Filmmaker Leadership Council, led by Jerry Bruckheimer and Emma Thomas, to provide meaningful support for the theatrical experience
Acclaimed Directors Brad Bird, Ryan Coogler, Jason Reitman and Celine Song round out charter membership of the new Council
LOS ANGELES, CA – (April 8, 2026) – Cinema United, the world’s largest exhibition trade association representing more than 60,000 movie screens worldwide, announced today the formation of its Filmmaker Leadership Council, a strategic group of world-class filmmakers united in a single cause to champion the future of cinema worldwide. The council will be led by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer as Chair and Academy Award® winner Emma Thomas as Vice Chair. In addition, Academy Award® winner Ryan Coogler, two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird, four-time Oscar® nominee Jason Reitman and Academy Award® nominee Celine Song round out the charter membership of the inaugural Council. Bruckheimer and Thomas will be on hand at this year’s CinemaCon®, held April 13-16 in Las Vegas, where they will appear in discussion with Cinema United President and CEO, Michael O’Leary, who today made the announcement. Additional members are soon to be announced.
“Our industry is strongest when it works together to promote the singular experience of seeing a movie on the big screen,” comments O’Leary. “That is what drives us—and it is what will forge the Next Great Era in Cinema. The importance of having Jerry and Emma at the helm of this initiative, at such a critical time for our industry, cannot be overstated. The insight, leadership, passion and impact from the entire leadership council is unparalleled, and we are honored to be working alongside all of them to secure the future of the theatrical experience for generations to come.”
The Cinema United Filmmaker Leadership Council will bring together some of the world’s most influential movie creators to work alongside Cinema United to provide vital feedback and recommendations on the most pressing issues facing theatrical exhibition today—including consolidation, sustainable windows, the promotion and marketing of the cinematic experience, and highlighting innovation and technology. Instrumental in the creation of the council is industry veteran and Cinema United senior consultant, Greg Foster, who will serve as Executive Director of the Filmmaker Leadership Council.
“Movies that captivate audiences and take their breath away—that’s why so many of us got into this business in the first place. There is nothing like that feeling of sitting in a dark theatre, the sound washing over you, watching something unfold on a massive screen that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else,” says Jerry Bruckheimer. “As filmmakers, we pour everything we have into creating those moments. We are at a defining point in the future of this industry, and I am honored to join this incredible group of filmmakers and work alongside Cinema United to ensure that experience endures—in cities and towns across the globe, for audiences everywhere.”
“There is a profound cultural value in gathering together with a group of strangers and connecting while experiencing something special on the big screen,” Emma Thomas reflects. “That shared moment—the laughter, the tears, the collective intake of breath—is irreplaceable. That is what this is about: making sure that cinemas of all sizes, around the world, can continue to present our stories in the best possible setting, so movie fans of all ages can enjoy them as they were intended to be seen.”
O’Leary adds: “On behalf of everyone in exhibition, I want to express our profound gratitude to this remarkable group of filmmakers for their commitment to this cause. We are excited to work together to ensure that local theatres continue to be cultural and economic anchors of their communities, and to preserve the unparalleled experience of a movie on the big screen for moviegoers everywhere.”
Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most successful film and television producers of all time with a career that has spanned more than 50 years. His films, including the monumentally successful PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, TOP GUN, NATIONAL TREASURE, BAD BOYS, and BEVERLY HILLS COP franchises, BLACK HAWK DOWN, PEARL HARBOR, REMEMBER THE TITANS, ARMAGEDDON, THE ROCK, CRIMSON TIDE, and FLASHDANCE, have collectively grossed nearly $15 billion at the global box office. Bruckheimer received an Academy Award® nomination as producer on TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022), which received six Oscar® nominations including Best Motion Picture and won for Best Sound. The film became a box office phenomenon, grossing nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office. Bruckheimer most recently released F1: THE MOVIE for Warner Bros. and Apple Original Films, starring Brad Pitt. That film also went on to become a worldwide hit at the box office, earning more than $631 million globally to become the highest-grossing sports movie of all time. The film received four Academy Award® nominations including Best Picture and won the Oscar® for Best Sound.
An Academy Award® winner for producing the global blockbuster phenomenon OPPENHEIMER, Emma Thomas is the co-founder of the production company, Syncopy, Inc. She is the co-producer, alongside Christopher Nolan, of films including MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE, INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY, INTERSTELLAR, DUNKIRK, TENET and the upcoming THE ODYSSEY for Universal Pictures. In addition to her Academy Award® for OPPENHEIMER, Thomas is the winner of the BAFTA, Producers Guild, Golden Globe® and Critics Choice Award. She was awarded a Damehood (DBE) by King Charles III in December 2024 at Buckingham Palace for her significant contributions to the film industry.
Ryan Coogleris a writer, director and producer. He wrote, directed and produced the feature SINNERS starring Michael B. Jordan, the highest grossing original feature of 2025, amassing over $365M globally. His groundbreaking film, BLACK PANTHER became the highest-grossing domestic release of 2018. Coogler also wrote and directed the hit sequel BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, which was released in November 2022. Coogler’s additional directing credits include CREED and his critically acclaimed debut feature FRUITVALE STATION. He is the founder of production company Proximity Media, alongside partners Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Proximity Media has produced SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY, which opened number one in the global box office in 2021; critically acclaimed JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH; and the box office hit CREED III, which grossed over $275 million worldwide, as well as docu-series HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME, which reached #1 on Hulu and is National Geographic’s most-watched series ever in the U.S.; Disney Streaming, Marvel limited event series IRON HEART; animated anthology series EYES OF WAKANDA and award-winning podcast “In Proximity.”
Oscar® nominated writer-director Jason Reitman is known for directing acclaimed comedies like THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, JUNO, UP IN THE AIR, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE and SATURDAY NIGHT, and producing the films WHIPLASH and JENNIFER’S BODY. He is the producer of the hit show CASUAL and directed two episodes of THE OFFICE. His filmmaking career began at USC, where he created several short films which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. During Covid, he directed a shot-for-shot remake of A PRINCESS BRIDE to raise money for World Central Kitchen. He is also the creator of the Live Read and was an artist-in-residence at LACMA as a result. Recently, Reitman led a group of thirty directors to purchase and save the historic Village Theater in Westwood. As a result, he is a member of Cinema United. Reitman has served on the National Board of the DGA and is currently a Governor in the Academy.
Brad Bird is a two-time Academy Award®–winning writer and director known for his distinctive storytelling across animation and live action. He directed THE IRON GIANT (1999), now widely regarded as a modern classic, and went on to create THE INCREDIBLES (2004) and RATATOUILLE (2007), both of which earned him Academy Awards® for Best Animated Feature. After attending the California Institute of the Arts on a Disney scholarship, Bird began his career as an animator at Disney at age 20. Moving into television, he contributed to the first eight seasons of THE SIMPSONS. He later transitioned to live action with MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011), one of the most successful entries in the franchise, followed by the original science-fiction film TOMORROWLAND (2015). He returned to animation with INCREDIBLES 2 (2018), which became one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. Known for blending emotional depth with large-scale storytelling, Bird continues to develop original work, including his upcoming film, RAY GUNN.
