Scott Free Taps Jillian Kay As SVP Of Film Production

EXCLUSIVE: Jillian Kay has joined Scott Free Productions as Senior Vice President in the company’s film production department. She will report to Film President Michael Pruss.

Kay most recently served as Head of Film at Sugar23, where she produced Michael Keaton’s Knox Goes Away and oversaw a robust production and development slate, including major studio projects across genres such as Spy House with Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen at Universal, I Would Only Rob Banks With My Family with Adam Sandler at Netflix, and Paladin with Gabe Basso and Darrin Prescott directing, also at Netflix.

“With a storied history of legendary films and filmmaking, joining Scott Free is the ultimate dream,” says Kay. “At a time of major industry change, Scott Free remains a prolific powerhouse, and I’m thrilled to work with Ridley, Justin, Mike, and the team to help carry forward its extraordinary legacy.”

Before joining Sugar23, Kay was a film executive at MRC where she shepherded Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver and Peter Jackson’s Mortal Engines and worked on Rian Johnson’s Knives Out and Stephen King’s Dark Tower, amongst others. She previously worked for Chris Morgan Productions and Universal Pictures, and began her career at Lionsgate. 

“We are thrilled that Jillian is joining our Scott Free Film Team,” says Pruss. “Her proven track-record as both an executive and a producer speaks for itself, not to mention her deep relationships across all aspects of our industry. Jillian’s arrival sets us up perfectly for what is shaping up to be a very busy year ahead.” 

Kay joins Scott Free at a prolific time for the company’s film division. On the back of last year’s Apple TV+ hit Echo Valley, starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronology of Water starring Imogen Poots, and action-comedy Trap House from Amazon and Aura Films, starring Dave Bautista, Bobby Canavale and Jack Champion, 2026 is shaping up to be another banner year for the company.

In addition to the release of Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce — from 20th Century Studios, Scott Free is about to start production on The Riders for A24, directed by Edward Berger, scripted by Dave Kajganich, and starring Brad Pitt; Scott Free is also producing the next installment of the Alien franchise, which is being fast-tracked by 20th Century Studios on the back of the huge global success of Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus. Other productions for the company this year include Inground starring Jon Cho and Alexandra Daddario, and Here be Monsters at Paramount Pictures with Joachim Rønning directing from a script from Rønning and Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue.

Scott Free is represented by CAA and Gang Tyre Ramer.