Judith Regan Goes Hollywood

Posted on April 12, 2005

Variety reports that celebrity book publisher Judith Regan is heading for Hollywood to expand her brand in film and TV. Ms. Regan's authors include everyone from Michael Moore to Jose Canseco to General Tommy Franks, and HarperCollins is increasing its investment in ReganMedia and ReganBooks.

"There is an amazing creative community in Los Angeles that is untapped on the publishing side," Regan told Daily Variety, noting that close to half her authors live on the West Coast. "Hopefully, we will have more day-to-day contact with people in the film and TV business," she said.

Ms. Regan has had a slew of bestsellers in the past year and she created and produced A&E's hit Growing up Gotti. Her book The Dive, a tale about a deep-sea diving couple, is being co-produced by Regan and James Cameron (of Titanic fame) for 20th Century Fox. Ms. Regan will reportedly be taking some staff with her, but will be hiring additional people in Los Angeles in the near future. So what happens to the classic New York editor's wardrobe of basic black when she goes to Hollywood? Perhaps nothing. After all, it's not a bad thing to stalk the Fox studio halls in all black -- it's one way to stand out in the land of gold strappy shoes, tight jeans and skimpy starlet tops.