Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich is an international Director, Producer and Screenwriter whose films – including Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, White House Down, and Independence Day: Resurgence – have taken in more than $4 billion worldwide. His latest feature, Midway, is the epic, real-life saga of the U.S. brothers-in-arms who triumphed over a superior adversary, the Imperial Japanese Navy, at the Battle of Midway, the most stunning and decisive naval victory of the Pacific Theater. Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company, released the film on November 8, 2019. The film opened #1 at the U.S. box office and has grossed over $140 million worldwide to date. Roland is currently in production on the sci-fi epic Moonfall, scheduled for release in 2022.
In his native Germany, Roland’s career began when his first film, a student project called The Noah’s Ark Principle, played in competition at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. He subsequently set up Centropolis Entertainment in 1985 with his sister, Producer Ute Emmerich, and under this banner, he has produced and directed over 30 feature films.
Largely recognized as one of Hollywood’s most successful directors, Roland continues to deliver impactful films that challenge both the eye and the mind. While he is known for his blockbuster films, Roland is equally comfortable directing more personal projects such as Anonymous, which explored the explosive theory that Shakespeare’s plays were actually written by Edward De Vere, and Stonewall, a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York that sparked the LGBT civil rights movement.
Honoring his life’s work as a Producer, Roland was the recipient of the first ever Carl Laemmle Producing Prize in 2017. In 2018, Roland received the Honorary Award for career achievement from the Bavarian Film Awards, the most highly regarded accolades for filmmaking in his home country of Germany. In January 2020, the Visual Effects Society (VES) bestowed its Visionary Award to him at its annual gala.
Outside the focus of producing and directing, Roland is a campaigner and contributor for various charities and projects including, but not limited to, the Cambodian Children’s Fund, the Gay and Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN), Global Green, American Red Cross, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Ute Emmerich
Ute Emmerich is a Co-founder and Partner of Centropolis Entertainment alongside her brother, Roland Emmerich. Most recently, she served as an Executive Producer of Midway, the epic, real-life saga of the U.S. brothers-in-arms who triumphed over a superior adversary, the Imperial Japanese Navy, at the Battle of Midway, the most stunning and decisive naval victory of the Pacific Theater. Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company, released the film on November 8, 2019. The film opened #1 at the U.S. box office and has grossed over $140 million worldwide to date. Ute is currently in production as an Executive Producer on the sci-fi epic Moonfall, scheduled for release in 2022.
Her Executive Producer credits also include Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, White House Down and Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the global hit and cultural phenomenon Independence Day.
Additionally, Ute worked as Producer on The Thirteenth Floor and as a Co-producer on the science fiction adventure, Stargate.
Ute has worked in a variety of capacities from casting to business affairs. In addition to associate producing the films Ghost Chase, Moon 44, Eye of the Storm, Ute served as Casting Director for Ghost Chase and coordinated business affairs for Universal Soldier.
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Ute studied economics and business for two years before transitioning into filmmaking. After working with Roland on his film Making Contact, she traveled to Los Angeles and began her career interning for famed director Roger Corman. Ute’s most important production to date has been the birth of her son in 2005.
Marco Shepherd
Marco Shepherd is President of Centropolis Entertainment, overseeing development, acquisitions, production, business affairs, financing, packaging, licensing, marketing and distribution for all of the company’s film and TV projects.
He joined Centropolis in 2005 and served in various production capacities during the productions of 2012, Anonymous, White House Down, Independence Day: Resurgence and Midway for which he served as an Executive Producer. The film opened #1 at the U.S. box office and has grossed over $140 million worldwide.
Marco served as an Executive Producer on the sci-fi epic film Moonfall starring Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and John Bradley. He reports directly to Centropolis partners, Roland Emmerich and Ute Emmerich.