Octavia Spencer’s Orit Entertainment Names Kathryn Tyus

EXCLUSIVE: Octavia Spencer‘s Orit Entertainment has made two key executive hires, naming Kathryn Tyus-Adair as Head of Film and Adam Wagner as Head of Television.

“Kathryn and Adam are exceptional executives, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the company, said Spencer. “They each bring an incredible depth of experience and a passion for storytelling. Their leadership and relationships make them invaluable additions as we continue to build the next chapter at Orit.”

As Head of Film, Tyus-Adair will oversee the company’s feature film development and production strategy. A veteran executive and producer, she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Original Programming at Starz, where she oversaw series including BMF, The Serpent Queen, Blindspotting, Run the World, Step Up, Vida and Ava DuVernay’s UNT. She also served as an executive on Power, Outlander and The Spanish Princess.

Prior to Starz, Tyus-Adair worked in development at NBCUniversal’s UTV Studios, where her credits include producing St. Vincent starring Bill Murray and overseeing projects including House of Lies, The Guard, Kidnap, The Horse Whisperer, A Civil Action, Soul Food, Barbershop and Men of Honor.

“What an honor it is to join forces with a visionary like Octavia Spencer and the delightful Adam Wagner as Orit mines and expands its already prolific slate,” said Tyus-Adair. “Octavia’s Academy award-winning talent as an actor echoes in her impeccable taste in the material she produces that crosses genres and speaks to myriad audiences. I’m inspired by her voracious appetite for quality content and by her incredible work ethic. Plus, she is exactly the wonderful human you’d want her to be. Feeling lucky, humbled and grateful to be part of her team.”

As Head of Television, Wagner will oversee Orit’s scripted television development and production slate. He joins the company from MRC, where he served as Senior Vice President of Television and was part of the senior creative team behind Amazon’s The Terminal List franchise, including the upcoming second season of The Terminal List and The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. While at MRC, he also developed Rabbit, Rabbit, which sold to Netflix and is currently in production. Previously, Wagner served as President of Miguel Sapochnik’s 1:26 Pictures, which produced HBO’s House of the Dragon. Earlier in his career, he held executive positions at Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films, 20th Century Fox under Emma Watts, Scott Rudin Productions and Alexander Payne’s Ad Hominem Enterprises.

“It’s a privilege to join Octavia at Orit Entertainment,” added Wagner. “She is one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation, having earned every bit of her success through determination and hard work. I couldn’t ask to join a more exciting team alongside Kathryn. As we endeavor to identify rich, complex stories and collaborate with the best storytellers to bring them to the screen, we’re eager to push boundaries for audiences around the globe.”