After an amazing streak at Paramount over the last six years, including Tom Cruise and the studio’s highest-grossing movie, Top Gun: Maverick at $1.49 billion, and the $1.2B+ Sonic franchise, Paramount’s Domestic Theatrical Distribution President Chris Aronson has decided to leave the studio.
We understand that his departure is amicable and at this minute there aren’t any candidates in the wings who are expected to backfill. Aronson will stay through Dec. 1 to oversee the theatrical release of the studio’s November 14 tentpole, The Running Man starring Top Gun 2‘s Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright.
The news comes in the wake of the departure of Paramount’s global marketing and distribution boss Marc Weinstock, and the imminent arrival of his replacement, former Warner Bros and Universal marketing czar Josh Goldstine. In addition, the stunning headline of Aronson’s exit comes as Paramount is hosting exhibitors at the Cinema United fall summit tonight on the Melrose lot.
The new Skydance owned Paramount has kept few vets from the old regime intact, George Cheeks being one of the few who went from co-CEO during the Shari Redstone administration to Chair of TV Media in the new David Ellison led conglom. The new Paramount has a goal to ramp up to 15 movies a year in the near future, and ultimately 20 theatrical releases annually. On Dec. 19, Paramount has a big holiday movie in SpongeBob: The Search for Squarepants. Some of their big movies next year include Miramax’s Scary Movie reboot, Spyglass/Dimension’s Scream 7, a Trey Parker-Matt Stone-Kendrick Lamar untitled movie, and Street Fighter.
Aronson arrived at Paramount in 2019 after the merger of Disney and 20th Century Fox. He served as 20th Century Fox’s President of Domestic Distribution in what is an overall near 40-year-plus distribution career. At 20th, Aronson spearheaded the distribution of 3x Oscar winner Avatar, 4x Oscar winner Bohemian Rhapsody, the R-rated Deadpool movies, 4x Oscar winner Life of Pi and the X-Men franchise. In regards to Bohemian Rhapsody, and the success of that Queen frontman Freddie Mercury movie which grossed close to $1 billion in pre-Covid times — that’s a dragon many studio continue to chase when it comes to pop singer biopics.
Prior to 20th Century Fox, Aronson was the EVP and General Sales Manager for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distribution Company. Prior to that, he was SVP for Rentrak Corporation (now Comscore) and started their theatrical division, which is the box office data crossways whereby theater circuits share their ticket sales with the major studios, who then assemble their final gross figures.
Other hits handled by Aronson while at Paramount include Smile, the #1 original horror film of 2022 and Quiet Place: Day One and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning.
Aronson is past Chairman and President of the Will Rogers Motion Pictures Pioneer Foundation and a member of the Academy’s Executive Branch and a member of the Executives Branch Executive Committee.
He joined the Variety SoCal Board of Directors in 2001 and previously was President of the Board for Variety of Northern CA. Aronson has served on the Variety SoCal Advisory Board for over 20 years, and has also been involved with Lollipop Theater Network since 2006. He has been serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2020.
Aronson just alerted his staff about his departure. See his note below.
Team Domestic Distribution,
After six incredible years here at Paramount, I wanted to share with you that I will be stepping down from my role, effective December 1st. When I reflect and realize how far we have come as a group and as a team, I am immensely proud of what we have built and what an incredible team we have now.
We have scaled the highest heights with Top Gun: Maverick, Sonic the Hedgehog, and many others. Through it all, your professionalism, determination, dedication, and spirit of collaboration have inspired me and amazed me time and time again. Everyone knows that Domestic Distribution is the locomotive that drives the theatrical train, and this team represents the proud history of Paramount Pictures in all the best ways possible, earning the respect of exhibitors and other distributors alike.
I want to thank all of you as well as all the colleagues that I have had the pleasure of working alongside during my time here. It’s been an honor to work with such a talented group of people.
I believe more than ever in the power of the theatrical experience, and I know that if we in distribution continue to collaborate with our partners in exhibition, not being afraid to be agents of change, we can continue to propel moviegoing forward. And with true advocates of the moviegoing experience in Josh and Dana, I know you have a bright future ahead.
I will always feel a part of this family, and wherever my next chapter takes me, I will be cheering you on to success as I know you will continue to carry on the exemplary work that you do.
To paraphrase Wallace Hartley: It has been a privilege playing with you.
With love and gratitude,
Chris
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