AGC Studios chief creative officer Lourdes Diaz has signed a new multi-year employment agreement and has been elevated to partner with a seat on the board of the independent film and television studio.
The promotion comes on the back of founders Stuart Ford, chairman and CEO, and Miguel Palos, chief operating office, themselves signing new multi-year agreements late last year.
Since AGC launched in 2018, it has become one of Hollywood’s leading production and financing players, with 41 major film and TV productions under its belt.
In a statement, Ford and Palos said Diaz had been a “hugely influential contributor to the company’s explosive growth.”
They added: “Aside from building a highly respected scripted television operation, in her broader role as chief creative officer she has shaped key decisions on the feature film and unscripted sides of the company, helped kickstart our Family and YA division and has made us a very visible player in the Hispanic film and TV sector.”
This year is shaping up to be AGC’s busiest yet. In July, Peacock will launch the studio’s $155 million 10-hour first season of ancient Rome gladiatorial epic “Those about to Die” from director Roland Emmerich.
AGC is also in post-production on Ron Howard’s psychological thriller feature “Eden,” starring Ana De Armas, Jude Law, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby and Daniel Brühl, and Justin Kurzel’s white supremacist thriller “The Order,” starring Law, Nicholas Hoult and Tye Sheridan. Will Smith action thriller “Sugar Bandits” is in pre-production.
AGC-financed and produced features “Poolman,” from director Chris Pine, Richard linklater’s “Hit Man,” starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” and Brad Anderson’s crime thriller “The Silent Hour,” starring Joel Kinnaman and Mark Strong, will be released this year, along with season 2 of Amazon crime drama “Troppo,” starring Thomas Jane.
Other 2024 releases are Christian Ditter’s family comedy “The Present,” starring Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, eight-part espionage drama “Gray,” starring Patricia Clarkson, Lydia West and Rupert Everett, and feature documentary “Transition,” co-produced with Matthew Heineman’s Our Time Projects.
AGC Intl. is also a worldwide sales and distribution partner on Rupert Wyatt’s Arabian epic “Desert Warrior,” starring Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley, Matt Tyrenaur’s feature documentary biopic “Nobu,” upcoming Sylvester Stallone thriller “The Epiphany,” and Michelle Yeoh action thriller “The Mother.”
Responding to news of her promotion, Diaz said that it had been “an incredibly rewarding experience” working at AGC, which she joined as head of television, later becoming chief creative officer.
She added: “The level of collaboration, trust, and creative fearlessness shown by Stuart and Miguel is unparalleled, and I’m excited to continue here as a partner and board member to continue building this studio as the go-to home for filmmaker-driven features and television in the independent market.”
Prior to joining AGC, Diaz served as president of entertainment for Univision Communications Inc., diversifying its entertainment content and working closely with Televisa, Netflix, Globo, Endemol and other partners. Prior to UCI, Diaz was head of global production and development at Viacom Intl., where she oversaw its development across all Comedy Central Intl. channels and was the executive producer on numerous international scripted and unscripted series and shows.
Before Comedy Central, Diaz was vice president, primetime programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios. She also served as executive producer for multiple NBC comedies and dramas, including “House,” “Parenthood” and “The Office.”
Prior to NBC, Diaz founded Agua Entertainment Group, specializing in film, television and new media, and was head of creative affairs for Green Moon Productions, a company formed and operated by Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith.
Diaz began her career as an agent at ICM, representing over 50 writers and directors.
Since its inception, AGC Studios has been backed by the same three key strategic investors: Latin American private asset management firm MediaNet Partners; Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading media and entertainment companies in the Arabic-speaking world; and leading Silicon Valley entrepreneur Greg Clark.
Ford was awarded PvNew’s Billion Dollar Producer award last year and is also a member of PvNew 500, which profiles the world’s most influential media and entertainment leaders.
