Josh Goldstine Officially Starts Today As Paramount President Of Global Marketing & Distribution
A month after being in final talks, motion picture marketing guru Josh Goldstine is finally driving onto the Paramount Melrose Ave lot today as the studio’s new Global Marketing and Distribution President under the new David Ellison run studio.
It was the worst of time, however, it’s the very best of times for Goldstine who back in January was cut loose from Warner Bros as their global marketing czar along with Interational Distribution Chief Andrew Cripps. The latter took over as head of Global Distribution at Walt Disney Studios within months. It speaks volumes about the duo’s talents to land top notch jobs quickly at a time when the motion picture industry continues to be challenged post Covid. Goldstine in addition to his hit streak at Universal, propelled Warner Bros at the box office and HBO Max during Covid with theatrical day-and-date releases (note, that wasn’t his idea, but he had to make the possible out of the impossible), delivered the Burbank lot its highest grossing movie ever in Barbie at $1.44 billion, and teed up with the team in place, Warner’s glamorous $4 billion global YTD.
Paramount on its own under Co-Chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein are looking to up their annual theatrical output to 20 movies a year. Goldstine will be tasked with making sure that works. Down the road, Goldstine could wind up overseeing the campaigns and exhibition roadmaps for Warner Bros’ future slates in a potential bittersweet full-circle, should Skydance completely absorb the Burbank, CA lot studio.
As de rigueur with the rotating doors in the C-suite of a new merger, Paramount Global and Marketing Distribution Boss Marc Weinstock and Domestic Distribution President Chris Aronson are departing. Their achievements during their six years at Paramount were epic, delivering the studio and Tom Cruise’s highest grossing movie ever in Top Gun: Maverick ($1.49 billion), the Sonic the Hedgehog series, a new horror franchise in Smile, and turning a new leaf in the A Quiet Place franchise.
Below is Goldberg and Greenstein’s note to staff:
Team,
We’re pleased to share an exciting leadership update: Josh Goldstine is officially joining the studio as President, Global Marketing & Distribution for Paramount Pictures, effective today. In this role, Josh will oversee our worldwide marketing and distribution organization and report to us.
Over his career, Josh has led marketing for franchise cornerstones and breakout originals, and he brings a sharp strategic lens to positioning, creative advertising, media, publicity, partnerships, analytics, strategy & research, creative content, and now, theatrical distribution.
Josh previously served as President of Worldwide Marketing at Warner Bros., where he architected the record-breaking campaign for Barbie, a cultural and box office phenomenon that became the studio’s highest-grossing film of all time, earning more than$1.4 billion globally. He also oversaw marketing for major tentpoles including Dune, The Batman, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Wonka, among others.
Prior to Warner Bros., Josh was the marketing chief at Universal Pictures, where he led the strategic vision and execution behind the global success of blockbuster franchises including Fast & Furious, Jurassic World, Despicable Me, Pitch Perfect, and Minions. His campaigns also powered hits like Straight Outta Compton, Academy Award®-winning Get Out, Split, The Secret Life of Pets, and Fifty Shades of Grey.
Earlier in his career, Josh spent over two decades at Sony Pictures, where he served as President of Creative Advertising. There, he led campaigns for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, the Academy Award-winning The Social Network, Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, Jerry Maguire, Men in Black, and Groundhog Day.
Please join us in welcoming Josh to the Paramount team.
Thank you,
Dana & Josh
