EXCLUSIVE: Adam Saunders and his have brought on Kyle Fong as the company’s Director of Development.
Fong joins from Blue Marble Pictures, where he served as Director, Content Development & Strategy, working on the Peabody Award-winning Apple TV+ drama series Pachinko, based on the international bestselling novel from Min Jin Lee. His hiring is part of Footprint’s new Studio Development Fund, which will expand the company’s ability to acquire and develop top-tier content for studios and streamers. Though Footprint will continue to produce and develop dynamic projects in the indie space, the new initiative will provide the company greater resources to expand beyond that sphere and prioritize developing studio content.
“Kyle is someone who deeply understands story, and has impeccable taste and relationships,” Saunders told Deadline. “He will play an integral part in our efforts to reach wide audiences even as we stay true to the character-driven mandate that has always been at our core.”
Stated Fong: “I am excited to be joining Footprint Features, a company whose mission aligns so deeply with my passion for storytelling. Throughout my career, I’ve seen the power of film and television inspire, drive awareness, and create meaningful change. I look forward to collaborating with Adam to produce stories that not only captivate audiences but also leave a lasting legacy that sparks essential conversations.”
Prior to his time at Blue Marble, Fong was on the launch team of Disney+, where he worked on original scripted content across the Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars brands. Prior to joining the streamer, he worked at the Disney Live Action movie studio on films such as the live-action remake of The Lion King; Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt; and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Fong is also the director of the executive track of Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Foundation Mentorship Lab. He got his industry start working in the books-to-film group at CAA.
Aiming to produce commercial, character-driven films that meaningfully tackle important social issues, Footprint is currently in post on Re-Election, a comedy written and directed by Saunders, who also stars alongside Tony Danza and Bex Taylor-Klaus. The script was a semi-finalist in the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay category at the Austin Film Festival. Footprint’s previous features include Darby and the Dead for Hulu/20th Century Studios and Dotty & Soul for Showtime, as well as When We First Met and Shimmer Lake for Netflix.