Guy Danella has been named president of film at XYZ Films, overseeing theatrical production and acquisition. Danella’s previous producing credits include Love Hurts starring Ke Huy Quan and Violent Night starring David Harbour, both released through Universal Pictures.
Danella’s first project with XYZ is The Trip, a remake of Tommy Wirkola’s 2021 Norwegian thriller Onde Dager, originally financed by XYZ. The story follows a married couple retreating to a remote cabin under the pretense of saving their marriage. Both secretly plan to kill the other before unexpected visitors arrive. Jorma Taccone directs the adaptation, which features Juliette Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Jason Segel, and Samara Weaving. The film is in post-production.
Danella said he has long admired XYZ’s global genre productions. “XYZ has worked across genres with filmmakers worldwide and made some of my favorite films over the last decade plus,” he said. “I am excited to join a company that gives filmmakers the opportunity to do their best work.”
XYZ Films described Danella as a longtime collaborator with strong instincts for identifying creative talent in the genre field.
Danella was previously a partner at Studio 8, where he worked on projects such as Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and Robert Rodriguez’s Hypnotic. Earlier, he served as SVP of Production at Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films, where his credits included Marvel films such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants. He also held the role of EVP of Production at Gold Circle Entertainment, the company behind the Pitch Perfect franchise.
Recent projects from XYZ include Havoc, directed by Gareth Evans and starring Tom Hardy and Forrest Whitaker, which premiered on Netflix on April 25. Other upcoming titles include Babak Anvari’s thriller Hallow Road, The Ritual starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens, and Miley Cyrus’ musical/visual album Something Beautiful.
