Anthony Burns has joined U.S. production and representation company Grail as its in-house creative producer, taking on a role focused on developing and packaging original film and television projects.
The appointment brings Burns’ work with Grail under a new in-house remit after he recently served as showrunner on José vs. Mourinho. The project is a collaboration between Grail, Coca-Cola and Goal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Burns has also worked with Grail co-founder Davide Bianca on the original project A Song To Raise The Dead.
From Skateland to Grail
Burns has worked across writing, directing and producing. He made his feature directorial debut with the coming-of-age drama Skateland, which he also co-wrote and produced. The film, starring Shiloh Fernandez and Ashley Greene, premiered at Sundance in 2010 and later screened at SXSW.
He went on to direct and produce Home Sweet Hell, featuring Patrick Wilson, Katherine Heigl and Jordana Brewster.
His producing credits also include Monica, starring Trace Lysette and Patricia Clarkson; Jimi: All Is by My Side, a Jimi Hendrix biopic starring André Benjamin; and Green Is Gold.
That combination of feature filmmaking, producing and showrunning now feeds directly into Burns’ responsibilities at Grail, where he will work on original projects for both film and television.
Inside Grail’s Cross-Media Operation
Grail is an entertainment, technology and representation company founded by Bianca and producer Jeff Krelitz. Headquartered in Florida and Los Angeles, the company develops and produces content across film, television, advertising, gaming, animation, immersive media and artificial intelligence.
Bianca previously co-directed Coca-Cola’s Holidays Are Coming, described as the company’s first globally broadcast AI commercial. Grail’s wider portfolio includes work for Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Activision, as well as Fanta’s Haunted Universe.
The company is also developing proprietary creative technologies. Among them is Grail+Forge, which Grail describes as “an integrated AI-powered production environment designed to support filmmakers and creative teams throughout development and production.”
Grail’s advisory board includes Bob Teitel, a producer on Barbershop and Bob Marley: One Love, and Hitman producer Adrian Askarieh.
ShowBiz Take
Burns’ appointment matters because it connects a filmmaker with experience across multiple stages of production to a company operating in several entertainment formats. His new job is not limited to directing or producing a single announced title; the mandate is to originate, develop and package film and TV material from within Grail.
The move also follows an established working relationship. Burns has already taken a leading creative role on Grail’s 2026 FIFA World Cup collaboration and worked with Bianca on an original project. That prior experience gives the appointment a clear foundation as Grail continues bringing together traditional entertainment production and its AI-oriented creative tools.
What Happens Next?
Burns will now develop and package original film and television projects as Grail’s in-house creative producer. His work will sit within a company whose activities already extend from screen entertainment and advertising to gaming, animation, immersive media and AI-supported production.