Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Former Universal co-chairman Marc Shmuger next month opens the doors on his new producing venture. Global Produce will be the name of his new Universal-based company, and I’m told that Shmuger has hired Tom McNulty to be his top production executive. McNulty was the longtime president of Shawn Levy’s Fox-based company 21 Laps, and his producing credits include Date Night and The Rocker. He left and became an independent producer, but will return to the executive fold when Shmuger opens offices in Santa Monica in June. Shmuger came to Universal as president of marketing in 1998, rose to vice chairman before spending nearly four years as co-chairman alongside David Linde (who’s launching his new company, Lava Bear). They left in fall, 2009. Shmuger’s Global Produce already has its first project: back in January, Shmuger teamed with Oscar-winning documentary director Alex Gibney and they are now four months into a feature docu about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Universal is funding the film and Shmuger and Gibney are producing together.