David Kosse is an American

media executive A media proprietor, also called a media executive, media mogul, media tycoon, or press baron is an entrepreneur who controls any means of public or commercial mass media, through the personal ownership or holding of a dominant position within a ...

, and has held senior leadership roles at

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Film4 Film4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, dedicated to broadcasting films. The standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesa ...

and

STX Entertainment STX Entertainment is an American independent entertainment and media company. Founded in March 2014 by film producer Robert Simonds and TPG Growth managing partner Bill McGlashan, the studio produces film, television, and digital media projec ...

. He is known for building international film distribution divisions, including for Netflix, Universal and

Momentum Pictures Momentum Pictures was a film distributor owned by Entertainment One, a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Prior to 2013, it was a brand of Canadian distributor Alliance Films used for its releases in the United Kingdom, and was one of the leading ...

, and for his relationships with filmmakers. His film production credits include the Academy Award-winning films ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' and ''

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' is a 2017 crime drama film written, directed, and produced by Martin McDonagh. It stars Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes, a Missouri woman who rents three roadside billboards to draw attention to ...

''. Since 2023, he has run Rockwood Pictures, a film and television development company he founded.

Career

Early career

Kosse's early career included a stint as Vice President of Marketing at

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (formerly known as Filmworks, Casablanca Record & Filmworks, PolyGram Films and PolyGram Pictures or simply PFE) was a film production company founded in 1975 as an American film studio, which became a European co ...

. In 2000, he left to set up

, joining as Managing Director. During his tenure, key releases included the Oscar-nominated ''

Amélie ''Amélie'' (, , ) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story ...

'' and ''Lost in Translation''.

Universal Pictures International

Kosse left to join Universal Pictures in 2003, and was appointed president in 2009, a role he held until 2014. He started and built Universal Pictures International into an operation based in 16 countries, grossing over $2 billion at the box office in 2014. Successful film releases under his tenure as president included ''Mamma Mia!'', the Bourne films and ''Les Miserables'', and acquisitions included ''The Wolf of Wall Street''. Kosse left Universal in 2014 when it relocated the role of head of international theatrical operations from London to Los Angeles, opting to remain in London.

Film4

In November 2014, Kosse joined

as director of its feature film division. During his time in the role,

enjoyed its most successful awards season, with a record 15 Oscar nominations in 2015 which included ''Carol'', ''Room'', ''Ex Machina'', ''

45 Years ''45 Years'' is a 2015 British romantic drama film written and directed by Andrew Haigh. It is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine. ''45 Years'' premiered in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin Int ...

'', ''Youth'' and ''Amy''.

Netflix

In March 2019, it was announced that Kosse would join Netflix as vice president of international film, and was tasked to build the service’s international film offerings in

Europe, Middle East and Africa Europe, the Middle East and Africa, commonly known by its acronym EMEA among the North American business spheres, is a geographical region used by institutions, governments and global spheres of marketing, media and business when referring to t ...

"from ground zero." During his tenure, Netflix films

greenlit In the context of the film and television industries, to greenlight is to give permission to proceed with a project. It specifically refers to formally approving its production finance and committing to this financing, thereby allowing the project ...

include the Oscar-nominated film''

The Hand of God "The Hand of God" () was a goal scored by Argentine footballer Diego Maradona during the Argentina v England quarter finals match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The goal was illegal under association football rules because Maradona used his hand ...

,'' ''

Blood Red Sky ''Blood Red Sky'' (also known as ''Transatlantic 473'') is a 2021 British-German action-horror crime thriller vampire film directed by Peter Thorwarth, who co-wrote the screenplay with Stefan Holtz. The film stars Peri Baumeister, Roland Møll ...

'', and

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' () is a semi-autobiographical novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma during the war as well as the detachme ...

. In December 2021, Kosse featured in Variety500, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry. He departed Netflix in September 2022.

Rockwood Pictures

Kosse has not revealed details of his work at Rockwood Pictures, but previously indicated he intended to start a new company with a view to producing European films with wide appeal. In 2024, Rockwood Pictures entered into a development deal with Amazon Prime Video UK.

Personal life

Kosse has lived in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

since 1997.

Filmography

As executive producer

As additional crew

Thanks

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosse, David Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American film studio executives American businesspeople Place of birth missing (living people)