EXCLUSIVE: AGBO, the indie studio of Anthony and Joe Russo, has appointed Cory Lanier to the role of Senior Vice President of Television, naming Veronica Hidalgo Vice President of Film and John Swartz Vice President of IP Production.
“The expansion of AGBO’s creative team reflects our commitment to bold, globally resonant storytelling driven by innovation, collaboration and the cultivation of emerging talent,” said the company’s Chief Creative Officer, Angela Russo-Otstot. “Cory, Veronica and John bring deep experience across impactful films and series, positioning them to advance AGBO’s vision of pushing the boundaries of storytelling and redefining what entertainment can be. Their dedication to bespoke creative processes also aligns seamlessly with our artist-first mission to support and elevate the next generation of storytellers.”
Lanier is a seasoned television and film exec who most recently served as Senior Vice President of Scripted Television at Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, where he oversaw a slate of more than 75 projects across platforms like Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. He played a key role in developing and producing projects including the BBC comedy We Might Regret This and an upcoming comedy for Roku starring Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell. Previously, Lanier held key executive roles at Sonar Entertainment, where he worked on the Amazon series Hunters, and at Legendary Television during the studio’s formative years.
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“Our innovative approach to storytelling, combined with our dedication to crafting immersive, character-driven worlds, enables us to deliver groundbreaking entertainment across mediums. Cory’s leadership will help us further those efforts,” said AGBO President of Television Scott Nemes. “Backed by his proven track record of producing award-winning and resonant content across platforms, we’re poised to deliver compelling, unforgettable stories for years to come—offering audiences rich and dynamic narratives to connect with.”
Hidalgo is coming off a six-year run at Netflix, where she helped oversee some of the streamer’s top performing films, most notably the Extraction franchise with Chris Hemsworth and The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans directed by the Russo Brothers, both produced by AGBO, as well as Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Back in Action, starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, and Robert Rodriguez’s We Can Be Heroes.
“AGBO is driven by a passion for empowering creators to break boundaries and bring bold, original ideas to life across film, television and interactive media. Veronica is an ideal match for AGBO’s creatively driven culture, bringing with her a wealth of development experience and a strong history of collaboration with the company,” said Michael Disco, the studio’s President of Film. “Veronica’s deep expertise in original film development will allow us to expand our storytelling capabilities and create indelible characters, universes and narratives, which are central to how audiences experience our stories.”
Swartz is an experienced producer, executive, director and writer, whose previous roles include Vice President of Development and Production at Lucasfilm and co-producer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story. In his time at Lucasfilm, he also acted as a Second Unit Director on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, as well as Additional Second Unit Director on Solo: A Star Wars Story. Swartz has more recently produced for Epic Games, as well as Bryce Dallas Howard and her company Nine Muses, among other creatives and companies.
“At AGBO, our unique model brings together artists and creative executives under one roof—collaborating as colleagues to develop original stories, many of which are set in expansive, imaginative worlds built for expression across multiple forms of media,” said Russo-Otstot. “John’s talents as a producer, director, and writer, make him a powerful addition to this creative ecosystem as we continue to explore transmedia opportunities. This kind of integrated collaboration is the cornerstone of what we do, and we’re excited to have him on board.”
Founded in 2017, AGBO has delivered 15 global #1 openings and over $7 billion in box office, with titles like Avengers: Endgame and Best Picture Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, while The Gray Man and Extraction rank among Netflix’s biggest hits. Recently, the studio released The Electric State for Netflix, which premiered at #1, wrapping on The Bluff for Amazon MGM and starting post on Citadel Season 2. AGBO is also producing Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) with Marvel, with the Russo Brothers set to direct.
AGBO’s goal with its recent hires has been to expand its worldbuilding capabilities and its production of intellectual property universes that span film, TV, gaming and publishing.
