Gail Berman, Lucy Fisher Tapped as Producers Guild of America Presidents
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Producers Guild of America has elected industry veterans Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher as presidents for two-year terms.
The duo ran unopposed and were introduced during the PGA’s annual membership meeting on the Paramount Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles on Saturday evening at the conclusion of the first day of the guild’s two-day Produced By conference.
Berman and Fisher’s election marks the first time two women will serve as PGA presidents.
“Gail and Lucy have long since established themselves as leaders in our industry, steering their respective networks, studios and companies to great success in an era of unprecedented change,” said outgoing PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary. “They are a pair of brilliant and fearless producers who are devoted to the ideals of the PGA and the professional welfare of its members. We can’t wait to watch the guild thrive under their stewardship.”
Lucchesi and McCreary served as co-presidents for the past four years. Their tenure was highlighted by the issuing its Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines to its 8,200 members in the wake of expelling Harvey Weinstein from its ranks .
Berman has served on the PGA’s national board of directors as well as serving on the guild’s Producers Council Board of Delegates since 2016. Fisher has served on the Producers Council Board of Delegates since 2015 and was a 2006 recipient of the PGA’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, alongside her husband and producing partner, Douglas Wick.
Berman is chairman and CEO of the Jackal Group, which is developing “I Almost Forgot About You,” starring Viola Davis, directed by Malcolm D. Lee at Universal Pictures, and “The Addams Family,” MGM’s animated feature. The company is currently producing a Broadway musical based on the film “The Rose.”
Berman is one of the few media executives to hold the top posts at both a major film studio and a broadcast television network. She was named president of Paramount Pictures in 2005. Before joining Paramount, she served from 2000 to 2005 as president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Co. Berman served as founding president of Regency Television.
Fisher’s producing credits include “The Great Gatsby,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and the “Divergent” series. She is currently the co-head of Red Wagon Entertainment along with Wick.
Previously, Fisher served as vice chairman of Sony’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and supervised such as “Jerry Maguire,” “As Good as it Gets,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “Air Force One.” Fisher also served as an executive VP of worldwide production at Warner Bros. for 14 years, where she shepherded “The Fugitive,” “Gremlins,” “The Goonies,” “Space Jam,” “The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Witches of Eastwick,” and “Malcolm X.”
