Ray Nutt, the chief executive of alternative theatrical distributor Fathom Entertainment for the past nine years, plans to step down and retire this fall.
He will actively assist the board in a search for his replacement and seek to ensure a smooth leadership transition for the company he said “stands at the precipice of a terrific new chapter in its growth and evolution.”
Fathom has an unusual ownership structure with co-equal stakes held by the world’s three largest theatrical operators, AMC Entertainment, Regal Cineworld and Cinemark. Previously called Fathom Events, it rebranded to Fathom Entertainment in 2025 to better reflect its expanding slate.
The CEOs of all three chains praised Nutt’s leadership of Fathom, which works with other distributors, producers and studios on event programming in theaters from The Chosen to smash rereleases of Coraline and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy to The Met Opera Live series Fathom often delivers a welcome extra boost to a complicated the box office landscape and frequently sees its releases hit the top ten on any given weekend.
Nutt’s longtime leadership “has delivered meaningful benefits to AMC, the broader theatrical exhibition industry, and, most importantly, moviegoers nationwide. Under his direction, Fathom has further strengthened its position as the leading force in alternative theatrical experiences, broadening the scope of content available to AMC guests. I am grateful for his partnership,” said AMC chief Adam Aron.
Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cineworld, called Nutt “an exceptional leader” who guided Fathom to become a real innovator in theatrical distribution that has expanding audience expectations of the big screen.”
And Cinemark’s Sean Gamble said Nutt “has played an important role in bringing a wide range of non-traditional stories and events to movie theaters. His leadership at Fathom helped steer a valuable part of the industry ecosystem, expanding opportunities to experience alternative programming on the big screen and connecting theaters with new and diverse audiences.”
Nutt joined Fathom as CEO in 2017 after previously serving on the company’s board and as SVP of Business Relations at Regal.