In a move that could bring Hollywood closer to the levers of political power, Sunset Lane Media, the banner run by studio executive-turned-producer David Beaubaire, is launching a Washington, D.C. outpost to mine the nation’s capital for movie and TV stories.
Hollywood companies traditionally set up offices in cultural hubs such as New York, Nashville, and London to scout for material and talent, but Beaubaire believes this is the first time a Hollywood company has established a dedicated office in the capital of the United States for creative, and not lobbying, reasons.
“This is about looking at the business from a completely new perspective,” said Beaubaire, who has D.C. ties thanks to his time as a veteran in the Bill Clinton White House. “Washington is full of untapped opportunity and people with stories that can inspire, excite, and unite audiences around the world. Our mission is to find and develop the stories that feel authentic, that entertain, and that connect. We want Sunset Lane Media to be recognized as the valued partner and trusted brand for D.C. storytelling.”
The one-time DreamWorks and Sony executive is setting up the office to be a hub to discover, develop, and package projects, aiming to scale them for film, television and streaming platforms. The company wants to tap into the high-powered world of D.C. for the types of stories that seems to have exploded in demand in recent years, be it tales of espionage, international relations, diplomacy, whistleblowers, legal thrillers and military missions. The company says it aims to be apolitical and will look at all genres and points of view.
As an executive and producer, Beaubaire has worked on a range of movies and shows, from The Night Agent and The Big Short to Fatherhood and Flight to Jack Ryan and Up in the Air. To him, D.C. is an underappreciated creative goldmine at a time when Hollywood is desperate for stories with built-in audiences.
“What is a brand if not built-in recognition? D.C. stories are a brand unto themselves,” says Beaubaire.
Seasoned political operatives and experienced business executives Steve Silverman and Carrie Goux will lead the Washington office.
The new office comes on the heels of Sunset Lane’s recent optioning of the nonfiction book The Missing Peace by ambassador Dennis Ross. The book chronicles the dramatic behind-the-scenes negotiations of the 2000 Camp David Summit.
“Washington is full of incredible storytellers with powerful narratives who simply don’t know how to get their stories heard, let alone turned into successful movies or series,” said Silverman and Goux in a statement. “This is where we believe we can be uniquely valuable.”
