Thunder Road Films and Lit Entertainment Group have launched a new media company called TR/AK, the partners announced on Wednesday, signalling a fresh bid to back creator-led, commercially ambitious film and television projects for worldwide audiences.
What TR/AK will do
The venture pairs Thunder Road — best known for the John Wick franchise and a production history that includes work with Taylor Sheridan — with Lit, a literary and creative representation outfit that manages an extensive roster of writers and intellectual property. The companies said Thunder Road and Lit will remain independent while TR/AK builds out financing, operations and corporate infrastructure.
The new company intends to focus on original stories and creator partnerships, developing projects aimed at both theatrical and streaming platforms. The announcement highlights an intent to pursue global commercial appeal rather than niche or solely prestige-driven work.
Talent and catalogue feeding the slate
Lit’s client list, cited in the launch materials, includes writers and creators with high-profile credits, such as:
- Justin Marks (Shogun, Top Gun: Maverick)
- Dave Andron (Snowfall, Justified)
- Zach Dean (The Gorge, The Tomorrow War)
- David Guggenheim (Safe House, Designated Survivor)
- Matt Lieberman (Free Guy, Christmas Chronicles)
The announcement also points to Lit’s broader library partnerships, which include publishers and franchises such as NeoText, Weird Tales, Heavy Metal and Meridia Books, giving TR/AK access to an estimated catalogue of thousands of stories and characters represented by Lit.
“Erica and I have been thinking of how to grow Thunder Road for years and Adam is a longtime friend and collaborator with us,” said Basil Iwanyk, founder of Thunder Road, in the launch statement.
Box-office pedigree and scale
Thunder Road’s slate of films has collectively grossed more than US$4.4 billion worldwide, the companies noted. Projects written by Lit clients have generated more than US$7 billion at the global box office and include both theatrical hits and extensive television credits.
| Entity | Cited global box-office total |
|---|---|
| Thunder Road Films | US$4.4 billion |
| Projects by Lit clients | US$7 billion |
Those sums underscore the commercial ambitions of TR/AK. The announcement also referenced recent collaborations among the principals that led to three high-profile films originating from spec screenplays by Lit clients, indicating the partners already have active creative pipelines.
Structure and next steps
Thunder Road’s founders Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will lead the initiative alongside Adam Kolbrenner, founder of Lit Entertainment Group. While both Thunder Road and Lit brands will continue to operate independently, TR/AK will recruit additional executives as it builds its finance, operations and corporate teams.
The companies did not disclose immediate project titles or specific financing arrangements for the new slate beyond noting existing collaborations. The move reflects a continuing trend in the industry of producers and talent agencies forming combined entities to capture more of the development-to-distribution value chain while leveraging established creative rosters.
For South African creatives and industry observers, the formation of TR/AK is another example of US-based companies consolidating creative and IP resources to pursue global audiences. It also highlights opportunities for writers and creators with commercially viable ideas to partner with studios that can elevate projects from spec scripts to international releases.
