Megan Colligan

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In a shock shake-up, Megan Colligan is stepping down subsequent month as president of Imax Entertainment. The veteran Hollywood government has been with the main large-format exhibitor since 2018, when she was tapped by Imax CEO Richard Gelfond to function the corporate’s liaison with Hollywood studios and filmmakers, amongst different duties. A search is underway for her successor.

Before arriving at Imax, Colligan was president of worldwide advertising and distribution at Paramount Pictures, a submit she exited in late 2017. Previously, she gained recognition for her work advertising status, Oscar-nominated titles at specialty labels Paramount Vantage and Fox Searchlight. She’s additionally recognized for her shut ties to prime filmmakers.

Much of Colligan’s tenure at Imax Entertainment coincided with the COVID-19 disaster.

“The four years that Megan has been with us were among the most unique and challenging in the history of Imax,” CEO Richard Gelfond stated in a memo despatched Thursday informing workers of Colligan’s departure. “Her advocacy for the brand is among the many reasons Imax didn’t just survive the pandemic; we are thriving — poised for a record year of box office and significant network growth across our expansive global footprint.”

“We are grateful for Megan’s contributions to the company during her tenure and wish her all the best of luck in her next chapter,” Gelfond stated in an official assertion. He additionally assured that the corporate “looks forward to appointing a new President of IMAX Entertainment who will harness our momentum this year and beyond.”  

Below is Gelfond’s full assertion to all staff, adopted by a separate observe despatched by Colligan to the Imax group.

I’m writing to let you already know that Megan Colligan, our President of IMAX Entertainment, has determined to maneuver on from IMAX. Megan will stick with the corporate by the top of April — serving to see us by a busy interval that features our annual CEO Forum, CinemaCon, and our first quarter earnings report — whereas we full a search for her substitute. 

The 4 years that Megan has been with us have been among the many most unusual and difficult within the historical past of IMAX. Her advocacy for the model is among the many many causes IMAX didn’t simply survive the pandemic; we’re thriving — poised for a file yr of field workplace and vital community progress throughout our expansive world footprint.

Megan helped create our Filmed For IMAX digital camera program, which continues to carry a brand new, numerous assortment of filmmakers in our fold.  On Megan’s watch, IMAX additional expanded into native language blockbusters and strengthened its partnerships with impartial studios, placing the ability of our platform behind their movies. And, after all, Megan helped launch our IMAX Live technique, which we proceed to check throughout our greater than 250 related areas worldwide.

Megan is a real lover of movie, and that zeal has all the time proven by in her time right here — whether or not she was working with filmmakers, creating new IMAX experiences, strategizing round our movie slate, or decoding field workplace outcomes. Through her work with the Academy’s Board of Governors and past, I do know she is going to proceed to be a optimistic power on this enterprise, and I sit up for seeing what she does subsequent.

I hope you’ll be a part of me in thanking Megan for her contributions to IMAX and wishing her all the perfect of luck in her subsequent chapter.

Best,

Rich

Colligan’s observe:

Dear Colleagues,

When I got here to IMAX 4 years in the past, I had a giant dream and a good larger mandate: take a world-class model and create new progress initiatives to drive even larger success. Thanks to your laborious work and dedication, we did simply that – whereas going through arguably the best problem the film enterprise has ever seen.

Today, as I prepare to depart IMAX subsequent month, our model is stronger than ever, we completed 2022 particularly sturdy, and 2023 is off to a improbable begin.

Our relationship with filmmakers and our viewers has by no means been higher, and I’m particularly pleased with our Filmed For IMAX program and the success it dropped at the corporate. From Dune to Top Gun: Maverick to Creed III, this system has enabled so many filmmakers to appreciate their artistic visions in IMAX and create a good richer expertise for the viewers.

I need to thank our International and Playa Vista groups for his or her unimaginable work in constructing a strong native language technique. IMAX is now a best-in-class world platform for native language blockbusters around the globe. This is a chance that was vital to me once I joined the corporate, and that many people believed would assist develop our world footprint.

Finally, with our deal with pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and giving our artistic companions new instruments, we developed IMAX Live.  Since the top of 2021, we’ve began delivering stay occasions for nearly each studio from Disney to A24, and created experiences round all kinds of artists, from Drake to Halsey to Brandi Carlisle. And simply this December we reached a serious milestone in connecting 250 theatres worldwide. I’m very grateful to our groups in Sheridan Park for his or her excellence and partnership in constructing out this community.

Along the way in which, I’ve been lucky to work with among the most gifted and passionate folks in leisure — individuals who stay and breathe this nice model and care deeply about giving our audiences experiences that transcend the odd. I need to particularly thank Rich, my group in Playa Vista, and the Senior Management group for his or her help and friendship. I can’t wait to see what IMAX does subsequent.

Sincerely,

Megan