Deb Aquila And Tricia Wood Exit Lionsgate, Return To Independent Casting

Dino-Ray Ramos

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EXCLUSIVE: Deb Aquila and Tricia Wood of the top tier casting office Aquila Wood Casting are leaving their exclusive five-year run at Lionsgate Films. The Artios Award winners will return to the realm of independent casting.

White at Lionsgate, the pair thrived and cast hit films including La-La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (which earned them their aforementioned Artios Award), Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Deepwater Horizon starring Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell as well as Overboard starring Ana Faris and Eugenio Derbez.

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During their 20-year partnership, Aquila and Wood worked in every genre in film and TV. They recently set up their offices in Joe and Anthony Russo’s new AGBO independent film studio complex headquartered in DTLA.

“We’re excited to return to independent casting life so that we can participate in every form of storytelling,” said Aquila.

Wood adds, “One of our thrills has always been to identify new talent and with this next step we’ll be able to seize incredible new opportunities for film, TV, streaming and all the other emerging horizons that are impacting our business.”

Since 1999, Aquila Wood has added 100 films to their credit, including Shawshank Redemption, Primal Fear, House of Sand and Fog, Disturbia, Fracture, RED, San Andreas, My Week with Marilyn, Eye in the Sky and many others.

Prior to co-founding Aquila Wood, Aquila was Senior vice President of Casting for Paramount Pictures, where Wood joined as her assistant and eventually became became an associate. Before her time at Paramount, Aquila formed Deborah Aquila Casting from 1984 to 1993.

A Miami native, Wood received the 2017 National Indian Gaming Association Chairman’s Leadership Award for excellence in the film and television industry. Both are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Casting Society of America.

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