Amy Pascal Exits Sony for Universal Deal

The onetime chairman of Sony's motion picture group has been with the company for over three decades.

Amy Pascal is leaving her longtime home at Sony Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Under her Pascal Pictures banner, the producer has signed a first-look deal at Universal.

Pascal was coming to the end of her four-year producing pact with Sony — a deal she signed in June 2015 after stepping down as chairman of Sony's motion picture group, a position she had held for two decades.

Pascal's most recent release with Sony was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won the best animated feature Oscar and pulled in $375 million at the box office. Other recent releases include the rebooted Spider-Man live-action franchise and Marvel spinoff Venom.

"Amy has had one of the most prolific careers of anyone in our industry. I’ve been grateful to work alongside her throughout my career, previously as competition and now as partners. Her expertise, passion and sensibility for great storytelling is evident across each project she touches, and we’re fortunate to benefit from her wealth of industry knowledge and her unparalleled relationships," Universal chairman Donna Langley said Wednesday in a statement.

"Amy has a keen eye for projects that have both critical and commercial appeal, which we saw time and time again with the projects that she shepherded at Sony, as well as with the films that she is developing and producing now," added Universal president Peter Cramer.

"I can’t imagine anything more thrilling than making movies for Ron Meyer, Donna Langley and Peter Cramer at Universal," said Pascal. "Donna’s vision for the company is inspirational on every level, from the brilliant leadership team she’s assembled to the studio’s diverse selection of movies, to the impressive filmmaking partners who call Universal home."

During her tenure as Sony's motion picture group chairman, Pascal oversaw everything from franchises like the James Bond and Men in Black films to award winners (American Hustle, The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty) and mid-budget offerings (Julie and Julia, Superbad, A League of Their Own). She stepped down from the position following the 2014 hack at the studio, which saw the release of internal data that included employees salaries and emails.

Pascal is next in theaters with the Spider-Man installment Spider-Man: Far From Home and Greta Gerwig's Little Women. She was repped in the Universal deal by CAA and Jackoway Austen.