The executive has served 32 years at Columbia Pictures and 51 years in the industry overall.

In honour of the outgoing president of production administration at Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and president of Sony Pictures Studios Operations, Sony has renamed Stage 15 as The Gary Martin Soundstage.

Martin began his career in 1961 at 20th Century Fox and joined Columbia in 1981 as a production manager. In 1988 he was named Columbia Pictures’ president of production administration, overseeing all aspects of physical and post-production.

He became president of Sony Pictures Studios Operations in 2003, assuming responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the entire studio lot and post production facilities, employing over 260 people.

“Gary is Sony Pictures and our studio operations,” said Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal. “His leadership, grace, and skill are unparalleled in our business.”

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton added: “We are so grateful for Gary’s years of service here at the studio. From the day I arrived through every day since, he has been a force of great leadership that is full of compassion, humility and humour.”

The Gary Martin Soundstage is the largest soundstage in North America and the second-largest in the world. It was built in 1927 and houses 40-foot ceilings and 42,000 sq ft-plus capacity.

It has been used for MGM’s The Wizard Of Oz and Columbia’s Spider-Man and Men In Black films, among others.

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