Lyrical Media announces that they have entered into a first-look film deal with Ryder Picture Company, a production company helmed by industry veteran and Academy Award-nominee Aaron Ryder and partner Andrew Swett. Lyrical Media, which is run by CEO Alexander Black, COO/CFO Jon Rosenberg, and Vice President of Development & Production Natalie Sellers, and RPC recently partnered on two hot new projects: Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood, starring Academy Award-nominee Hugh Jackman and Emmy Award®-winner Jodie Comer, which WME Independent will be introducing in Cannes, as well as Adam Wingard’s new action-thriller film Onslaught with A24.
Lyrical Media CEO Alexander Black said, “We’re thrilled to be making this collaboration between Lyrical and RPC official. Aaron and Andrew are incredible talents and the perfect partners to build an independent ecosystem for leading filmmakers and storytellers.”
RPC’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett said, “Over the years, we’ve enjoyed success not only through our collaborations with some of the best filmmakers in the industry, but also through vital partnerships we’ve forged. This strategic partnership with Lyrical continues that tradition. From the moment we met Alexander Black and his team, it was clear to us that they share a deep passion for film and a vision of building a successful production company that will serve as a destination for world class filmmakers. We’re beyond excited to be part of this and anxious to get started making a few films in the very immediate future.”
This partnership extends Lyrical and RPC’s shared commitment to empowering emerging storytellers and discovering groundbreaking narrative worlds, with the goal of flexing their joint creative muscles even further to deliver premium independent cinema which appeals to mass audiences. Lyrical will have the first right of refusal to produce and finance RPC films, genre agnostic with budgets of $10 million and up, over two years with an option to extend to a third year. The deal takes Ryder back to his roots in the independent film space, where he started his career producing such films as Memento starring Guy Pearce, which was nominated for two Academy Awards®; Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale; and Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award®-winning epic Arrival.
The two companies also produced Bruiser, a coming-of-age drama directed by Miles Warren and starring Jayln Hall, Trevante Rhodes, and Shamier Anderson about generational trauma and black masculinity, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was later released on Hulu in February 2023 to critical acclaim.
