Clint Culpepper has stepped down as the head of Screen Gems, Sony announced on Friday.
Culpepper spent 28 years with the studio. He will now segue to a producer role in a deal at the Sony Pictures division that specializes in lower-budget genre films.
“Clint has had an extraordinary career at SPE. Under his leadership, Screen Gems is one of the most prolific and diverse genre labels in the industry,” Sony Chief Tom Rothman in an internal memo. “Clint and his excellent team drove box office hits including the ‘Resident Evil’ and the ‘Underworld’ franchises, and groundbreaking successes like ‘Easy A,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘The Vow,’ ‘Dear John,’ ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose,’ ‘When A Stranger Calls,’ ‘Think Like a Man’ and many others.
“Clint’s dedication and passion for film – not to mention his larger-than-life presence and sense of humor! – are unmatched in the industry,” Rothman continued. “He has an indelible legacy, and I want to thank him for his years of extraordinary commitment to SPE. Luckily for us, he will still be a large part of our family, continuing to produce hit movies for Sony.”
Culpepper steps down after the disappointing opening of “Proud Mary,” Screen Gems’ latest film, which specializes in lower-budgeted thrillers and urban dramas.
Read Rothman’s full memo below.
Dear Colleagues,
I want to let you all know of an important change taking place in the motion picture group. After 28 years with SPE, Clint Culpepper has decided to step down as President of Screen Gems to embark on a production deal with the studio.
Clint has had an extraordinary career at SPE. Under his leadership, Screen Gems is one of the most prolific and diverse genre labels in the industry. Clint and his excellent team drove box office hits including the ‘Resident Evil’ and the ‘Underworld’ franchises, and groundbreaking successes like ‘Easy A,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘The Vow,’ ‘Dear John,’ ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose,’ ‘When A Stranger Calls,’ ‘Think Like a Man’ and many others.
Clint’s dedication and passion for film – not to mention his larger-than-life presence and sense of humor! – are unmatched in the industry. He has an indelible legacy, and I want to thank him for his years of extraordinary commitment to SPE. Luckily for us, he will still be a large part of our family, continuing to produce hit movies for Sony.
Screen Gems is a vital part of the company and will continue to be so.
Please join me in wishing Clint all the best in his new role.
Tom