Bernie Goldmann, senior vice president of production at Disney, is ankling the Mouse House to sign on as president of production at Village Roadshow Pictures.
Goldmann joins Village Roadshow just as the company embarks on an ambitious five-year co-financing deal with Warner Bros. that may produce some 20 motion pictures. He’ll report to Greg Coote, Village Roadshow prexy and chief operating officer, and Bruce Berman, a former WB production president and independent producer who took over as chairman and CEO of the company late last year.
“It’s a step out and a step up,” said Goldmann, who’d worked 4-1/2 years at Disney. “Getting to build a company from the ground up, and getting to work with Bruce is an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”
Goldmann will likely start work at Village Roadshow this spring, after he completes the transition of production chores on his ongoing Disney projects.
“Bernie’s going to be a great executive to help me make this co-financing agreement with Warners work,” said Berman. “He’ll be a great fit both with Village Roadshow’s creative people and with Warner Bros.”
Village Roadshow recently inaugurated its WB co-financing pact with the purchase of the Chuck Pfarrer sci-fi script “Alone,” which the company hopes to start shooting in Australia later this year.
During his Disney tenure, Goldmann oversaw development and production of such projects as “My Favorite Martian,” “Mystery, Alaska,” “Blank Check,” “Tom and Huck,” “Homeward Bound II” and “Rocket Man,” as well as the upcoming “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Stretch Armstrong.”
Prior to his Disney post, Goldmann spent eight years at the Steve Tisch Co., rising from production assistant to production president. There, he was involved in the films “Soul Man,” “Bad Influence,” “Heart Condition,” “Corrina, Corrina” and “Victim of Love.”
