We've mentioned ex Warner Bros chief Jeff Robinov before on Screen Producer, back when we talked about the oft-trod path from executive to independent producer.
At the time Robinov had just got the boot from WB (and probably not a moment too soon after news has emerged about how badly the company's doing, announcing massive staff cuts).
He's probably spent the last year in his Hollywood Hills pool area, wearing shorts and fielding offers from companies all over the world.
But the story of what he did next isn't only a remake of what Jon Peters, Peter Chernin, Bill Mechanic, Lorenzo Bonaventura and every other ex studio head before him has done. It's the story of Hollywood's still-burgeoning love affair with China.
Robinov's own shingle was announced months back, and the first place he went calling for dough was China's Fosun Group, with whom he's signed for as much as $200 million.
Back in July the trades were wondering if Robinov could pull it off, saying he'd have to pull the trigger on projects quickly to keep his new partners happy.
Now, with Robinov's Studio 8 set up and having found a home at Sony with chiefs Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton, things seem to be steaming ahead.
Fosun chairman Guo Guangchang talked the talk about confidence in Robinov and Lynton told a Sony press briefing he can see Robinov delivering 18 to 22 movies a year.
It's good news for Robinov, who's set up and ready to go, and it's great news for Guangchang, who can tell his bean counters and shareholders the returns are imminent.
But it's the best possible news for Sony, who have had a dreadful couple of years thanks to some bomb projects and rebel investor Daniel Loeb calling for structural separation, performance that saw them announce restrictions on content.
Robinov promised 'visually unique' movies – whatever that means. But if he can bring directors as marketable as Chris Nolan, Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck and others who've propelled Warner Bros to the top of the box office and awards lists year after year (not to mention Legendary, which was a hit machine at Warners), it might be time to take your shares out of News Ltd and put them back into Sony – especially now everyone else is so spooked by the recent $2bn loss.
