Ex-Warner Bros. Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich, Former Netflix Producer Amanda Krentzman Launch Fireside Access TV

Former Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich and former Netflix producer and Spotify executive Amanda Krentzman have launched Fireside Access TV, a new independent production company.

Developed privately since 2024, Fireside Access TV is a partnership with Access Entertainment, a division of Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, led by former BBC Television director Danny Cohen.

It is backed by a fully independent co-financing, development and production fund and will support ambitious creators with the resources and flexibility required to progress projects at the earliest stages of development when great ideas are formed, but traditional backing is increasingly hard to secure. 

Fireside Access TV’s slate spans all genres, with a strong focus on bold characters and optimistic themes. Ahead of the official launch, it invested in the documentary “AKA Charlie Sheen” and has scripted series in development with HBO Max and NBC. It is also collaborating with Noah Pink, Justin Spitzer, Dave Bautista, Judy Greer, and Anthony Anderson.

“Fireside was created to give great storytellers the backing and creative partnership needed to execute ambitious ideas at the highest level,” Emmerich said in a statement. “We’re focused on building TV series that people return to season after season—projects that are creatively distinctive, commercially viable, and bring joy to audiences around the world.”

“The television landscape has changed. Studios are pulling back their financing, just as the demand for premium storytelling continues to grow. Fireside Access TV will fill that gap, pairing world-class creative talent with meaningful financial support and a long-term vision,” Cohen added. “We’re looking forward to working with Toby, as we believe his exceptional relationships with both creative talent and industry partners, combined with Access’ backing and experience, will enable us to launch and develop some of the most exciting projects in television.”

Prior to co-founding Fireside Access TV, Emmerich oversaw Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, DC Films, and Warner Animation Group. Under his leadership, the studio delivered its most successful year in 2018 with a global box office of $5.57 billion. Emmerich also greenlit and oversaw films including “Joker,” “Barbie,” “Wonka” and “Dune: Part Two.” He began his career at New Line Cinema, where he supervised projects well known projects including “The Notebook” and “Elf.”

Emmerich also runs Fireside Films, which has a first look deal at Warner Brothers and wrapped production on the Peter Farrelly-directed “I Play Rocky” and has set up high-profile projects with partners including, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Danny Devito, Nate Bargatze and more.

Krentzman, who will serve as president of Fireside Access TV, previously led global originals series at Snapchat, which was responsible for creating micro-dramas and ongoing series. Her work has earned critical acclaim, including a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Daring Simone Biles.

Prior to Snapchat, she contributed to Netflix’s International Originals team as an executive producer on “Dark” (Germany), “Cable Girls” (Spain), and “Club de Cuervos” (Mexico). She also held senior roles at The Jackal Group and Ben Silverman’s Electus, contributing to projects including “Jane the Virgin” (CW), “Killer Women” (ABC), “The Office” (NBC), and “Fashion Star” (NBC).

In addition to Fireside Access TV, Access Entertainment’s other investments include the Oscar and BAFTA-winning “Conclave” and the Oscar and BAFTA-winning “The Zone of Interest.” It also owns the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London and invests in plays and musicals, including the Tony and Olivier award-winning “The Picture of Dorian Gray” starring Sarah Snook, which debuted on Broadway in March 2025.

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