Searchlight's marketing chief departs after 49 Oscar wins

Searchlight Pictures lost a key figure in its marketing division on Monday. Michelle Hooper is stepping down as executive vice president of marketing after two decades with the company.

The studio's marketing strategy has historically driven its award success. During Hooper's time at the company, Searchlight secured nearly 200 Academy Award nominations. The studio converted those nominations into 49 wins. Among those victories were best picture awards for "Nomadland," "The Shape of Water," "Birdman," "12 Years a Slave," and "Slumdog Millionaire." The studio also collected more than 130 Golden Globe nominations over the same period.

Hooper joined Searchlight in 2006. Before that, she held leadership roles at other major entertainment networks. She served as director of entertainment communications at CBS Entertainment, where she helped shape the publicity strategy for "Survivor." She later spent four years as the vice president of entertainment publicity at Fox Broadcast. In that role, she managed campaigns for "The Simpsons," "Arrested Development," and "American Idol."

This year, Hooper led marketing efforts for titles including "Wild Horse Nine" and "Behemonth!" A longtime colleague described her as a leader who could assess a film's cultural fit to guide her team. "She’s a stellar leader for her creative insights and keen ability to read a film for where it fits in the zeitgeist, in turn setting her team up for wide-reaching success," the colleague said. The colleague added that Hooper was a "formidable collaborator" who could close campaigns by listening to real-time feedback.

Variety included Hooper in its 2025 Women’s Impact Report alongside Rebecca Kearey, DanTram Nguyen, and Katie Goodson-Thomas. The report noted that their work contributed to 10 Academy Award nominations for "A Complete Unknown" and "A Real Pain." Kieran Culkin won a best supporting actor award for his role in the Jesse Eisenberg film.

In a joint statement, the marketing team explained that Searchlight’s focus on adventurous choices and deep filmmaker relationships helps the company manage business challenges. They said the studio succeeds by "trusting [that] audiences still want films that entertain, challenge and provoke."

No successor has been announced for Hooper's position. The studio's next major awards campaign is currently underway.