Chris Aronson has been tapped as president of domestic theatrical distribution at Paramount Pictures, a hire that reunites him with studio chief Jim Gianopulos. Both men worked together at 20th Century Fox for decades.
Aronson is known for his wit, blunt talk, and deep ties to the exhibition industry. He was pushed out from his post at Fox last spring after the Walt Disney Company bought the studio. A reunion with Gianopulos, who ran film operations at Fox until 2016, has been rumored for some time.
In his new role, Aronson will oversee theatrical distribution in North America, including in-theater marketing, operation and overall strategy. He will report to Marc Weinstock, Paramount’s president of worldwide marketing and distribution, and Mary Daily, co-president of worldwide marketing and distribution.
“In an ever-evolving distribution landscape, Chris has the ideal balance of experience in the arena and strategic acumen, as well as strong filmmaker relationships,” Weinstock and Daily said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have him onboard and can’t wait to see where his leadership takes our distribution strategy and team.”
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Kyle Davies, who led Paramount’s domestic distribution division since 2016, will be exiting his role.
“Kyle is the consummate professional and has been an incredible asset to Paramount’s distribution business, as well as a fantastic colleague to all of us fortunate enough to work with him,” Weinstock and Daily continued. “We thank him for his dedication and service.”
Aronson most recently served as president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. During his tenure, he oversaw rollouts of hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Life of Pi,” “Avatar” and “Deadpool.” Prior to his time at Fox, he worked at box office analytics film Rentrak as senior VP before joining MGM as executive VP and general sales manager.
Aronson starts in his role at Paramount on Dec. 2.
