Rysher Says Chief Executive Is Leaving

Rysher Entertainment, a company thin on hit films that is owned by Atlanta media giant Cox Enterprises, said Chief Executive Keith Samples is leaving to write and direct.

Tim Helfet will succeed Samples in running the company.

Samples, a former TV syndication salesman, recently directed his first feature film, the upcoming “A Smile Like Yours” starring Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly.

On the feature film side, Rysher’s misses have outnumbered its hits, with such disappointments as “The Evening Star,” “Kingpin” and “Three Wishes.” The company’s Howard Stern film, “Private Parts,” faded quickly after opening as the nation’s top movie, but the company’s “Big Night” won widespread acclaim from critics.