For his next act, Ryan Kavanaugh, in tandem with Proxima Media and Lifeboat Productions’ Amy Kim and Jaime Burke, is launching the production label The Quad, which will focus on 3-5 genre films per year in the $3 million-$12 million range.
Matt Weaver and Triller’s Jason Barhydt will also serve as producers with the company, whose focus will be on horror, thriller, American comedies, and love stories.
Among the slate are projects with top social media influencers Charli D’Amelio and Bryce Hall, and a previously unannounced movie starring Andrew Byron Bachelor (The Babysitter), aka “King Bach.” That project, described to us as a thriller with action and fantasy elements, is called Miles Ryder and is slated to begin production later this year.
Actor and influencer King Bach has parlayed his early Vine success into major followings on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, with nearly 23M followers on the latter alone. He most recently appeared in Ric Roman Waugh’s sports drama National Champions as well as 20th Century’s comedy Vacation Friends for Hulu. Previous credits include The Babysitter, Fifty Shades of Black and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
The Quad is currently in post-production on Skill House, billed as the first installment in an R-rated horror film franchise starring Hall and made in co-production with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television. Neal McDonough (Yellowstone) and Leah Pipes (The Originals) also star.
Pre-production is underway on the D’Amelio-led supernatural thriller Home School, written by Casey Giltner. Daniel Herther, Proxima’s SVP of Production who shepherded the development of Home School, is producing alongside Kavanaugh, Barhydt, Burke, and Kim with Kavanaugh’s partner Bobby Sarnevesht. Marc, Heidi, and Dixie D’Amelio will serve as executive producers.
“The Quad intends to break the boundary between social media culture and what we know as Hollywood today,” said partner Kavanaugh. “We are thrilled to be bringing Charli D’Amelio, Bryce Hall, and now King Bach’s acting chops to the big screen. Their talent has no boundaries, and their digital footprint will help bring audiences back into theaters. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this new company to life with award-winning producers and powerhouses Amy Kim and Jaime Burke alongside veteran producer and entertainment exec Matt Weaver.”
“We are excited to be on this journey with a veteran producer like Ryan. He has a love of filmmaking that is infectious and a constant desire to create new space in the entertainment industry. The people assembled to make these movies add a depth of experience that will ensure quality projects aimed at talents’ strengths to bring top-quality entertainment to all film fans,” added Kim and Burke.
Previously, Weaver and Kavanaugh worked together on the documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, about Steve Aoki, for Netflix; documentary The First Monday In May, about the Met Ball; and Broadway musical Rock of Ages. Barhydt previously worked with Kavanaugh on movies including Immortals, Limitless, Dear John and The Fighter.
Lifeboat Productions’ previous credits include the Apple+ series Surfside Girls and Amazon’s Undone.
Kavanaugh, founder of Proxima Media and controlling shareholder of social media app Triller, is well known for his colorful and turbulent run in the business, most notably as CEO of Relativity Media, where he brokered deals between Wall Street and studios. After initial success the company filed for bankruptcy and Kavanaugh became embroiled in multiple lawsuits, including one with the company’s former co-president Adam Fields. Skill House will mark his first feature since Hunter Killer and The Strangers: Prey at Night, both from 2018.
Source: Deadline
