Doug Belgrad named Sony Motion Picture Group President

Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad has been named president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment said Wednesday.

Belgrad, 48, will continue to report to Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures, and retain his position as head of the Columbia unit.

Belgrad’s promotion to the newly created position comes as Sony Pictures, a unit of Tokyo-based Sony Corp., continues to work through a cost-cutting initiative announced last year.

The film and television studio has said it will slash at least $350 million in overhead, and has been laying off employees.

In his new role, Belgrad will help oversee Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group’s various production banners, and take on new responsibilities in business affairs and music. He will also supervise Sony Pictures’ overseas local language production operations.

“Doug is an outstanding leader with a deep understanding of the motion picture business,” Pascal said in a statement. “He has a rare combination of taste, relationships, experience and business judgment.”

Sony has made other changes to its entertainment executive ranks in the last year. In May, Nicole Seligman was named president of Sony Entertainment, the parent of Sony Pictures. In 2013, Sony Pictures named Mike De Luca co-head of production of the Columbia unit.

Belgrad began his Hollywood career in 1989 when he joined Columbia’s executive training program. He became co-president of production at Columbia in 2003 and was named president of the label in 2008.

During his Sony tenure, he bought, developed and supervised films such as the “Men in Black” franchise, “Karate Kid,” “American Hustle” and “Captain Phillips.”

“I have been blessed with an exciting and productive career at Sony Pictures,” Belgrad said in a statement. “We have an incredible team here and I couldn’t be more excited to continue working with Amy and everyone in the Motion Picture Group as we further collaborate across all of our labels.”

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