Who was Thomas Augsberger? Eden Rock Media Founder Dead at 60

Thomas Augsberger, the international media consultant and producer, passed away suddenly at the age of 60 at his Hollywood Hills residence on Tuesday, as reported by his publicist to Variety.

Originally from Germany, Augsberger, a trained attorney, was the founder of the film and television production company and media consulting business Eden Rock Media. Among his high-profile media clients was Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to his association with Leonine, Augsberger served as an advisor to the Tele Muenchen Group (TMG) for over two decades, acting as their exclusive North American representative in the U.S. During this tenure, he played a pivotal role in overseeing TMG investments in the U.S., including a preferred equity investment in Lionsgate Entertainment in 1999 and the acquisition of the Mutual Film Library in 2006.

Throughout his 26-year consulting career, Augsberger was instrumental in acquiring numerous projects through pre-buys, encompassing notable titles such as Marvel’s Iron Man franchise, Voltage’s Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker,” Paramount’s “Shutter Island,” Summit’s Twilight franchise, Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise, “Knives Out,” and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” as well as upcoming films like “Borderlands” and “Ballerina.”

In the realm of television, Augsberger secured German-speaking rights for series such as “Flashpoint,” “Anger Management,” and “The Night Manager.”

As a producer, Augsberger developed and produced independently financed feature films, collaborating with first-time writer-directors. His credits include Zak Penn’s “Incident at Loch Ness,” starring Werner Herzog; Rob McKittrick’s “Waiting,” featuring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Farris; Bruce Evans’ “Mr. Brooks,” starring Kevin Costner; Eli Craig’s “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil,” with Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk; and Afonso Poyart’s “Solace,” starring Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Abbie Cornish.

His recent executive productions include “Professionals,” written by Michael Colleary and starring Brendan Fraser and Tom Welling, as well as “Spy City,” written by William Boyd and starring Dominic Cooper.

Augsberger, a founding partner of Filmaka, BestEverChannels, and Liquid Light, served on the board of Lionsgate from 2002-2004.

He is survived by his wife Jana, daughters Tessa Lili and Helena Lucia, and son Nicholas Alfred. Tributes have been pouring in, with Lionsgate’s Joe Drake expressing, “Thomas was wholly unique and a special colleague in our business, so many great memories created during 30 years of friendship. Always thoughtful, articulate, tough, and deeply human – that was his superpower. No surprise that he is so loved and has so many friends. He will be deeply missed, and our hearts are with his family.”