Tull steps down at Legendary

Thomas Tull, CEO of film and TV producer Legendary Entertainment, is leaving the company he founded following a US$3.5bn buy-out by a Chinese group.

Thomas Tull

Legendary was bought by property and investment firm Dalian Wanda Group (DWG) a year ago and Tull was initially retained to spearhead the Chinese firm’s push into Hollywood.

Tull officially resigned this week, although reports suggest Wanda had become frustrated with his management. He founded Legendary in 2005 and it has since produced notable movies and TV series, including Godzilla.

He has been replaced on an interim bases by Jack Gao, group senior VP and CEO at DWG, while a permanent successor is found.

The exec, who established Legendary in 2005, will retain the title of founding chairman and remain a stakeholder in the business.

The studio recently acquired the remake rights to author Frank Herbert’s classic novel Dune, marking a further push into the sci-fi genre.