Long-time Hopscotch Features/eOne executive Rachel Okine is joining Studiocanal.
Okine has been appointed Vice President, International Production and Acquisitions, at the French-owned studio/distributor. She will be based in Paris.
Studiocanal is releasing brothers Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner's Zombie horror/comedy Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead this month after also acquiring the UK rights.
Among other local acquisitions are Manny Lewis, comedian Carl Barron’s debut feature directed and co-written by Anthony Mir; and Deane Taylor’s animated family film The Blinky Bill Movie.
Okine was a founding member of Hopscotch in 2002, working across technical delivery, publicity and marketing and serving as acquisitions manager from 2002 – 2006.
She departed last October, initially intending to try her luck in Los Angeles. She had the dual roles of head of development for Hopscotch Features, where she developed The Water Diviner, and production and acquisitions executive at eOne.
Last week the company announced acquisitions manager Lucy Hill has been promoted to head of acquisitions, reporting to eOne Films Australia MD Troy Lum.
During her tenure Hill has worked on titles including The Kids Are All Right, The Sapphires, Philomena, Pride, The Little Death and The Water Diviner.
Maeva Gatineau has been appointed Senior Vice President of Production at Hopscotch Features, succeeding Okine. Her CV includes Co-Head of Worldwide Acquisitions and Co-Productions at The Weinstein Co (TWC), and French consultant for TWC on such films as The Artist, Untouchables, Silver Linings Playbook and Philomena. She is also an independent producer through her partnerships with Source Films in France and M&A in Brazil.
Hopscotch Features’ slate includes Otherlife, a psychological thriller from director Ben Lucas (Wasted on the Young), and Unsuitable For Publication, based on the book by Yvonne M. Ward, which tells the story of the private memoirs of Queen Victoria.