Stephen Emery

Stephen Emery was an American film producer and entertainment executive known for his contributions to feature films and his leadership roles across several production and management companies in Hollywood. He held executive positions at Valhalla Motion Pictures, Circle of Confusion, Solution Entertainment Group, and most recently Big Swell Entertainment, where he developed and produced projects involving prominent talent. His credits include work on films such as Æon Flux, 21 Grams, and Mr. Right, as well as involvement in television and limited series development.^[1][2][3] Emery began his career in the early 2000s, serving as vice president of production and development at Valhalla Motion Pictures. He later joined Circle of Confusion as executive vice president of features in 2009 and moved to Solution Entertainment Group in a similar executive role focused on acquisitions and development in 2016. Throughout his career, he worked on projects featuring actors including Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson, Anna Kendrick, and Liam Hemsworth, and contributed to diverse productions ranging from action and drama to horror and biographical series.^[4][5][6][2] Born on November 29, 1976, in Marin County, California, Emery passed away unexpectedly on October 14, 2023, at the age of 46 following a workout in Redondo Beach, California.^[1][3]

Early life

Birth and background

Stephen Emery was born on November 29, 1976, in Marin County, California.^[7] Limited details about his early background are available in public sources, with no verified information regarding his parents, siblings, education, or childhood activities in reputable reports. He had relocated to the Redondo Beach area of California by the time of his death.^[1]

Career

Early career as production executive

Stephen Emery embarked on his career in film production after three years in the motion picture talent department at Creative Artists Agency, transitioning to roles at DreamWorks and then Focus Features during the latter's early years, where he contributed to notable projects including 21 Grams (2003) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).^[8] He served as a production executive on 21 Grams, handling logistical and operational responsibilities behind the scenes.^[9] He was a production executive (uncredited) on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, supporting the film's production coordination.^[9] Emery next worked as a production executive at Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Motion Pictures, where he oversaw Æon Flux (2005) for Paramount Pictures.^[8] He later served as a production executive on Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino (2008) while running Bill Gerber's production company at Warner Bros.^[8][10] These early positions focused on behind-the-scenes logistical management rather than creative producing, providing foundational experience in the industry.^[9] They preceded Emery's shift toward credited producing roles and higher-level executive positions.^[8]

Independent producing

Stephen Emery transitioned into independent producing in the late 2000s, earning his first producer credit as executive producer on the short film Room Service (2007). ^{[11] [12]} He next served as co-producer on the feature Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008), a comedy starring Jessica Simpson. ^[11] Emery's later hands-on producing credits, including executive producer roles on Mr. Right (2015) and Satanic (2016) during or transitioning from his executive tenure at Circle of Confusion, spanned shorts, comedies, horror, and thrillers. ^{[11] [1] [13]} He also took a co-executive producer role on the Netflix action thriller Wheelman (2017), directed by Jeremy Rush. ^{[11] [1] [2]}

Entertainment executive positions

Prior to 2016, Emery served as executive vice president of production and development at Circle of Confusion from 2008 to 2015, where he helped oversee feature projects, generate new setups, and executive produced films including Mr. Right (2015) and Satanic (2016).^[5][1][13] Stephen Emery served as Head of Film & TV at The Solution Entertainment Group from 2016 to 2022. ^{[1] [13]} In this executive role, he focused on developing and packaging film and television projects for the company. ^[13] During his tenure at The Solution Entertainment Group, Emery took executive producer credits on Killerman (2019) and Line of Duty (2019). ^[11] In late 2022, he joined Big Swell Entertainment—a production company launched by Andy Horowitz—as a producer, remaining in that position until his death in 2023. ^[1] His later executive producer credits include Werewolves (2024, released posthumously) and An Aftermath (in pre-production at the time of his death). ^[11]

Death

Circumstances and tributes

Stephen Emery died unexpectedly on October 14, 2023, at age 46 following a workout at a gym in Redondo Beach, California. ^{[1] [9]} The cause of death was not disclosed. ^[9] Approximately five years earlier, in 2018, Emery had survived a sudden heart attack while running a triathlon. ^[9] Big Swell Entertainment founder and CEO Andy Horwitz issued a statement expressing profound grief and highlighting Emery's personal qualities: "Everyone that had the pleasure to know Stephen Emery is heartbroken over the sudden loss of one of our own. Stephen was much more than an invaluable producer, he was also an irreplaceable friend. His passion for film was outweighed only by his passion for life, and he lived every day like it was his last. We will miss his adventurous spirit, his loyal friendship and his genuine love for life. Rest in peace, brother." ^{[9] [14]} Horwitz's tribute underscored Emery's role at Big Swell Entertainment, where he had been working prior to his death. ^[9]

Filmography

Producer credits

Stephen Emery has accrued a range of producer credits across independent films, shorts, and streaming projects, often in executive capacities. His credits, listed chronologically, are as follows:

• Room Service (2007 short film, executive producer)
• Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008, co-producer)
• Mr. Right (2015, executive producer)
• Satanic (2016, executive producer)
• Wheelman (2017, co-executive producer)
• Killerman (2019, executive producer)
• Line of Duty (2019, executive producer)
• Werewolves (2024, executive producer)
• An Aftermath (pre-production, executive producer)

These credits reflect his involvement in genre films, action thrillers, and horror projects. For context on specific productions, refer to the relevant career subsections.

Additional crew credits

Stephen Emery's additional crew credits consist of production executive roles on four feature films during the early to mid-2000s, marking his initial hands-on involvement in major motion picture production.^[11] These credits, listed chronologically, begin with his work as production executive on 21 Grams in 2003, followed by his service in the same capacity on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2004 (uncredited).^[15] He continued in this role for Æon Flux in 2005 and concluded with Gran Torino in 2008, also as production executive.^[15] These positions preceded his later transition to producing and executive producing credits on subsequent projects.^[11]