‘La La Land’ Producer Automatik Merges With Range Media Players

Automatik, the production company behind “La La Land,” is merging with Range Media Players, TheWrap has confirmed.

As part of the merger, Automatik executives Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger have been named partners and co-presidents of film and production at Range.

Kavanaugh-Jones and Berger have over the last decade produced 70 films and television shows, with the likes of Damien Chazelle, Jeff Nichols, Alma Har’el, James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Karyn Kusama, Nia DaCosta, Gia Coppola, Michael Pearce and Cory Finley.

Berger was nominated for an Oscar and won Golden Globe, BAFTA and PGA awards in 2017 for Damien Chazelle’s $440 million-grossing “La La Land.” Kavanaugh-Jones and Berger also won an Emmy for Corey Finley’s Hugh Jackman-starring public education-set thriller, “Bad Education.”

Automatik will bring a slew of projects over to Range Media Players, including Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy for New Regency and Oz Perkins’ Long Legs starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe for Neon. Both are currently in post-production.

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“We have long admired Automatik. Fred & Brian, and the full team, have extraordinary taste, world-class relationships, and are true gaming-changing producers,” stated Sullivan and Micelli. “Their vision, passion, and creativity are unparalleled and will be invaluable to accelerating our aspirations to bring compelling stories and ideas to life. We are beyond excited to bring their best-in-class expertise into the fold at our growing platform.”

“We’re so inspired by what the Range team has built in just a few short years, fueled by passion, creativity, and superlative talent” stated Kavanaugh-Jones and Berger. We feel humbled to join our friends and can’t wait to tap into the dynamic ecosystem to build ambitious, impactful work together.”

Prior to founding Automatik, Kavanaugh-Jones was an agent at CAA in the film finance department. Berger and Kavanaugh-Jones have partnered with Range for various projects over the years.

Deadline first reported news of the merger.

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