Fathom Entertainment, the specialty distributor jointly owned by cinema chains AMC, Cinemark and Regal, has appointed Jason Brenek as its new chief executive. He succeeds Ray Nutt, who announced his retirement earlier this year. The move matters because Fathom pioneered the "event cinema" category and has become an increasingly important source of alternative programming for theatres as major studio output continues to trail pre-pandemic levels.

The Colorado-based company distributes one-off cinematic events, including live broadcasts of opera, stage plays and concerts, as well as anniversary rereleases of classic films. Brenek joins from cloud-based distribution platform MetaMedia, which he founded and led, and previously held senior roles at Imax and The Walt Disney Company. Fathom's board, via Regal Global Entertainment's Adam Rymer, praised his cross-industry expertise and prior work with the firm, while Brenek said he would focus on expanding content, deepening partner relationships and growing the company's reach.