Fox COO Mary McLaren and Actor/Author Tom McLaren Launch Next Chapter Entertainment
The McLarens have three feature films in active development, with the first expected to begin pre-production later this fall.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 20, 2020
Former Twentieth Century FOX COO Mary McLaren and actor/author Tom McLaren have launched Next Chapter Entertainment, a multimedia company with divisions covering film production, talent management, and book publishing.
The McLarens have three feature films in active development, with the first expected to begin pre-production later this fall. Actors represented by Next Chapter include Susan Blakely, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen and Debbie Turner. Next Chapter's first book "Thornsby by Fred McLaren: The Complete Comic Collection," co-authored by the McLarens, was published in hardcover and softcover editions on October 14, 2020. The book is a tribute to Tom McLaren's father Fred McLaren, the creator of "Thornsby," a Syndicated newspaper comic from the 1970s. The entire run of 768 cartoons, published in newspapers across the United States, is included, as well as numerous bonus features: photographs, drawings, promotional ads, publicity materials, and a personal introduction and various anecdotes.
A career long Studio executive, Mary McLaren served as Chief Operating Officer, International Theatrical and Worldwide Home Entertainment, at Twentieth Century FOX for more than a decade, where she negotiated and led the studio's distribution partnerships with key industry players including MGM, Lucasfilm, Dreamworks Animation, eOne, and Pathé. In addition to working on some of the industry's biggest movie franchises (Star Wars, Avatar, Deadpool, Alien, X-Men), Mary was a key member of Fox's International Production team and oversaw Home Entertainment acquisitions for the studio. Currently, she is the CEO of Next Chapter Entertainment LLC, managing the Production, Publishing and Talent Management divisions. Recognized in the top half of "The Hollywood Reporter"' Power 100 Women in Entertainment list for multiple years, Mary is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Television Academy, as well as a mentor for rising talent across the major Studios' production & distribution divisions and for the Academy Gold program. She has been profiled in numerous print and web publications including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily, Deadline, The Wrap, Home Media Magazine, Media Play News, and more. She holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Wayne State University.
An accomplished actor and published author, Tom McLaren started his adult life as a corporate finance executive at Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox. In 2012 he made a mid-life career change and began acting in film, television, and commercials. Major credits include "Lost in Space" (Netflix TV series) & the feature films "Expelled" (Awesomeness, a #1 best-selling movie on iTunes) starring Cameron Dallas, "Exorcism of Molly Hartley" (Fox) starring Devon Sawa and "Santa's Little Helper" (Fox/WWE) starring Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin. He co-authored the award-winning book "Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century FOX Archive," with actress/artist Angela Cartwright ("The Sound of Music"), published by Insight Editions in both hardcover and softcover formats. He was interviewed by "CBS This Morning" and has been profiled in numerous print and web publications including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Parade, Huffington Post, Closer Weekly, and more. Currently, Tom is Co-Head of Next Chapter Entertainment's Production and Publishing divisions. He holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Wayne State University.
Find Next Chapter at nextchapterent.com and in social media (Instagram & Facebook @nextchapterentertainment, Twitter @nextchaptent). Find Tom McLaren at tom-mclaren.com and in social media (Instagram & Twitter @tommclaren1, Facebook @tommclarenpage).
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