Makeready Brings Negin Salmasi Aboard As Film & TV Executive

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EXCLUSIVE: Makeready has hired Negin Salmasi to become a production and development executive for film and television. She will report to Makeready Principals, Pam Abdy and Peter Johnson, who oversee film and television.

Salmasi moves from See-Saw Films, where she headed that company’s U.S. office in Los Angeles, overseeing the creative affairs of all US Film and TV projects. There she worked on films that include the Steve McQueen-directed Widows, the Simon Beaufoy-scripted A Special Relationship, which Bertie+Bertie will direct with Rachel Weisz starring, and Ammonite, the Francis Lee-directed drama that stars Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, among other films.

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Prior to that, Salmasi was a Film/TV Development Executive at Pascal Pictures, where she worked on projects including Cleopatra, Maestra and Sweethearts of Rhythm. Salmasi started her career at William Morris Endeavor and her other previous stints included Fox Searchlight and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.

“Negin has an incredible passion for unique and compelling storytelling,” said Makeready CEO Brad Weston. “We are so excited for her to join the team and look forward to all she will continue to achieve.”

Said Salmasi: “Makeready has quickly and impressively established itself as the home for distinctive talent, becoming a magnet for both new and established writers, directors, actors, playwrights, and creators. It’s a privilege to join this team and I look forward to our continued growth.”

Makeready is preparing for its first theatrical release in Queen & Slim, the drama that Melina Matsoukas directed from Lena Waithe’s script with Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith starring. Pic opens November 27, kicking off Makeready’s 10-picture theatrical feature deal with Universal Pictures. Makeready has also sold 14 TV projects to various networks, including the Showtime pilot Hombre, which stars Gael García Bernal and is directed by Jonas Cuarón. There is also a documentary series on Sean Combs with eOne, a short film directed by Hiro Murai (This is America) co-financed by Anita Gou and an unscripted series with eOne, executive produced by Murai and directed by Calmatic (Old Town Road).

Jennifer Lawrence and her newly launched production company, Excellent Cadaver signed a first look deal at Makeready that will see her star in the Paolo Sorrentino-directed film adaptation of Teresa Carpenter’s non-fiction crime story Mob Girl. Murai and his producing partner Nate Matteson also signed a Makeready deal and Murai is poised to make his feature directorial debut there.

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