EXCLUSIVE: Jon M. Chu‘s production company Electric Somewhere has hired Jana Helman as Head of Television and Aimee Rivera as SVP of Motion Pictures.
The hires come at a time when Electric Somewhere is expanding into other areas of content including animation and television, in addition to pursuing four-quadrant event films driven by music, movement and magic under its new Film & TV pact at Paramount.
Helman and Rivera will be joining producer Michael Bostick, who is the company’s Head of Production. Helman will report directly Chu.
Most recently, Helman served as EVP of Development and Current at Paramount Television Studios, where she managed a slate of series including Little House on the Prairie for Netflix, Cross for Amazon, Murderbot for Apple. She previously ran development at Paramount+ as the SVP of Original Content. Before her time at Paramount, she was at Freeform and Warner Bros.
Rivera most recently served as VP of Motion Picture Production at Skydance Media, where she spent nearly nine years before transitioning to Paramount following the companies’ merger. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and production of some of the studio’s most prolific films, including Top Gun: Maverick, and the upcoming Apple Original Movie, Matchbox: The Movie. She also served as the lead executive on Paramount Pictures’ The Rescue. Prior to joining Skydance, Rivera served as Creative Executive at Sony Pictures.
“I’ve wanted to work with Jana for a long time, so having her join the team is truly a dream come true. She has an incredible instinct for discovering and nurturing bold, emotionally resonant television, and she’ll play a pivotal leadership role in the next chapter of our storytelling,” said Chu.
“Aimee has an exceptional eye for ambitious cinema and filmmakers with distinctive voices. Her depth of experience, combined with her impeccable taste, has already made a meaningful impact on our company. I’m thrilled to welcome them both alongside Michael and the rest of the Electric Somewhere creative team as we enter an exciting new chapter of growth,” the Wicked franchise filmmaker added.
“As a longtime fan of Jon and his incredible work, I’m thrilled to be joining him and the team at Electric Somewhere. Jon’s storytelling always uplifts and inspires, and I look forward to helping him bring his unmatched vision to television audiences everywhere,” said Helman.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Jon, Michael and the incredible team at Electric Somewhere. I’ve admired Jon’s work for years, and the bold vision he and Michael have for the company is genuinely inspiring,” said Rivera. “I’m honored to be joining the journey and can’t wait to help shape this next chapter together.”
