MRC FILM NAMES BECKY SLOVITER HEAD OF NEW LABEL FOCUSED ON FEMALE-DRIVEN COMEDIES

“Palm Springs” Producer Announces Projects with Ashley Nicole Black and Adam Sztykiel’s Directorial Debut

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (July 23, 2020) – MRC Film has partnered with producer Becky Sloviter to lead a new label within the division focused on female-driven comedies. Sloviter will report to MRC Film Co-Presidents Brye Adler and Jonathan Golfman.  

The as yet unnamed company will operate under MRC Film with the flexibility to work in collaboration with other producers as well as all the various distributors. Sloviter, whose brand mission is to support and amplify female-driven comedic properties, has an independent development budget to shepherd projects at various stages. 

Sloviter, who produced the critically acclaimed film “Palm Springs” which sold in a record-breaking deal to Hulu and NEON at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, has quietly been building her slate with projects including:

• In a preemptive deal, the company has secured the rights to “Let’s Have Kids!” which will serve as Adam Sztykiel’s directorial debut. Sztykiel, whose credits include “Due Date,” “Rampage” and the Warner Bros/DC Comic film “Black Adam” with Dwayne Johnson, will co-write the screenplay with Ellie Knaus. “Let’s Have Kids!” follows two lifelong best friends who decide to have babies at the same time so they can navigate the great unknown of motherhood together, but find their friendship is deeply tested when only one of them gets pregnant. 

• “The Inheritance,” from Emmy® Award winner Ashley Nicole Black (“A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”), is the story of total opposite half-sisters who are forced to go on a road trip together after the death of their father in order to collect their inheritance.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Becky who has a rare combination of taste, tenacity and bonhomie. To borrow a sports metaphor, she’s a true triple threat,” said Adler and Golfman.  “We are excited to work with her to build a company that supports fresh and dynamic voices and tells stories that make people laugh.”

“I'm delighted to partner with MRC Film, whose belief in supporting distinct voices dovetails beautifully with our collective goal of building upon the strong tradition of classic female-driven comedies," Sloviter said. “I feel fortunate to be launching this company at a time when we all need some levity; and I'm grateful that Brye and Jonathan are mensches of the highest order as we build this company over Zoom with my kids interrupting every 12 minutes.”

Sloviter was most recently the Head of Production and Development at Party Over Here, The Lonely Island’s production company where, in addition to producing “Palm Springs” starring Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti and J.K. Simmons, she produced Kris Rey’s feature “I Used To Go Here,” starring Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement and executive produced the critically acclaimed series “PEN15” for Hulu and “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” for Netflix. She began her producing career with Stuber/Parent Productions, based at Universal Pictures, where she shepherded “Role Models” starring Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott prior to being named Vice President at MGM where she oversaw “The Cabin in the Woods” and “Zookeeper” among other projects. 

MRC Film has long been a champion of singular filmmakers with properties including Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver,” and Seth McFarlane’s “Ted” among others; and investments in companies including Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s T-Street and A-Major Media, led by Mary Lee. 

About MRC Film

MRC Film is a leading independent studio, which sources, finances, develops, and produces content in partnership with the industry’s foremost creative artists. To date, MRC films have grossed more than $5.1 billion in worldwide box office and its projects have been nominated for 12 Academy Awards®, 11 Golden Globe® Awards, and 2 GRAMMY Awards®. MRC films include the comedy “The Lovebirds,” directed by Michael Showalter, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae; and the recent Oscar and Golden Globe nominated “Knives Out,” written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Ram Bergman starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell and Christopher Plummer. Other titles include “Baby Driver,” “Ted,” and “Elysium,” among others. MRC has also selectively co-financed major studio films including the upcoming “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run,”  and “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” as well as “Peter Rabbit,” “Furious 7,” “22 Jump Street,” and “Hotel Transylvania 2” and “Hotel Transylvania 3.” MRC Film is a division of Valence Media, a diversified global media company with divisions in television, film, live entertainment, non-fiction, media and information, and data and brands including The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Vibe and dick clark productions. Valence Media has minority investments in A24, Fulwell 73 and T-Street. For more information, please visit www.mrcstudios.com.