Berlanti Productions Names Sarah Schechter Chairwoman and Partner, David Madden President
Click here to read the full article.
Greg Berlanti, the prolific founder of Berlanti Productions, has promoted Sarah Schechter to the newly created role of chairwoman and partner, where she will continue to oversee both television and film at the company. And David Madden, the former AMC and Fox executive, will be Berlanti Productions’ new president, reporting to Berlanti and Schechter, overseeing the company’s television operations.
Of Schechter, Berlanti said: “Sarah is simply the best at what she does. I am inspired by her leadership, passion, smarts and vision every day. I’m grateful for everything she has done for this company and I’m beyond thrilled all of our shows, and everyone who works so hard on them, will continue to benefit from her immense talent for years to come.”
More from Variety
'Kung Fu' Reboot, 'Republic of Sarah' Ordered to Pilot at CW
'Superman and Lois,' 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Reboot Ordered to Series at CW
Vampire Soap Opera From 'Riverdale' Team Scores ABC Pilot Order
And about Madden, he said: “I’ve admired Dave since we first worked together for his creative insight and his warm and beloved leadership style. Sarah and I couldn’t be happier that he has chosen to join us as we continue to build the TV side of our company.”
Schechter came to Berlanti Productions in February 2014 after nine years at Warner Bros. Pictures, and has helped shepherd the company’s explosive growth. Berlanti Productions has 19 live-action scripted series and one unscripted docuseries on seven different television outlets, including nine shows on The CW this season, as well as shows on four of the five broadcast networks. Berlanti Productions shows include “The Flash” on The CW, “You” on Netflix, and “God Friended Me” on CBS.
Berlanti Productions has under an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group that runs through 2024.
“I’m beyond excited and honored to be taking on this new role at the company I love so much,” Schechter said. “These past six years working alongside Greg have been the most creatively satisfying of my career. He is the most extraordinary partner and friend anyone could ask for. I’m constantly inspired by his talent and his kindness. I’m also very grateful to Susan Rovner, Brett Paul, Peter Roth, Ann Sarnoff and everyone at WBTV for their support and friendship. I am thrilled to have Dave Madden joining us and our brilliant team. He is one of the most respected leaders in the television industry and I’m confident he will help us take the TV business to new heights.”
Madden was most recently president of programming, entertainment networks, at AMC Networks, where he oversaw programming and development at AMC, BBC America, IFC and Sundance TV channels, as well as AMC Studios. Before that, Madden worked at Fox for nearly two decades, rising to entertainment president at Fox Broadcasting Company after having previously served as president of Fox Television Studios.
Madden said: “Ever since leaving AMC, I’d been looking for an opportunity to return to my roots in producing, to get closer to the shows and work more meaningfully with the showrunners. What better way to accomplish that than by joining the most prolific television production company in the business, and at the same time to work for two of the nicest and smartest people around? I’m an enormous admirer of the Berlanti brand, of the range and quality of their shows. After this little break, I am more than ready to dive in.”
Berlanti Productions is, as ever, busy, with the company preparing the new straight-to-series DC drama “Superman & Lois” for The CW, as well as The CW pilots “Kung Fu” (from “Blindspot’s” Christina M. Kim and Martin Gero) and the “Arrow”-verse backdoor pilot “Green Arrow and the Canaries” (which aired as an episode of “Arrow”).
The company also has the ABC pilot “The Brides” (from “Riverdale’s” Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa), and the Showtime pilot “Spoonbenders” (from Stephen Falk), and for HBO Max is developing “Green Lantern” and “Strange Adventures.”
In a joint statement, Warner Bros. Television’s Peter Roth, Susan Rovner and Brett Paul said: “Berlanti Productions is synonymous with creative excellence, and all of us at Warner Bros. are both honored and privileged to be associated with Greg and his entire team. Crucial to the company’s extraordinary success is the incomparable Sarah Schechter. Sarah is an exceptional producer and we are delighted that she will continue to lead this company with Greg. We are also very excited to welcome the outstanding David Madden to Berlanti Productions. The sky is truly the limit for this group, and we look forward to our storied and very successful collaboration for many years to come.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
