Matt Reilly Exits As Universal Pictures EVP For Production President Post At Arena SNK Studios
EXCLUSIVE: Matt Reily, longtime Executive Vice President at Universal Pictures, is exiting to become President of Production for Arena SNK Studios, the monied film and TV production company headed by CEO Erik Feig.
After spending over 20 years in the executive suites of Universal, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., the well regarded exec will oversee all creative for the well-financed, action-oriented film and television studio that will lean into development of franchises based on video games, anime, and related fandom communities, along with developing experiential events around the world.
“Matt is recognized around the industry for his ability to create and sustain globally successful franchises,” said Feig. “His expertise, vision, and relationships will be major assets to the Arena SNK team as we build a powerful new player in the global media landscape focusing on the fastest-growing sectors, including gaming, live-action and anime adaptations.”
Reilly said he sparked to joining the new venture “at such a pivotal moment. The studio’s focus on global, franchise-driven storytelling is incredibly compelling, particularly considering the trove of strong IP we’ll be able to leverage. It’s an honor to become part of such an excellent leadership team, and I look forward to working with Erik, the board, and our creative partners to bring bold, immersive stories to audiences worldwide.”
Arena SNK is chaired by Majid Al-Ibrahim, who also sits on the board of global media leader MBC Group. In addition to Al-Ibrahim and Feig, the board includes former Disney film chief Sean Bailey; Andreessen Horowitz General Partner and leading AI investor Andrew Chen; and Epic Games CCO Charlie Wen. Arena SNK will harness a broad suite of high-value opportunities via its investor ecosystem, which includes SNK, MBC, and the MiSK Group. For the global distribution of its content, Arena SNK intends to partner with leading global studios and streamers.
Reilly’s always had a nose for IP. Back at Warner Bros, it was his idea to make movies from the Lego toy line, bring in producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee for what became a billion dollar business of Lego films. He also oversaw the Kingsman franchise, architected the Predator/Prey films by Dan Trachtenberg, and worked closely with Blumhouse as Universal’s lead creative on the Halloween and Exorcist franchises.
Reilly also oversaw production on the recently wrapped Focker-in-Law, the fourth movie in the Meet the Fockers franchise, and rolled out hit sequels to Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone and monster video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Reilly also oversaw the Bourne franchise — with Universal recently acquiring the complete rights to Robert Ludlum’s series of source novels — and was the executive on hits like Cocaine Bear, Violent Night, Speak No Evil, and the Ben Affleck-directed Boston crime classic The Town.
