Mike Fleming

2ND UPDATE: Universal Pictures co-chairman Donna Langley felt that Gregory Noveck was a self-starter who’ll be able to get Syfy Films up and running quick enough to have a couple of films ready for release in 2012. Now, the studio isn’t looking for the division to make feature versions of Mansquito or Sharktopus, Piranhaconda or Snowmageddon, some of the pics being programmed for the network. The model will be more in the Paranormal Activity mode, or Syfy projects like Battlestar Galactica and the miniseries Taken, with Noveck taking advantage of being able to make films in the $15 million-$25 million budget range.

From a distance, it didn’t seem as though Noveck was able to get DC Comics’ film productions going beyond the Batman and Superman franchises. But Syfy president Mark Stern said the network collaborated with him on TV projects and that he worked closely on Batman, Watchmen and the Green Lantern franchises. “If we had to write a resume for the job, we couldn’t have done better than Gregory’s resume,” Stern said. “He’s a self-starter, thinks outside the box and captures what we want to do here. That is to exploit our expertise in the genre and make films with a certain scrappiness and entrepreneurial attitude.”

UPDATE: Universal Pictures has confirmed Gregory Noveck’s appointment. Release below the original break of the story.

BREAKING: Greg Noveck, most recently the top guy at Warner Bros and its DC Comics, is about to be named head of Syfy Films, the feature division that Universal Pictures announced in December. This has been in the works since April. Developing …

NEW YORK, NY and UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – May 9, 2011 – Gregory Noveck has been named to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Production, Syfy Films, charged with launching projects for the new film company which the two companies announced in December. Noveck will report jointly to Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Content for Universal Cable Productions, and Co-Chairman, Universal Pictures, Donna Langley. Noveck will work closely with the Universal and Syfy creative teams to find projects to develop by leveraging Syfy’s experience in developing genre content.

Noveck most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs and Executive Producer for DC Comics where he established a new Film and TV division to help deliver quality content by mining the extensive DC Comics library. Feature projects included Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, Red (for Summit Entertainment), and the upcoming Green Lantern, with television projects ranging from Smallville and Human Target to over ten animated DTV features. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President of Silver Pictures Television, developing and producing series and pilots for producer Joel Silver. Noveck previously served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs and Producer at Platinum Studios, where he established and grew the Creative Affairs department for Film and Television, overseeing all aspects of production and development. Projects included Cowboys & Aliens (Universal/DreamWorks) and Jeremiah (Showtime).

Syfy Ventures and Universal Pictures joined forces in December 2010 to create Syfy Films, a new film company that will develop and produce Syfy branded theatrical motion pictures to be distributed by Universal. The new entity will leverage Syfy’s genre expertise to produce human and relatable theatrical releases from the worlds of science fiction, fantasy, supernatural and horror. Beginning in 2012, Syfy Films will distribute one to two films a year through Universal Pictures. Mark Stern and Donna Langley jointly oversee the operation.