Russo Brothers Name Jason Bergsman CEO of AGBO
By Matt Donnelly
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Jason Bergsman has been named chief executive officer at Joe and Anthony Russo’s entertainment company AGBO.
Bergsman, a veteran of Peter Chernin’s The Chernin Group, will lead all strategy and business operations at the film and TV shop and report directly to the directing team behind “Avengers: Endgame.”
Founded in 2017, the company is riding high on the streaming success of its Netflix original film “Extraction.” The Chris Hemsworth action-thriller made a big social media splash, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the release of the record-busting Marvel film.
“I feel very fortunate for many reasons,” Bergsman told Variety. “
On one end of the spectrum, you have the brothers directing the biggest theatrical release in history. And after a week-and-a-half now, what looks like the biggest premiere in Netflix history. It’s a tremendous 12-month period.”
Bergsman will continue AGBO’s expansion into television and other arenas, where the company has found success outside a traditional overall deal at a major studio.
“We are thrilled Jason is joining the AGBO team and are excited to work with such a dynamic, forward-thinking, and accomplished individual,” said co-founder and chairman Joe Russo. “He brings a consistent and proven track record of business results to lead our company to its next stage of growth.”
In addition to Bergsman’s hire, Anthony Russo announced the promotion of three other key executives: Angela Otstot becomes president of creative, Jake Aust the president of physical production and Nicholas Anglewicz to chief operating officer.
Bergsman will work alongside AGBO vice chairmen Mike Larocca and Todd Makurath. Prior to his appointment, he served as a founding member of The Chernin Group as a partner and executive vice president. At TCG, Bergsman principally focused on building digital media and consumer companies, at investment stages ranging from incubation to later-stage acquisition.
Bergsman serves on the board of directors of MeatEater, an outdoor lifestyle media brand majority-owned by Chernin, and among other investments, served on the board of directors of Crunchyroll, the leading global SVOD service for Japanese animation.
AGBO’s upcoming slate includes the Russo brothers-directed drama “Cherry,” starring Tom Holland and written by Otstot; Sundance horror-thriller “Relic,” starring Emily Mortimer; and Matthew Michael Carnahan’s directorial debut “City of a Million Soldiers.”
