Aren Prupas has taken over as president and CEO of Muse Entertainment, the Canadian “Coroner” production and distribution company.
Prupas succeeds his father, Michael Prupas, on January 1. Prupas Sr. currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board.
Previously, Aren Prupas served for ten years as the company’s chief operating officer and senior vice president of business and legal affairs. A member of the New York and Quebec Bar Associations, he holds a BA in Political Science from Tufts University; a LL.B. from the University of Montreal; and an LL.M. in Banking, Corporate and Financial Law from the Fordam University Faculty of Law.
“Our industry is a complex, regulated and guild-managed one, especially in Canada,” Prupas said type on how his legal background will help guide the company through potential future industry changes.
“My experience working with web executives, key agents and managers, and union and guild representatives, as well as my extensive knowledge of qualifying projects based on Canadian content, services or co-productions, is critical to Muse’s ability to maintain its flexibility and opportunism to the utmost The key lies in our extensive development and production areas.”
Prupas took over the company ahead of Muse Entertainment’s 25th anniversary in May. Looking ahead, he revealed his aim is to stay relevant in the ever-changing media landscape by adapting, diversifying and adapting to new networks, technologies and viewing habits.
“Things will continue to change this year, and a lot of our success will depend on how we go with the flow,” he said.
“That [includes] Both championing diversity within the Muse ranks, and meaningfully collaborating with makers and artists from underserved groups from the start on projects that represent their communities. “
Personally, as the father of a son with cerebral palsy and autism, Prupas hopes to bring more neurodiverse projects to the screen, and revealed that Muse is already in paid development, with the main characters being cerebral palsy and/or or autism.
“Our day-to-day lives are not a lot of what the world can see or hear,” he said. “My experience has helped in part to inspire our close-knit family at the Muse to accelerate our growth plans in this field, as we are eager to air a show that highlights the beauty and struggles of neurodiversity and those with physical disabilities. project. “
Rising global production costs and a weak Canadian dollar — combined with a tax credit incentive program — are expected to attract more production activity for the company, the executive said. He noted that Muse is “well positioned to capitalize on this increased activity” as foreign studios seek to partner with local media.
As far as Bill C-11 is concerned, proposed federal regulatory changes would require streamers to invest as much in Canadian content as domestic broadcasters, Prupas said, given the recent partnership with Netflix (“Single All the Way”). The quota will increase for Muse, Amazon Prime (“Three Pines”) and Apple TV+ (“Best Foot Forward”), among others.
Prupas takes over in what could be a tough year ahead for the Canadian film industry. He predicts that high interest rates and persistent inflation will continue to squeeze profit margins across the country.
“A recession expected in the second half of 2023 could dampen ad spend as major brands are expected to tighten their wallet springs, which could affect the success of streamers launching subscription tiers of paid advertising,” he added.
“With Wall Street refocusing on the industry’s operating margins, streaming management may reconsider increasing content spending budgets in 2024 and beyond.”
Prupas now leads an executive team that includes Irene Litinsky, president of production Canada; Joel Rice, president of Muse USA; Jesse Prupas, senior vice president of scripting; Shawn Rosengarten, senior vice president of distribution; and Jonas Prupas, senior vice president of improvisation.
