Still reeling from a slumping box office, Sony Pictures Entertainment will replace Geoffrey Ammer as the studio’s president of worldwide marketing at the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. Ammer resigned suddenly from the position Monday, according to news reports. The resignation takes effect at the end of the month.
The studio acknowledged Ammer’s departure and said a successor would be named soon, news reports said. Sony Pictures has reported a significant slump with box office flops including Bewitched, Zathura and Rent. Ammer, however, will continue to oversee marketing campaigns for holiday releases including Memoirs of a Geisha and Fun with Dick and Jane.
Sony Pictures gave consumers a sneak peak at Zathura via a brand integration deal on The Apprentice (Xtra Nov. 1). During the episode, Ammer appeared with Jon Favreau, the film’s director, in which teams competed to design floats based on the movie.
Despite the plug and other promotions, the film didn’t hit the mark with moviegoers’, bringing in only $27.4 million domestically since its Nov. 11 release, according to box office stats.
Ammer joined Columbia TriStar Marketing Group in September 2001 as domestic marketing president. During his tenure, Ammer lead the marketing team that launched eight No. 1 films, including Spider-Man, XXX, Men in Black II, Panic Room and Black Hawk Down. He was promoted to marketing president in January 2003.
Ammer will serve as a marketing consultant for Sony through 2006, according to news reports.
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