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Marco Weber is stepping down as chief creative officer of Germany's Senator Entertainment on Sept. 1 and will acquire all the shares in the company's Los Angeles production arm, also called Senator Entertainment, which he currently heads.

He will focus on producing English-language films and establishing a new U.S.-based distribution operation.

Weber will remain a shareholder of the German group through his HSW holding company, which he jointly owns with Senator topper Helge Sasse.

Weber launched Senator's U.S. arm in 2006 with the aim of turning out four to six original productions a year. The company also absorbed Weber's Atlantic Streamline shingle.

It is not clear whether the L.A. arm will be renamed, but the two companies will continue to work closely together.

They are partnered in Martin Weisz's vidgame adaptation "Clock Tower," due to start shooting this year in Michigan, and Gregor Jordan's "Unthinkable," starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Sasse will take over Weber's responsibilities at Senator in Germany and is not planning to hire a replacement.

Weber and Sasse will continue to collaborate on specific ventures. Weber also will join Senator's supervisory board to represent the interests of HSW, the group's largest shareholder.

Weber's productions and acquisitions include Vincenzo Natali's sci-fi thriller "Splice," starring Adrien Brody; Dennis Lee's "Fireflies in the Garden"; Jean-Francois Richet's two-part "Public Enemy Number One," with Vincent Cassel; and horror title "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane."

In 2005, Weber and Sasse led an investment group that bought a 50.1% share in the then-bankrupt Senator from Deutsche Bank and currently own about 27% of the company via HSW.

Among their shareholders is former Bertelsmann topper Thomas Middelhoff, currently CEO of German retail giant Arcandor. Some 43% of Senator is publicly listed.