Indie studio A24 has named its first chief financial officer in JB Lockhart, who currently holds the same title at the National Basketball Association.
Launched in 2012, A24 has become synonymous with director-driven indie fare, which has earned it an Oscar, as well as a reputation as the industry’s resident cool kids table thanks to its ability to break new talent and commitment to low-fi, tongue-in-cheek company branding.
Most recently, A24 debuted Janicza Bravo’s Zola and David Lowery’s The Green Knight — its first theatrical releases since the pandemic shutdown — and also recently added an A24-branded dog collar to its merch shop.
A24 has been rumored as the subject of a sale to tech giants and their respective streaming services. (A24 has a movie pact with Apple, under which Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks was released.) Insiders suggest that Lockhart’s hiring signals the studio’s commitment to internal growth, as opposed to a sale. This year, A24 is financing and producing 14 television series and 17 feature films.
Lockhart joined the NBA in 2013 and was named CFO in 2017. While there he oversaw all financial matters for the NBA and its affiliated businesses, including the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA 2K League, the NBA’s esports league. Prior to the NBA, Lockhart worked in venture capital and previously held positions in The Walt Disney Co.’s Strategic Planning Group.
The news of Lockhart’s hiring was first reported by The New York Times.
