STX Entertainment Names Angus Sutherland CEO As Indie Studio Reemerges

EXCLUSIVE: In September, we announced Preppy, the first new film from STX Entertainment in years. And now, there’s a new sign of life at the indie studio, as we’ve learned that Angus Sutherland will lead it as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Sutherland assumes the reins from Peter Coleman, who was installed when Crown Productions, a subsidiary of insurance and investment platform A-CAP, acquired STX in January. He’ll lead the company while continuing as COO of global completion bond company Film Finances International, which he only joined in July.

Sutherland brings more than two decades of experience across development, acquisitions, financing, production and international sales, with deep expertise in production finance and oversight. At Film Finances, he works with producers, production companies and financiers worldwide on independent film and television projects, from financing through delivery.

Previously, Sutherland served as President of Artesian Wells Pictures, where he launched and ran Omar Sy’s U.S. production company. He has also worked as a producer and held executive roles at New Republic Pictures and MadRiver Pictures, helping build New Republic’s slate, which included Sam Mendes’s Oscar-winning 1917.

Founded in 2014 by film producer Robert Simonds and TPG Growth’s Bill McGlashan, STX Entertainment is a company that made its name on star-driven independent films like Bad Moms, Hustlers, The Gentlemen, I Feel Pretty, 21 Bridges, Countdown and the Greenland franchise.

The company is reemerging after a period of inactivity brought on by box-office disappointments and mounting financial pressure. This led to a 2020 all-stock merger with Eros International, an Indian conglomerate that collapsed in less than two years under financial and regulatory strain. Following a 2022 buyout by global investment firm The Najafi Companies, which left Eros with a 15% non-voting stake, STX sought stability via a North American distribution and library pact with Lionsgate in 2023. In January, Crown Productions acquired 100% of STX, with founder Robert Simonds and Coleman taking over from Noah Fogelson as CEO.

Going forward, STX will look to build on its historic successes, expanding its alate with a focus on original features, franchise opportunities and collaborations with leading filmmakers and production partners. Since resuming operations, they’ve announced Prǝppy, a true-crime film co-produced with Aggregate Films that stars Kit Connor and Diana Silvers. Set in the summer of 1986, the film explores the events leading to the murder of recent high school graduate Jennifer Levin by “Preppy Killer” Robert Chambers in New York’s Central Park.