Me on Mandate

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Among the leading production companies Mandate Pictures is unique.  It combines spunky, independent fare with commercially solid genre films.  The company was founded in 2005 by Joseph Drake (CEO), supported by the prolific executive-producer Nathan Kahane (President), and is now under the creative guidance of  Nicole Brown (SVP Production).

Since its birth the indie studio has made its business producing some of the smartest mainstream movies in decades with the likes of STRANGER THAN FICTION and JUNO.  The company has hedged the inherent risk of  these non-genre films with a number of solid horrors from cult-favorite Sam Raimi by pairing with his Ghost House Pictures.  Among those are THE GRUDGE 2, THE MESSENGERS, THE STRANGERS and the recent DRAG ME TO HELL.  Mandate has also dipped into broader fare with the family film MR. MAGORIUM’S WONDER EMPORIUM, the broad comedy HAROLD AND KUMAR 2 and the emo darling NICK AND NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST.

Mandate’s upcoming releases include Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, WHIP IT, a dramedy starring indie wunderkind Ellen Page (JUNO) and THE BASTER, a neo-romcom starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, JUNO).  Mandate is currently in production with the thriller PEACOCK (another vehicle for the Oscar-nominated Ellen Page).  There are also a number of noteworthy projects on the Mandate development slate, the most interesting of which are JAY AND SETH VS. THE APOCALYPSE and I’M WITH CANCER (Seth Rogan attached to both).

Mandate was acquired by Lionsgate in 2007, and since then has grown more than 500% (according to The Hollywood Reporter), helping to buoy the studio in its hour of need.  Mandate is located in Santa Monica.