‘Onslaught’ Producer Ryder Picture Company Rebranded as Embrace (Exclusive)

Like many good things in life for Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett , their Onslaught journey began over cocktails with a cool filmmaker.

In this case, it was margaritas at Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks, where they met director Adam Wingard and his writing partner Simon Barrett. Wingard was coming off a pair of big budget Godzilla movies, and he wanted to go back to his scrappy roots. He had dreams of making a throwback movie akin to John Carpenter films like Assault on Precinct 13 or The Fog .

Ryder and Swett knew this was something they could embrace — a down and dirty movie that would ultimately shoot in the freezing cold nights of New Mexico. Related Stories Movies 'Dumb Money' Producer Aaron Ryder Is Used to David vs. Goliath Stories (Just Ask About 'Memento') TV 'Murdoch Mysteries' Producer Christina Jennings Raises Alarm on Canadian Sovereignty: "We're a Bit Under Siege"

They had the type of conversations they always have with a filmmaker early on. “What are your non-starters? Is it a price point? Is it shooting on film? Is it the amount of days that you think that you need?,’” recalls Swett.

The package ended at A24, and afforded Wingard the power of final cut for the first time in his career.

Onslaught is just one of multiple director-driven projects they’ve had this year, including Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters for Neon and Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood for A24 (that meeting was whiskey and cigars), as well as Ol Parker’s Netflix rom-com Office Romance , starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein.

It’s an eclectic mix for the duo, who run Ryder Picture Company together. In an era of chaos in the marketplace, they believe they can operate within the cracks, finding opportunities to get things made.

“We’re agnostic as it comes to genre. We’re agnostic as it comes to platform, whether it be studio or streamer or independent. It truly is trying to discern what would be the best version of the film and who would look after it the best,” says Ryder.

Ryder formed Ryder Picture Company in 2021, with Swett joining as his partner not long after. But now they are renaming the company to acknowledge it has evolved beyond a founder-led banner. It took a year and a half of brainstorming to find a name that would both clear legal and fit the philosophy for the company, which has a half dozen employees.

“We were having dinner with somebody. A martini was given to me,” recalls Ryder. He wasn’t sure if another martini was a good idea, but recalls thinking, “I will embrace it.” Embrace had a nice ring to it. And the name cleared legal. “It kind meets the philosophy of what we are. We can embrace the chaos and we can embrace the process,” says Ryder.

Before Embrace, Ryder was best known as the veteran producer and founding member of FilmNation Entertainment who worked on early Christopher Nolan movies Memento and The Prestige , and who earned a best picture Oscar nomination for Denis Vellineuve’s Arrival .

Swett fell into Ryder’s orbit as his assistant during the Arrival era, helping him on that movie as well as The Founder , about McDonald’s magnate Ray Krok.