Penney Finkelman Cox
Penney Finkelman Cox is one of the most respected, multi-faceted producers in the industry. With over a dozen producing credits, both live-action and animation, she draws upon her background in both creative and physical production and the executive ranks to assemble high profile projects.
In May 2002, Cox, (along with long-time partner Sandra Rabins) started Sony Pictures Animation to create a feature animation division for Sony Pictures Entertainment. As executive vice president, Cox was responsible for the development and production of the division’s roster of projects, including the first two films released by Sony Pictures Animation: Open Season and the Academy Award nominated Surf’s Up as well as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Hotel Transylvania. In addition, Cox, along with Rabins, brought the cartoonist Aaron McGruder, and the animated television series The Boondocks to Sony Picture Television and Cartoon Network and developed Open Season 2 for DVD.
Cox began her animation career at DreamWorks SKG, where she fulfilled both producing and executive roles. Along with Rabins, Cox joined DreamWorks in February of 1994 to start the Animation Division and to produce The Prince of Egypt. There she focused on the creative development of animation material at DreamWorks; In addition, she oversaw the formation of the music division for Features and Animation. Cox was instrumental in transforming commercial visual effects house, PDI, into a feature film facility for DreamWorks. She also served as executive producer on the Academy Award winning Shrek and DreamWorks’ first computer-generated movie, Antz. In addition, she worked with Aardman Animation on its first stop-motion animated feature, Chicken Run and served as the executive producer on DreamWorks’ first direct-to-video animated release, Joseph: King of Dreams.
Penney Finkelman Cox came to animation from a background in live-action production. Her feature producing credits include: Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Welcome Home, Roxie Carmichael and Till There Was You. She served as executive producer for James L. Brooks on I’ll Do Anything and co-produced two other films for Brooks: Broadcast News and the Oscar winning Terms of Endearment.
With her production company, Patchwork Productions, she has developed a slate of feature films that include the horror sensation Snakes on a Plane for New Line.
Born in Havertown, Pennsylvania, Cox graduated from Barnard College, with a major in psychology. She made her entrance into the performing arts as a press assistant for the Joffrey Ballet, and did a training internship with the National Endowment for the Arts. Cox was an arts administrator for Performing ArtServices, Inc., where she managed non-profit dance, theatre and music companies. She segued into film production with her acceptance into the Directors Guild of America Producer Training Program in New York. She worked as an assistant director and production manager on multiple films before moving to Los Angeles to co-produce Terms of Endearment.
Finkelman Cox resides in Santa Monica with her husband Jim Cox, founder and COO of Ringtales, Inc, and their two children. Cox is a member of the AMPAS, the PGA and ASIFA. She is on the board of Ringtales, Inc. and is a member of the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Cox also teaches creative producing at the American Fllm Institute.
