Bleecker Street has hired veteran media executive Christine Manna as the indie studio’s new EVP of home entertainment. She brings more than 20 years of experience in managing the home release of hundreds of films across multiple studios.
“We are so thrilled to have Christine join the team at this critical moment in the company’s evolution,” Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson said in a statement. “Her expertise and decades of experience will be integral to amplifying Bleecker’s ongoing efforts in addressing and succeeding in the ever-changing landscape of sharing great theatrical films with audiences at home.”
“I am honored to be joining Bleecker Street at such an exciting time in its growth, ” Manna said in a statement. “The company has built an incredible reputation for curating films that truly connect with audiences, and I look forward to expanding that mission into the home entertainment space.”
Prior to joining Bleecker Street, Manna established, launched and managed home entertainment divisions for studios such as New Line Cinema, The Weinstein Company, Relativity, EuropaCorp and STX..
Throughout her career, Manna has cultivated and managed partnerships with dozens of distribution partners. She has overseen marketing campaigns for high-profile PVOD and TVOD releases including “Austin Powers,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Wedding Crashers,” “A Bad Moms Christmas” and “Greenland” and has also led negotiations for numerous output deals with major platforms such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Fandango at Home, DirecTV and Dish.
Manna’s hiring comes on the heels of a series of executive promotions at Bleecker Street including Sanderson’s elevation to CEO, Tyler DiNapoli promotion to president and chief marketing officer and Rachel Allen’s promotion to EVP of publicity.
Bleecker Street recently re-released the 1984 cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap” and will release “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” on Sept. 12. Bleecker’s upcoming slate includes horror-thriller “Bone Lake,” “Rebuilding” starring Josh O’Connor, and “Harmonia” starring Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young, Carrie Coon and Lily James.
