Mike Fleming

What is going on with Relativity Media? Less than six months after Ryan Kavanaugh announced with great fanfare the arrival of Geoffrey Ammer as president of worldwide marketing, Ammer is gone.

Ammer formally resigned today. His job will be taken by Peter Adee, who had been Overture’s president of worldwide marketing and distribution. My sources said the decision was made by Ammer, partly because he had been working under a year-long contract, which will be paid in full.

Both Ammer and Adee have their boosters. But with two good pieces of marketing manpower, you’d think Kavanaugh would have figured out ahead of time a way to create roles that would keep both, before he acquired Overture. But there they were, working alongside each other in essentially the same post. Can you say awkward? So Adee and his team will be staying.

Ammer formerly headed marketing for Sony Pictures and then Marvel Studios, before leaving to restart his own shingle G2 Consulting. It’s unclear if this puts G2 back in business.

Here is the announcement:

(Beverly Hills, CA) August 10, 2010– Geoffrey Ammer, President of Worldwide Marketing for Relativity Media is resigning from his post at the film company effective today. The news was announced by Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. Ammer leaves Relativity shortly after the company’s move to acquire the marketing and distribution operations of Overture Films, and hands the reigns to Peter Adee, Overture’s President Worldwide Marketing and Distribution.

“We are very grateful for Geoffrey’s creative vision and contributions to Relativity’s successes,” said Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, “We wish him the best in his future business endeavors.”

Geoffrey Ammer added, “It has been my pleasure to work with such a talented team of filmmakers and staff during my time at Relativity. I wish them great success with their upcoming films.”