Less than eight months after launching, Hollywood’s new distribution label Row K Entertainment is plagued by unpaid bills and financial concerns.
Cash flow has become an increasingly pressing issue at Row K since its founding last summer, eight people outside and inside the company told Variety. Six of the sources said vendors and consultants have not been paid for months, leading to work stoppages and legal threats.
After a splashy debut at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where the company won four films, Row K’s position appears to be in jeopardy. One of the films Row K featured during TIFF, Maude Apatow’s directorial debut Poetic License, has been pushed back from its planned May release to September, sources said. The decision perplexed Apatow’s team and inner circle. This includes the film’s producer (her father, Judd Apatow) and the film’s star (mother, Leslie Mann). The film premiered at TIFF and received critical acclaim when it premiered at SXSW. If no changes had been made, Maud Apatow would have released this film at the same time as starring in the anticipated third season of Euphoria.
Other titles scheduled include Gus Van Sant’s January’s “Dead Man’s Wire” and the romantic indie “Charlie Harper.” At the center of the storm sit Row K founders Christopher Woodrow and Raj Singh. The former is a prolific producer (director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning Birdman), but in 2014 he was embroiled in a controversial lawsuit with supporters of his former company, Worldview Entertainment. The lawsuit alleged that Woodrow misappropriated and mismanaged funds. In 2018, Woodrow and Worldview withdrew from the lawsuit with neither party admitting liability. Singh is not well known in the industry, but previously served as CEO of comedy shop National Lampoon.
“Row The release of K’s Dead Man’s Wire provided us with an important opportunity to evaluate and refine our strategy as a new entrant building in a highly competitive market. Like many early-stage companies, we have quickly established a course and are now taking a more measured and disciplined approach, prioritizing commercially viable titles, strengthening our internal infrastructure, and adjusting our team accordingly,” Woodrow and Singh told Variety in a statement.
The companies operate through a holding company, Media Capital Technologies, which first gained industry attention in 2024 as a co-investor in Lionsgate’s film project. Their pitch for Row K was definitely sexy. It is a label that nimbly acquires and distributes small and medium-sized films with commercial appeal. Given the amount of media consolidation that has taken place in recent years, the indie sector is in desperate need of more buyers.
Lowe K’s creative team, led by IMAX and Paramount Pictures veteran Megan Corrigan, is experiencing a professional “nightmare,” according to a person familiar with the company. As Mr. Woodrow and Mr. Singh continue to overcome challenges, the phone continues to ring with requests for payment from numerous outside vendors, from music rights holders to audiovisual teams. “Money is coming” is a constant refrain on sophisticated Sunset Boulevard. Row K office, according to multiple sources.
The cash issue has confused many as Media Capital Technologies touts support from major insurance and financial services company MassMutual. But sources say the relationship between MCT and MassMutual is not one of stock investors. Instead, it acts as a line of credit for the company. Another person familiar with Media Capital Technologies said MassMutual’s investment in Row K is multi-layered and includes working capital. MassMutual could not be reached for comment.
“As is standard in our industry, as part of prudent working capital management, certain payments are scheduled in line with receivables and we continue to actively communicate with our partners to ensure all obligations are met in a timely manner. Row K is well capitalized, continues to support its existing projects and is focused on long-term, sustainable growth with a clear emphasis on commerciality,” Woodrow and Singh added.
CAA helped build Row K. CAA’s Media Finance Group provides a pipeline of talent and films for sale to a wide range of industries. There is a perception that CAA is involved in the company’s business, but one agency official said CAA only acts as an advisor. Wealthy media investor Michael Lambert also serves as an advisor. Sources say the former domestic television president of 20th Century Fox is little more than an elder statesman who holds office and occasionally attends meetings. CAA has not commented on the matter.
Although Corrigan and his senior lieutenants remain on the job, the relationship between creative executives and Woodrow and Singh has deteriorated. It is unclear how long they will remain with the company. In addition to suffering the humiliation of leaving key consultants unpaid, the creators watched anxiously as Mr. Woodrow and Mr. Singh openly expressed doubts about the viability of the films they bought at TIFF, according to numerous sources. Another Lowe K official said Woodrow and Singh still have faith in the team. Variety has learned that three of Row K’s top employees – Corrigan, Chief Revenue Officer Mo Lim, and Chief Marketing Officer Ben Carlson – have hired attorney Brian Freedman to address their concerns regarding Row K’s ongoing financial and operational issues.
The company’s first release was “Dead Man’s Wire,” which was priced in the mid-seven figures and grossed just $2.5 million in the U.S. earlier this year. Row K insiders admit that the founders “learned a lot” from the release, which they say amounts to millions of dollars in losses. The company only hired a financial manager for Row K a few weeks before “Dead Man’s Wire” was released in theaters.
“Poetic License” had been set to top this summer, but sources say the decision to push the film was made at the discretion of Woodrow and Singh, who had doubts about the film’s earning potential. Another source said that Maude Apatow delivered the final cut of her film to Lowe K at the end of February but has yet to receive payment (the source added that this is in violation of the sales contract, as the funds must be paid within 10 days of receiving the prints). Other sources say Lowe-K has not accepted any “delivery” for the Apatow film, suggesting the company may not have the funds to fulfill the deal.
Both sources believe that the real reason Woodrow and Singh pushed back the date was to force Team Apatow to leave. Between the positive reviews and the profile of the Apatow family, there is no indication that the film won’t be a commercial success, so those involved with the project are struggling. One Row K official said Apatow’s team had originally hoped for a late 2026 release, but was convinced that wasn’t the case. Another source close to the film said this was an obvious lie and that the film was a “love letter” to Mann and was always intended for a Mother’s Day release. The date change has thrown promotional plans into disarray, another person added. A promotional college tour featuring Maud Apatow has been canceled. Long-read presses such as magazine covers are already booked.
“Poetic License” was sold by Row K in a competitive auction, and officials speculate that negotiations with other interested TIFF buyers will resume in the coming days. A representative for Maud Apatow had no comment. WME, which represents the Apatow family and is the distributor for Poetic License, also declined to comment.
Woodrow and Singh are said to have more faith in Cliffhanger, a reboot of the Sylvester Stallone film starring Lily James and Pierce Bronson, scheduled for release in August. Two insiders familiar with the deal said Row K did not formally close the deal with CAA, despite the press release announcing the acquisition. This means the film will have a new buyer in case Row K’s troubles continue. The fourth film to be installed on Row K, Emilia Jones and Nick Robinson’s “Charlie Harper,” will move forward with release one source at a time. Row K will be attending next month’s CinemaCon, the annual meeting of movie theater owners, and will be participating as an active buyer at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
This week, Row K revealed it is still looking for distribution projects, announcing that it has acquired the action comedy “Mr.”, starring Walton Goggins and Chloë Grace Moretz.
“This film exemplifies the star-driven, big-screen entertainment we are building around Row K,” Woodrow and Singh added on the acquisition, “and it is a powerful addition to our growing foundation.”
