Thomas Tull has added an unexpected title to his résumé: Farmer.
Tull, who exited his post as Legendary Entertainment chairman and CEO last month in a major executive shakeup, is the owner of a 157-acre farm in Bulger, Penn., 30 minutes east of Pittsburgh, not far from the Ohio border. (Tull, a lifelong football fan, is part-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.)
The farm, purchased for $3.65 million, is named Rivendale (not to be confused with Rivendell, the elven realm from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth) and “will raise organically grown lettuce, tomatoes and apples and some of the most pampered dairy cows ever seen in Western Pennsylviania,” writes the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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The paper scored an exclusive interview with Tull as well as a photo shoot with the cows, said to range in price from $120,000 to $200,000 each.
“This is not a hobby farm. Whether it’s the crops or the dairy side of it, there is something very gratifying about it,” he told the Post-Gazette. “What really fascinates me is what is going on between science and farming in terms of how to sustainably feed the world’s growing population. We are really excited about using cutting-edge technology, robotics and all kinds of things to makes sure we are getting the most yield out of the land … and doing everything in a natural way.”
In the interview, he revealed that he opted to pursue his farming dreams after seeing an episode of the TV show Chef’s Table. “It is what finally made me say, ‘I’m doing this,'” he said.
Tull founded Legendary Entertainment in 2005 only to sell it to China’s Dalian Wanda Group for a reported $3.5 billion in early 2016 and resign from his top post last month. During his time at the helm of the company, his credits include almost 60 films including the Dark Knight trilogy, Jurassic World, Interstellar and the upcoming Kong: Skull Island. Tull could not be reached for comment.
A version of this story first appeared in the Feb. 24 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
