AGBO Names Angela Russo-Otstot Chief Creative Officer

AGBO, the independent studio headed by Anthony and Joe Russo and producer Mike Larocca, has announced that Angela Russo-Otstot has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer. Russo-Otstot, formerly AGBO's President of Creative, will continue to oversee development of all AGBO projects, many of which extend from storytelling "universes" that span film, television, gaming, audio, and publishing. In her new role, Russo-Otstot will add physical production, marketing, and the company's story department under her purview. She will continue to report to Mike Larocca.

Russo-Otstot has been a powerful force since joining AGBO in 2017. She is an Executive Producer and contributing writer on Amazon's forthcoming global spy-thriller series, "Citadel" (Priyanka Chopra, Richard Madden) and Executive Producer on each of the streamer's local-language spin-offs, including Italy, India, and Mexico.

She is also executive producing Netflix's "The Electric State" (Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt), which is currently in production; "Extraction 2" (Chris Hemsworth), currently in post-production;"Exit West" (Riz Ahmed), currently in development with Obamas' Higher Ground; and "The Bluff" (Zoe Saldana), also in development alongside Cinestar. Additionally, Russo-Otstot executive produced "The Gray Man," starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and is set to executive produce Amazon's recently announced event series "Butch and Sundance," which sold competitively with Regé-Jean Page and Glen Powell attached.

"Angela has been a critical part of the success of AGBO over the past several years. She's a creative force, a strong steward of our slate, and a true friend to the artists, filmmakers and collaborators that call AGBO home. We are thrilled about her new role at the Company and have no doubt that, with Angela in a leadership position, AGBO will continue its incredible growth", said Mike Larocca, AGBO's Co-founder & Vice Chairman.

In addition to the big, commercial content AGBO is known for, Russo-Otstot has been focused on leading a team of executives in their mission to champion new, innovative, and underrepresented voices via independent films under the company's "Gozie AGBO" banner. Among such efforts, she executive produced IFC's Sundance hit "Relic," directed by newcomer Natalie Erika James. She also oversees the studio's various filmmaker initiatives, fostering a community of emerging artists through grants, mentorships, AGBO-sponsored film festivals, and the AGBO Storytellers' Collective.

Prior to her position as President of Creative, Russo-Otstot served as SVP of AGBO's story department under fellow writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Here, she collaborated on projects such as the first "Extraction" and "Everything Everywhere All At Once." She co-wrote and executive produced "Cherry," directed by the Russo Brothers and starring Tom Holland.

Russo-Otstot began her writing career when she sold a spec pilot to HBO. From there, she went on to write for almost a decade on various television dramas that include FX's "The Shield" and ABC's "V," and she has since taught screenwriting and playwriting at both Case Western Reserve University and The Cleveland Institute of Art.