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Jon M. Chu’s Electric Somewhere hires Jana Helman to lead television and Aimee Rivera to oversee motion pictures
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jul 16, 1:29 PM EDT

Jon M. Chu’s Electric Somewhere hires Jana Helman to lead television and Aimee Rivera to oversee motion pictures

The production company founded by the “Crazy Rich Asians” director is expanding its in-house development footprint across television and animation while building toward new music- and movement-driven event films.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Electric Somewhere, the production company of director Jon M. Chu, has named Jana Helman as Head of Television and Aimee Rivera as Senior Vice President of Motion Pictures, according to an announcement published July 16, 2026. The new leadership additions position the company to scale its development and production operations across multiple formats, including television and animation, as well as feature filmmaking.

The hires come as Chu continues to broaden Electric Somewhere’s content pipeline beyond its existing slate. Deadline reports that the company is expanding “into other areas of content including animation and television,” while also pursuing what it describes as “four-quadrant event films” built around music and movement. The structure indicates a push to develop projects designed for broad theatrical and audience appeal, alongside smaller-screen and animated work.

Helman’s role as Head of Television is described as a senior leadership appointment within Electric Somewhere’s TV group. In the company’s management lineup, the post is intended to coordinate television development and production strategy, reflecting Electric Somewhere’s reported plan to grow in television rather than treat series as a side category.

Rivera has been brought in as Senior Vice President of Motion Pictures, placing her in charge of higher-level oversight for feature-film development and production matters. Deadline’s description frames the motion-picture leadership as part of the company’s broader effort to sustain a slate of event-driven films that remain anchored in Chu’s recurring artistic focus on performance, choreography, and musical storytelling.

Beyond the talent appointments, the announcement highlights how Electric Somewhere is organizing its executive ranks to match its expansion targets. Adding dedicated leadership for both television and motion pictures suggests the company expects multiple projects at different stages simultaneously, requiring separate lines of attention for episodic development and feature production workflows.

The July 16 announcement does not specify project titles associated with Helman or Rivera, nor does it provide a timeline for the company’s next releases. It does, however, situate the staffing changes as part of a deliberate scale-up at a moment when production companies are increasingly aligning internal teams around content type and distribution pathways, including television and animated formats.

As Electric Somewhere incorporates the two new executives, the next public step will likely be additional details on the company’s expanding slate, including which television and animation initiatives will proceed under the revised leadership structure. For audiences and industry stakeholders, the appointments also offer an early indication of how Chu’s company intends to manage development resources across genres that rely on music, movement, and performance-driven storytelling.

Why It Matters

  • The two appointments reflect a concrete staffing shift as Electric Somewhere broadens its development across television and animation.
  • Separating leadership for television and motion pictures indicates the company plans to manage multiple content lines in parallel rather than treating episodic or animated work as ancillary.
  • Helman’s and Rivera’s roles could shape which types of projects the company prioritizes as it builds a slate designed for broad audience reach.
  • The expansion strategy may influence how and where Electric Somewhere’s future projects are developed and packaged for distribution.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Electric Somewhere, Jon M. Chu’s production company, hired Jana Helman as Head of Television.
  • The company also hired Aimee Rivera as Senior Vice President of Motion Pictures.
  • The announcement was published July 16, 2026 by Deadline.
  • Deadline reports Electric Somewhere is expanding into animation and television.
  • Deadline also describes Electric Somewhere’s feature strategy as centered on four-quadrant event films driven by music and movement.