Producers Amy Pascal (“Challengers”), Brittani Nichols, (“Abbott Elementary”), Samantha Quan (“Anora”) and Issa López (“True Detective: Night Country”) will take part in an an exclusive Producers Roundtable at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
Moderated by Producers Guild of America (PGA) CEO Susan Sprung, this conversation takes audiences behind the scenes of the year’s top shows and films. From storytelling as a tool for reshaping perspectives to the evolving production landscape, audiences will gain insights into what it takes to bring projects to life in Hollywood and be inspired by some of the industry’s top decision-makers.
Amy Pascal recently produced “Challengers” and “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.” Since leaving her tenure at Sony and founding Pascal Pictures, she has also produced the Oscar-nominated films “Little Women,” “Molly’s Game” and the latest trio of live-action Spider-Man movies, including “No Way Home,” which stands as the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time. She is currently working on “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling; an untitled Noah Baumbach feature starring George Clooney; a biopic about Fred Astaire, starring Tom Holland; and an adaptation of “Murder She Wrote,” directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Brittani Nichols is an Emmy-nominated writer known for her work on “Abbott Elementary,” which she is also a co-executive producer on. She is also a comedian and actor who has appeared on the Emmy-winning television shows “Transparent” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” In 2023, she won the NAACP award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. She also produced, wrote and starred in “Suicide Kale,” which won the Audience Award at both Outfest and Newfest.
Samantha Quan most recently produced Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. She previously produced Sean Baker’s acclaimed “Red Rocket,” which premiered in main competition at Cannes in 2021 and the fashion shorts “Snowbird” and “Khaite FW 21.” As an actor, Quan is known for her roles in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She is also a highly regarded acting coach working on projects such as “The Florida Project,” “Instant Family,” “Home Before Dark,” “Swagger,” “Women of the Movement” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Issa López is known for her recent work as the writer, director, producer and showrunner of HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” which received 19 Emmy nominations this year. After a successful filmmaking career in Mexico, López won international praise with her film “Tigers Are Not Afraid,” which garnered 55 awards across film festivals around the world.
Susan Sprung is the CEO of the Producers Guild of America (PGA), a nonprofit trade group that represents over 8,400 producers working in film, television and new media. On behalf of the PGA, she sits on the Hollywood Commission Leadership Council, the California Film & Television Production Alliance, the Western Council of the Actors Fund, the NAACP Entertainment Advocacy Council, the FilmLA Government Affairs Committee and formerly served on the AMPAS Members at Large Executive Committee.
At the Summit, attendees can also join the “TV Show Design Lab: Craft Your Own Episode,” presented by the International Screenwriters’ Association (ISA). In this interactive workshop, leading showrunner Ilana Peña (“Diary of a Future President”) and ISA’s Shayna Weber will guide participants through the collaborative experience of developing an episode of a TV show.
Peña served as the creator, showrunner and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated “Diary of a Future President” on Disney+. She has also written projects for Universal Studios and 20th Century Studios, including a reboot of “Working Girl” produced by Selena Gomez. Peña recently completed a four-year deal with CBS Television, developing projects across CBS, CW, Roku and Max. Her additional credits include “Gordita Chronicles” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” where she contributed to episodes and song lyrics and appeared both onscreen and on the soundtrack.
Shayna Weber is a screenwriter, producer and director. Weber has over 20 years of experience in production, having worked on unscripted shows such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and the award-winning horror-comedy short, “Lunch Ladies,” which has been in more than 100 festivals around the world with 46 wins, and she directed its follow-up short, “VIF (Very Important Film).” Weber and her writing partner recently sold their first horror feature, “Bruha,” which is in post-production.
These sessions are open to all attendees of the Power Women Summit on Dec. 3 at The Maybourne Beverly Hills. More panels and speakers will be announced soon. To purchase tickets and for more information about the Summit, visit thewrap.com/pws.
Sponsors include South Coast Plaza, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Lionsgate, Whalar, Paramount Global, CLEAR, Warner Bros. Discovery, FX, Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney.
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Lynne Segall, CRO of TheWrap, at lynne@thewrap.com.
For media inquiries, contact DKC Public Relations, at thewrap@dkcnews.com.
About Power Women Summit
TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws.
About TheWrap
TheWrap is the leading, authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment, fashion and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage and in-depth features for over 15 years.
