International sales exec follows Bill Block out of the sales, financing and production company behind District 9, Fury and W.

John Friedberg, evp of international sales and distribution at QED International, is the latest high profile exec to exit the LA-based production, financing and sales distribution company.

He joined the business in 2006 and his responsibilities crossed into all areas of the company.  

In 2011, Friedberg was promoted to vp of international sales and was involved in sales and distribution on films including Sabotage, directed by David Ayer and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Fading Gigolo, directed by John Turturro and starring Turturro and Woody Allen; and Alex Cross, directed by Rob Cohen and starring Tyler Perry.

He took on his most recent role in 2013 and handled international sales on David Ayer’s tank thriller Fury, starring Brad Pitt, which reportedly carried a $68m production budget and has grossed more than $211m worldwide.

Friedberg was also instrumental in bringing equity to Bill Murray-starrer Rock the Kasbah and Texas Killing Fields.

There have been numerous departures from QED following disappointing box office from Sabotage, which allegedly cost $35m to produce and took less than $17m worldwide. The most recent and high profile departure was CEO Bill Block last month, who founded the company in 2002.

Sources speculated the move would free up Block to dedicate more time to Merced Media, a $500m film fund that he launched last October alongside PalmStar Media Capital CEO Kevin Frakes and Merced Capital.

As well as Rock The Kasbah, which Open Road will distribute in the US, other films on the QED slate include Dirty Grandpa with Robert DeNiro and Zac Efron, which Lionsgate will release in the US.

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