EXCLUSIVE: After setting the Guinness World Record for most tickets sold on a stand-up tour, Nate Bargatze is continuing to expand his business — this time, in an unexpected direction.
As he continues to scale his family-friendly production banner Nateland Entertainment, he’s announced the launch of No Pictures, a new company producing film and television that will delve into edgier genres and stories more suited for older audiences.
In naming the label, Bargatze took inspiration from a family-favorite quote from his daughter Harper, who when she was little, would jokingly tell him, “No pictures, please.”
Set to spearhead both No Pictures and Bargatze’s Nateland Entertainment banner as Chief Content Officer is Lawrence Grey, an industry veteran who’s been producing under his own Grey Matter Productions banner since 2013.
“Lawrence has developed some of the biggest movies in the world, so having him choose to come build Nateland and No Pictures with us is incredible,” Bargatze told Deadline. “He’s operated at the highest level of this business and knows what it takes to turn a great idea into something that can reach millions. Bringing that kind of creative firepower into both Nateland and No Pictures changes what’s possible for us. We already have some big things in motion, and I think everyone is going to be surprised with what’s coming next.”
Felix Verdigets, CEO of Nateland added, “Lawrence’s creative ability to move a project from idea generation through production is precisely what we are looking for as we grow our executive team. He is talent centric, which partners nicely with how Nate approaches his projects. Pairing Lawrence’s strategic vision in TV/Film, with our touring and live experience operations, sets Nateland Entertainment up for continued success.”
Grey comes to work alongside Bargatze following a career spanning studio leadership, independent production, and global entertainment ventures. He began his career at Scott Rudin Productions before moving to Fox Searchlight Pictures, where he shepherded acclaimed films like Thank You for Smoking, The Hills Have Eyes and Sideways, while discovering and championing the Academy Award-winning Juno. Following his time at Fox, Grey went to Universal, where he shepherded the Sam Raimi horror flick Drag Me to Hell, before later launching Grey Matter, where he produced a slate including Lights Out, The Laundromat, Yes Day, Pain Hustlers and Family Switch.
Most recently, Grey produced The Man with the Bag, a Christmas action comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson which will premiere on Prime Video December 2. Upcoming, he also has Doug Liman’s Bitcoin starring Gal Gadot, Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson, along with the sequel to the 2016 horror film Lights Out, a psychological thriller at Apple with director Craig Zobel titled Method, an adaptation of the children’s book Miss Nelson Goes Missing! at Netflix starring Melissa McCarthy, a biopic of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee with filmmaker Ang Lee, and a sequel to the family comedy Yes Day with Jennifer Garner.
When it comes to Nateland, Grey now oversees a slate including the comedy Fantasy Camp, which sold to Amazon MGM/UA in a heated multi-studio bidding war. That film follows a group of friends at a make-or-break moment in their lives, as they head to Dwyane Wade’s fantasy camp in Miami to relive their basketball dreams. Nateland is producing alongside Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, 2.0 and 59th & Prairie.
Currently, Nateland is in pre-production on Nateville, an adult animated series for Netflix that sources have equated to Bargatze’s King of the Hill. Nateland is producing alongside Tornante, with Streeter Seidel and Mikey Day exec producing alongside showrunner Halsted Sullivan.
“I’m absolutely inspired by the work Nate does across platforms to build this amazing brand,” he told us. “We’re on a mission to build an extraordinary media company, explore new frontiers, create unforgettable experiences, and build an impactful legacy. It is my privilege to join Nate and his team at this expansionary juncture. This is a special place with clear strategies for even greater success in the years to come.”
Both Bargatze and his Nateland banner are repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, UTA and Lev Ginsburg at Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.
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