Scanlon joins Artisan as exec VP of prod'n

Ex-Beacon exec to o'see original production

By DAN COX, BENEDICT CARVER

Caitlin Scanlon has joined Artisan Entertainment as executive vice president of production.

Scanlon will report to Artisan president of production Jon Shestack. She will oversee all of the company's original production activities and will be based in its Los Angeles offices.

Both Shestack -- who joined Artisan in January -- and Scanlon previously worked at Universal-based Beacon Pictures ("Air Force One"). While Artisan has produced a number of its own pics in the past two years, it has relied principally on acquisitions to feed its slate. Scanlon's hire is part of an attempt to beef up the company's production capability.

"Caitlin has a great eye for hip new talent, solid production experience and a real skill for developing the moderately budgeted film," Shestack said.

Upcoming Artisan productions include the teen horror pic "Soul Survivor," which Neal Moritz and Stokely Chaffin are producing; and "The Way of the Gun," the directorial debut of screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects"). "Gun" stars Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro.

Artisan, headed by Amir Malin, Mark Curcio and Bill Block, has its first slate of productions due out this year. Pics include Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate," David Koepp's "A Stir of Echoes" and Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey."

Scanlon will start working later this summer at Artisan. "It's a great time to be at Artisan," she said. "They are working with filmmakers I respect and making the kinds of movies I'd like to see."

At Beacon, Scanlon was responsible for developing and packaging pics such as "Cheer Fever" and "Trippin'." Prior to Beacon, she was a development exec at Castle Rock Pictures.