives for greater success. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, we have been able to tackle some of the biggest challenges in the film industry to achieve this.
Today, as I prepare to leave IMAX next month, our brand is stronger than ever, we finished 2022 very strong and 2023 is off to a great start.
Our relationship with filmmakers and our audiences has never been better, and I am proud of the production of our IMAX program and the success it has brought to the company. The Dune to Top Gun: Maverick to Creed III program has allowed many filmmakers to bring their creative visions to IMAX and create a richer audience experience.
I want to thank our International and Playa Vista teams for their incredible work in building a strong local language strategy. Today, IMAX is the world's leading platform for local language blockbusters. It's an opportunity that was important to me when I joined the company and one that will help many of us grow our global footprint.
Finally, we launched IMAX Live to push the boundaries of technological innovation and provide new tools for our creative partners. Since late 2021, we've performed live events at nearly every studio from Disney to A24, creating experiences with artists from Drake to Halsey to Brandi Carlyle. Last December, we reached an important milestone by connecting 250 cinemas worldwide. I am extremely grateful to our Sheridan Park team for their excellence and collaboration in building this network.
As such, I've been fortunate to work with some of the most talented and passionate people in entertainment—the people who live and breathe this amazing brand and the people who are dedicated to delivering extraordinary experiences to our viewers. I would like to give special thanks to Rich, my team and the senior management team at Playa Vista for their support and friendship. I can't wait to see what IMAX does next.
Sincerely,
Megan
For more stories like this, follow us on MSN by clicking the button at the top of this page.
Click here to read the full article.
