EXCLUSIVE: Barnstorm, the recently launched production company of Glen Powell and Dan Cohen, has brought on Ryan Schwartz and Jacquelina Rosso in new roles, Deadline can exclusively reveal.
Schwartz will serve as Vice President of Film & Television, with Rosso joining as CE. Both positions were highly sought after, we’re told, with Schwartz in particular beating out over 150 applicants.
Schwartz joins from Anonymous Content, where he’s worked for almost nine years, most recently as Vice President of Film & Television. During his time there, he executive produced the upcoming untitled Christy Martin biopic, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by David Michôd, which is in post-production for Black Bear. He also developed and oversaw Neuromancer, the series adaptation of William Gibson’s seminal sci-fi novel, as well as 12 12 12, an original heist series created by Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton, both of which are currently in production for Apple TV+. Other past projects (also for Apple) include the acclaimed sci-fi drama Swan Song, starring Mahershala Ali, and limited series Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell.
Rosso comes over from Walden Media, where she served as a CE across both film and television. Before that, she was at 21 Laps for three years, working in both features and TV under Cohen, where she became a coordinator. Rosso is an NYU alum and began her career at Sony Pictures.
Powell launched Barnstorm in 2024 and announced the addition of Cohen early this year, as the company inked its first-look deal with Universal Pictures. In a statement on their new appointments, the duo told Deadline, “We set out to make Barnstorm a pacesetter in this new era of Hollywood and the most crucial element to achieving that is a championship team. Ryan and Jacquelina have already proven, so early in their careers, to have elegant taste, a relentless work ethic, and stellar reputations. With the addition of these executives, we have no doubt Barnstorm will become a true destination for top-tier storytellers making theatrical films and premium television.”
Conceived as a destination for world-class theatrical entertainment, Barnstorm’s credits so far include Richard Linklater’s acclaimed Netflix pic Hit Man, co-written and produced by Powell, which brought him a Golden Globe nom for his lead performance, and the upcoming Hulu series Chad Powers. The first project announced under its Universal deal was The Natural Order, an adaptation of the novel by Matt Aldrich to be directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, who will pen the script with Aldrich, with Powell starring. Barnstorm’s second project, an untitled country star comedy for Universal teaming Powell with filmmaker Judd Apatow, was announced last month.
Since breaking out as a bona fide movie star with his starring role opposite Sweeney in Sony rom-com Anyone But You, Powell has made his level of ambition quite clear, lining up a full slate of prestige projects as both an actor and a producer. Recently tapped by Edgar Wright to lead his adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man, an anticipated Paramount title releasing on November 7, his other projects on the near horizon include A24 and StudioCanal’s darkly comedic thriller Hungtington, from Emily the Criminal‘s John Patton Ford, which has wrapped production, and J.J. Abrams’ new mystery movie for Warner Bros., which began shooting overseas in April.
