EXCLUSIVE: Big move in the LA film producing scene as vet filmmaker Brian Kavanaugh-Jones is ending his run at Range as Partner and Co-President of Film & Production to join Chris Ferguson at his Vancouver-based banner Oddfellows.
In some ways it’s a continuation for Kavanaugh-Jones. He and Ferguson have been longtime collaborators, producing 24 film and TV projects together since 2013 including recent box office hits The Monkey and Longlegs and upcoming The Young People, all from Osgood Perkins.
Kavanaugh-Jones, who will work between LA, Texas and Vancouver, is joining Oddfellows at an opportune moment given the company’s recently announced first-look deal with Warner Bros. Picture Group. Ferguson was recently a producer on Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, A24’s highest grossing film, which made $400M at the box office.
But the exit also draws to a close the formal alliance between him and longtime producing partner Fred Berger who will remain at Range in the same role. The two saw huge success across a ten-year partnership that began with their banner Automatik and continued when the label folded into Range. They worked together on a slew of high-profile movies to form one of the most fruitful producing partnerships in the business, working on films including A Complete Unknown, Longlegs, The Monkey, La La Land and Loving, as well as upcoming films such as Venice drama Primetime with Robert Pattinson for A24, Jeff Nichols’ Kingsnake and Russell Crowe starrer The Last Druid.
Berger and Kavanugh-Jones will continue to collaborate on a number of projects, as will Range and Oddfellows. Kavanaugh-Jones will be transitioning to the new gig over the next month.
Ferguson said: “Since founding Oddfellows, Brian has been my closest producing partner. He brings phenomenal taste and talent relationships alongside a wide ranging entrepreneurial vision that is going to be vital to plotting out an ambitious course in this new chapter for the company. Beyond all that we’ve had nothing but fun producing movies all over the world together for the last 15 years and I look forward to doing it for 15 more.”
“Oddfellows has an artist-driven approach to production, which is essential to making great films. I am thrilled to be expanding our relationship and continuing to champion innovative, filmmaker-first cinema alongside Chris and the team at such an exciting phase of their growth,” commented Kavanaugh-Jones.
Berger said of the change: “Brian’s been more than a producing partner — he’s family. I’m so proud of what we built together over the last decade from Automatik to Range, and am excited to keep working with him and Chris in this new chapter.”
“My partnership with Fred Berger has meant the world to me. Over 10 years and 60 movies together, he’s been my rock personally and professionally. These last years together at Range have been some of the best of our career. Fred, Peter Micelli, Jack Whigham and all the partners at Range have been exceptional colleagues and collaborators. I am deeply grateful for their partnership, now and into the future,” Kavanaugh-Jones added.
Micelli, CEO of Range, noted: “Brian has been an incredible colleague and leader over his past three years at Range. His vision and creativity touched every facet of Range, far beyond Film & Production, and we are immensely grateful. We were long-time friends and collaborators with Brian before his time at Range, and on behalf of everyone at the company, we are excited to continue producing many films with him.”
Kavanaugh-Jones previously worked as a film finance agent at CAA before launching Automatik and then merging with Range. He helped advise on Range’s recently launched game publishing division with Ben Jones and had previously co-founded TV production company Station26 with Berger and Justin Levy.
Coming up for Oddfellows are Perkins’ The Young People starring Lola Tung, Nico Parker, Tatiana Maslany, Johnny Knoxville, Heather Graham and Nicole Kidman, and the company is in production on Alex Ullom’s sophomore genre feature 4×4: The Event. Previous TV credits include thriller The Edge of Sleep starring Markiplier, with New Regency, and the animated TV series Psi Cops with Corus in Canada and Adult Swim in the U.S.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (L) and producer Chris Ferguson at the Los Angeles Premiere of Neon’s “The Monkey” at Immanuel Presbyterian Church on February 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stewart Cook/Neon via Getty Images)
Stewart Cook/Neon via Getty Images
