Sony Pictures Appoints President of TriStar Unit

Sony Pictures Entertainment, continuing its shuffling of executives since new management took over at the studio last fall, has promoted Chris Lee to president of production at its TriStar Pictures unit.

Separately, sources at the studio confirmed weeks of rumors that Barry Josephson will leave soon as head of production for TriStar’s sister unit, Columbia Pictures, most likely for a producing deal with Sony. If he stays as a producer on the Sony lot, sources there said, he will probably be teamed with another filmmaker, such as director Barry Sonnenfeld.

Lee, one of Hollywood’s highest-ranking Asian Americans, reports to Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group Vice Chairmen Gareth Wigan and Lucy Fisher, who in turn report to the studio’s president, John Calley.

Lee, a 12-year veteran of TriStar, was previously executive vice president of production, working on such films as “Jerry Maguire,” “Philadelphia” and “Legends of the Fall.” Among his current projects are “Godzilla” and “Starship Troopers.”