The company has developed a reputation for supporting the directorial debuts of established actors, with Taylor Sheridan,[4]Halle Berry,[5] and Dev Patel[6] directing their first films with the company.
Management
Producer Basil Iwanyk founded the film and television financing and production company Thunder Road Films in the mid-2000s.[7] In January 2012, Peter Lawson left The Weinstein Company to join Thunder Road as a President of Production,[8] and then left in January 2014 for a job as exec VP of production and acquisitions at Open Road Films.[9] In 2021, Erica Lee was named partner at Thunder Road, moving from her position as President of Production.[10] In 2022, Eric Sherman joined as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.[11]
In May 2013, Thunder Road signed on a deal with Cutting Edge Group to finance the company's film music slate, and from that the first film getting covered was John Wick.[13]
In June 2014, Thunder Road and Christian Angermayer's Film House Germany signed a deal to strengthen Thunder Road's financial capability to develop projects.[14] In October 2014, Thunder Road and PalmStar Media signed on a deal in which the Thunder Road would receive $200 million annually to finance five to six $20–50 million budgeted indies within a year.[7] It would also enable the company to co-finance the development and production of larger studio projects.[7]
In May 2015, Thunder Road renewed its slate agreement with Cutting Edge Group and its investment arm, Conduct, which finances the music budgets of films and television programs in exchange for IP rights to each project's original music.[15]
In September 2020, Thunder Road teamed with Redbox on joint venture Asbury Park Pictures for the purpose of making 12 films over the next three years. The films we be budgeted in the range of $10 million-$12 million, and be distributed via Redbox kiosks and on demand service.[16]