Russo Brothers’ powerhouse independent studio adds Brearton following hire of gaming groundbreaker Donald Mustard to set the stage for Company’s next phase of innovative world-building
LOS ANGELES, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AGBO, the artist-led media company helmed by co-founders and award-winning directors Anthony and Joe Russo and Partner Donald Mustard, announced that Chris Brearton will join the Company as Partner. Brearton will oversee all aspects of the Company’s business strategy, operations and growth moving forward.
A highly recognized industry vet, Brearton brings over 25 years of experience in business strategy and operations, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, film and television financing, licensing, cultivating some of the industry’s premiere creatives, and joint ventures. Most recently, Brearton served as Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Amazon MGM Studios, where he shepherded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s (MGM) integration into Prime Video and Amazon Studios and led corporate strategy for Prime Video Studios. He also launched MGM+ as a global streaming service and oversaw MGM’s Television business. Previously, Brearton was Chief Operating Officer of MGM, reporting directly to the Board Chairman, overseeing the studio’s global operations and strategic growth initiatives, including the sale to Amazon for $8.5 billion. Prior to MGM, he was Managing Partner of the global law firm Latham & Watkins and led the Century City office.
“Chris is a dynamic and trusted leader in the industry with a proven ability to spearhead transformational strategic initiatives, drive operational excellence, and foster a culture of creativity and innovation,” said AGBO co-founder Anthony Russo. “His expertise and business acumen will be instrumental as we embark on this pivotal phase of accelerated growth across virtual, gaming, and linear media landscapes.”
Brearton joins a growing team that includes Donald Mustard, the creative visionary behind some of the most profitable gaming franchises in history, including the Fortnite franchise and Shadow Complex, who joined AGBO as Partner in November 2023. Previously, Mustard served as the Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games and the co-founder of ChAIR Entertainment, which became an acquired subsidiary of Epic Games in 2008. During his tenure at Epic Games, Mustard helped build Fortnite into a global video game juggernaut that currently boasts hundreds of millions of players, generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue. Currently, Mustard oversees AGBO’s expansion of community-driven interactive and immersive experiences in games and virtual worlds.
“Donald’s groundbreaking creative approach transforms games into cultural phenomena and record-breaking successes,” added co-founder Joe Russo. “As veterans in their respective fields, Donald and Chris embrace both the complexity and opportunity presented by ever-evolving technologies and modes of storytelling. With their expertise, we will leverage our creative machinery to champion best-in-class world-building while concurrently developing, producing, and releasing expressions across multiple types of media.”
“I have always admired the Russos’ and AGBO’s modern approach to storytelling and technological innovation,” said Mustard. “We share a passion for revolutionary content and experiences that inspire and delight people around the globe. Chris joining our partnership allows AGBO to continue to push the boundaries and redefine what is possible in the realm of global entertainment.”
“Anthony, Joe, and Donald are pioneers in this industry, and AGBO stands at the vanguard of the new media frontier as a trailblazing studio,” said Brearton. “I am excited to work with this innovative team as they turn their ambitious and creative vision to accelerate transformational world-building and global franchises across all media platforms into a reality.”
Partners Brearton, Mustard, the Russos and Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot further strengthen AGBO’s leadership across key business, storytelling, and technology verticals, advancing the Company’s mission to become the premier destination for creative collaboration and universe-building.
“The team we’re assembling across AGBO gives storytellers and talent access to the sharpest array of tools and techniques to engage audiences around the world,” said co-founders Anthony and Joe Russo. “We look forward to collaborating with this world-class team to create significant growth opportunities and build for the future.”
ABOUT AGBO
As a powerhouse independent studio, AGBO has consistently shattered audience records with its globally resonant content. The company has particularly excelled with a collection of hits across both film and TV. “Citadel,” which launched an original IP in the action-thriller genre for Prime Video, instantly landed as the platform’s second-most viewed title outside of the US behind LOTR. This flagship series boldly introduced a groundbreaking model of interconnected, locally originated series that span the globe, and the franchise is set to release additional AGBO-produced chapters from Italy and India later this year. A second season of “Citadel,” directed by Joe Russo, will begin production this fall. On Netflix, the Chris Hemsworth starrer EXTRACTION introduced a new franchise centered around marquis masterful practical stunts with stories set in untapped global locales and featuring local talent. With the release of EXTRACTION 2 this summer, the franchise was cemented as the platform’s most successful to-date and plans for EXTRACTION 3 have already been announced. Other noteworthy successes from previous years include the Russo Brothers-directed film THE GRAY MAN, which sits in the top five of Netflix’s “most viewed of all time” list, and the AGBO-produced film EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, which broke records for A24 and won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2023. Established in 2017 by acclaimed directors Anthony and Joe Russo, AGBO’s mission is to pioneer and propel the next era of storytelling by developing and producing genre-driven intellectual properties that span film, TV, gaming, and publishing expressions.
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