David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith’s KatzSmith Productions has hired Aaron Schmidt as senior vice president to oversee development for their film and television divisions.
Schmidt was most recently co-head of development for Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films, based at Universal Studios, where he was shepherding the true-crime thriller Operation Pandora with Molly Smith’s Black Label Media, as well as several other projects. Prior to Aggregate, Schmidt was a development vp at Kevin McCormick’s Warner Bros.-based Langley Park.
“We’ve known Aaron for years,” said Katzenberg, “and we’re thrilled to have him join our team. He has incredible taste, great relationships and a passion for working with storytellers. He’s the perfect partner as we continue to grow our company.”
Next up for KatzSmith is Stephen King’s thriller It, which is set to be released Sept. 8 by Warner Bros. The banner is also developing the Beetlejuice sequel for Warners with Tim Burton directing, as well as a feature version of the viral sensation Kung Fury.
