Publicity Vet Katie Martin Kelley Leaving Paramount (EXCLUSIVE)
Publicity veteran Katie Martin Kelley is leaving Paramount Pictures at the end of the year, Variety has learned. Kelley currently serves as executive vice president of domestic publicity. She has been with the studio for 12 years, and the decision to leave is said to be her own.
In a note to staff, Kelley wrote, “Our industry, like so many others, is experiencing rapid change. Continuing to demand a wider spectrum of diverse, inclusive, and underrepresented voices and perspectives is needed and, I hope, among our ongoing objectives. I look forward to being a part of what comes next.”
It’s unclear where Kelley will land next. She has a wide network of media contacts, and is respected for her honesty and sense of humor. Kelley has shown a particular talent for helping orchestrate the Oscar campaigns of such nominated films as “Fences” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Kelley joined the company in 2006 as vice president of publicity. Before moving over to the main studio, Kelley was publicity executive at Paramount Vantage, the studio’s defunct “art house” arm. She began her career at the Angellotti Company, a publicity firm.
Paramount has been undergoing a number of staffing changes since Jim Gianopulos took over as studio chairman last spring from Brad Grey. Megan Colligan, the head of distribution and marketing, left the studio last month. A replacement has yet to be named. In September, Wyck Godfrey was named motion picture group president, stepping in for Marc Evans.
Paramount is trying to dig out after a bruising few years that saw a range of film flops and disappointments such as “The Ghost in the Shell,” “Baywatch,” and “Transformers: The Last Knight.” Gianopulos has made finding new film franchises a priority, and is working on reviving such properties as “The Terminator” and “Top Gun.”
In her staff-wide email, Kelley also wrote, “I will forever be in awe of our amazing PR team. Thank you for your incredible work, tireless dedication, and especially your collective great humor throughout the years. I will be rooting for your success wherever your careers take you.”
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