Warner Bros. Italy Promotes Thomas J. Ciampa To Key Role, Wins Top 2016 Box Office Spot
ROME — Following the recent exit of managing director Nicola Maccanico, Warner Bros. Italy is streamlining its management structure in the country by promoting Thomas J. Ciampa to Senior Vice President Distribution and New Theatrical Ventures.
In his new role Ciampa will be handling both Warner Bros. and Sony releases in Italy.
Ciampa, an American who holds a Master’s Degree from the UCLA School of Law, formerly held the title of Warner Bros. Italy Vice President Theatrical Distribution. His new remit adds oversight of marketing and distribution of Sony Pictures movies in the Italian market where these titles have been handled by Warner Bros. since 2011 when Sony Pictures Releasing shuttered its Italian distribution unit.
Maccanico, to whom Ciampa used to report, left the company in mid-October to head up an innovative new Italian theatrical distribution outfit which is being launched by Murdoch-owned European pay-TV platform Sky in partnership with five leading local production shingles. The launch date of this new as-yet-unnamed outfit is still under wraps.
“With Nicola’s exit we are streamlining our management, along similar lines as [our structure] in other countries,” said Barbara Salabè, President and Managing Director Warner Bros. Italia. Ciampa will now report to her.
Ciampa started his career in Italy in 1997 with the start-up Warner Village cinema chain venture, joining Warner Bros. Italy in 2002 as Sales Manager, Theatrical. He was then promoted to V.P. Theatrical Distribution in 2013.
“We are giving Thomas strong recognition for what he’s done until now and also the important contribution to our success that we expect him to provide going forward,” Salabè noted.
“Since we also distribute Sony Pictures [product] we thought it was smarter and more interesting to give the entire responsibility of Sony Pictures titles to him,” she added.
Recent Sony titles released in Italy via Warner Bros. include Tom Hanks-starrer “Inferno” which pulled a robust Euros 12.4 million ($13 million) locally.
Warner Bros. Italy announced the streamlined management move during an Italian exhibitors’ meet in Sorrento where today (Nov. 29) it is being crowned the country’s number one distributor of the year for the fourth time in the past five years.
In 2016 to date Warner Bros. Italy has totalled Euros 117.3 million ($124.2 million) in grosses from 34 titles, tallying 18.2 million admissions in Italian cinemas.
“It’s a good track record for us, also given the fact that we have a very diversified lineup,” said Salabè, noting that it includes titles from Warner Bros., Sony, and also local productions.
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