Benaroya Pictures Picks Up 'Slingshot'; Promotes Ben Sachs to President

Michael Benaroya, one of the leading independent financiers and producers of high quality entertainment, announced today that his company Benaroya Pictures has promoted Ben Sachs from Senior Vice President to President. Sachs will oversee the company's ever-expanding production and development slate and will executive produce or produce all films financed by Benaroya Pictures. He reports directly to Michael Benaroya.

One of the newest projects on the company slate will be SLINGSHOT, a spec script written by Scott Adams that has just been acquired in a pre-emptive deal with Michael Benaroya, Energy Entertainment's Brooklyn Weaver (RUN ALL NIGHT, EXTANT) and Jonathan Krauss (TRANQUILITY BASE) on board to produce.

The plot elements are currently under wraps, but it is a contained sci-fi based thriller with elements of SOLARIS and THE GAME.

The project was put together by CAA's indie financing division with the goal of fast-tracking the title through the packaging process. Adams, who was scouted out of the 2013 Nicholls Fellowship in Screenwriting Finals by Weaver, is repped by Above The Line Agency's Rima Greer.

Sachs will be overseeing an extremely active schedule for the first quarter of 2014 including the highly-anticipated QUEEN OF THE DESERT directed by Werner Herzog and starring Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson and Damien Lewis, and Z IS FOR ZACHARIAH with Amanda Seyfried, Chris Pine, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Both films will shoot in early 2014.

Additional projects in pre-production include the recently announced KING OF THE KASTLE with Asa Butterfield, Clive Owen and Jacki Weaver, and CELL, the Stephen King adaptation which stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. The company just wrapped principal photography on CYMBELINE starring Ed Harris, Ethan Hawke and Mila Jovovich in New York this past fall.

"Since I founded the company over six years ago, this will mark The First Time I have elevated any executive beyond V.P. status, which I find indicative of Sachs' style and business acumen. Ben has become equally impactful as I am in selecting the material in which we get involved. He has great taste and represents how Benaroya Pictures does business; he's honest, collaborative and fair, but strong and decisive. He knows what he likes and isn't afraid to make strong offers to get the projects we want," said Benaroya.

"With so many great projects set to film in early 2014, and several more slated for later in the year, this will be a breakout year for the company as we move towards our goal of producing a nice mix of both meaningful and commercial films," said Sachs.

Benaroya's film credits include KILL YOUR DARLINGS, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DaHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, and Elizabeth Olsen, which bowed in competition at the 2013 Sundance festival. The film was released domestically by Sony Pictures Classics. Other titles include the romantic mystery The Words starring Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, and Ben Barnes, which was released by CBS Films last year. Additional films include the thriller LAWLESS, starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska from the Weinstein Company. The company's financial thriller MARGIN CALL was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Best First Feature Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards.