William Shockley & Tom Brady Launch Thunderbird Pictures
24.04.2023 - 20:33
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Veteran producers William Shockley and Tom Brady have partnered with Allen Gilmer and Riki Rushing to launch Thunderbird Pictures, a new production company to have a presence in both Los Angeles and Austin, TX.
Thunderbird’s launch was teased last month at SXSW, where the company served as the official awards sponsor of the inaugural Thunderbird Rising Award, presenting prizes to first-time directors Paris Zarcilla (Raging Grace) and Brittany Snow (Parachute). The quartet will be joined at the banner by Head of Casting, Tiiu Loigu; Head of Business Development, Jason Chilton; production exec Robert Abdou; and Chief Financial Officer Aldo Waker.
Thunderbird’s initial slate of films includes the Miguel Bardem-directed drama Castro’s Daughter (fka Alina of Cuba), starring James Franco and Ana Villafane, which was produced in partnership with Mankind Entertainment, and is now in post-production; the follow-up documentary Revolution’s Daughter, directed by Thaddeus Matula, which is currently in production; and the Shockley-helmed Last Dollar, a period Western inspired by European cinema, which begins filming on May 8th.
“I met Allen Gilmer while acting in Death in Texas, of which Allen was an EP. Allen and I shared similar stories, the common theme being the desire to control our destinies as filmmakers,” Shockley told Deadline. “Our goals were similar; to produce masterful films, navigate the distribution, and optimize revenue with transparency. Thunderbird Pictures was born with that creed in mind. We partnered with Tom Brady, and our alliance with UTA Independent Film Group solidified the effort.”
“At Thunderbird, we are thrilled to channel our uniquely varied and battle-tested experience into championing new