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Tag: David Brown

  • Movie Producer David Brown Indicted in $12 Million Fraud Involving Fake Covid Tests and a Patty Hearst Film

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    Movie producer David Brown was arrested Wednesday on charges that he defrauded business partners out of $12 million by creating fake companies and using investor funds to pay his personal expenses.

    Brown, 39, was indicted on 21 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Among other things, he is accused of setting up a company called Hollywood Covid Testing LLC and using it to bill productions for COVID tests that never occurred.

    Prosecutors allege that Brown also swindled investors in real estate and film deals, using the money to buy a 2025 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon and a series of Teslas, a house for his mother, as well as to pay his mortgage, install a pool and a Subzero freezer, pay for private school tuition and to put $70,000 into surrogacy services.

    He is also accused of diverting $970,263 in investor funds to an entity set up to make a film about Patty Hearst and her kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army – a project that did not come to fruition.

    Brown produced “The Fallout,” a 2021 film starring Jenna Ortega that won the grand jury award at South by Southwest. He is also listed as an executive producer on “The Apprentice,” the 2024 film about a young Donald Trump.

    Last year, Brown announced the launch of the Screen Company, a production, sales and finance entity.

    “I believe in the power of storytelling,” he said at the time. “Our mission is to provide reliable and flexible financing that brings extraordinary stories to life.”

    Brown has been repeatedly sued by investors who accuse him of fraud. The Los Angeles Times extensively covered the allegations against him in 2023. Brown denied the allegations to the paper and said they were the result of misunderstandings.

    Brown used to live in Sherman Oaks, but has since moved to South Carolina, where he was arrested Wednesday. He made an initial appearance in federal court and will later be arraigned in Los Angeles.

    In addition to producing, he has worked as a unit production manager and a production accountant.

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    Gmaddaus

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  • Domestic Distributor ScreenReleasing Launches With Team Including Former UTA Agent Mike Rose; Ari Elan Lewis To Handle International Sales

    Domestic Distributor ScreenReleasing Launches With Team Including Former UTA Agent Mike Rose; Ari Elan Lewis To Handle International Sales

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    EXCLUSIVE: LA-based production outfit The Screen Company, headed by producer David Brown (The Fallout), is launching a domestic distribution and sales arm.

    Distribution arm ScreenReleasing will handle third party acquisitions and look to partner with filmmakers on projects in the development phase. Brown says the company will seek projects across all genres and budget ranges.

    Former UTA agent Mike Rose has been brought aboard as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee day-to-day operations at the new division and handle acquisitions. Rose, who most recently served eight years at UTA as Head of Creative Affairs, has also previously worked at Disney, TWC, Miramax, and CAA.

    Ari Elan Lewis, who has worked at Confluential Films, Netflix, Universal and John Legend’s Get Lifted Film , has also joined and will serve as Head of Acquisitions and handle international sales.

    Brown says of the strategy behind the company: “We will not prolong MG payments over many months or require producers to secure additional financing with a lender. Once our company believes in a project enough to provide a contractual MG, we will cashflow the MG using our daily payments model.”

    He continued: “We will never package your film with another title to offset potential losses. We don’t believe in ‘studio accounting.’ We prioritize transparency in financials and will pay out filmmakers’ revenue shares on a nightly basis once funds have been received from exhibitors. We’re currently creating a portal to provide our filmmakers with real-time financials and reporting. I believe distributors should be your partners in business, not some unattainable higher up. We hope to become just that, your partners in distribution for years to come.”

    Recently, The Screen Company announced the formation of financing arm ScreenFund, with projects and additional executive hires said to be announced in coming weeks.

    Independent producer Brown is best known for producing HBO’s The Fallout, starring Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, and Shailene Woodley, which won the Grand Jury Prize for a Narrative Feature at SXSW in 2021. He was also an executive producer on the Sundance festival title After the Wedding, starring Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Billy Crudup.

    The Screen Company is repped by Jason Karlov and Carolyn Hunt from Barnes & Thornburg LLP.

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    Andreas Wiseman

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