Just about one year from his initial start date with the company — and just a few weeks ahead of Berlin — Entertainment One Films International President, Harold van Lier, is leaving. Formerly Studiocanal EVP of International Distribution, Van Lier joined eOne with much fanfare in January of 2014 and was armed with a $ 100M acquisitions fund. Now, eOne is consolidating its international sales operation within its film production business as it looks to focus on internally produced films. The company said today that Van Lier had decided to leave “as a result of the consolidation.”
Two years after its acquisition of Alliance, Canadian giant eOne continues to make changes within its film division. This latest move follows a September rejigger of the global film business which led to the exit of Patrice Théroux, and the entry of Steve Bertram as President, Global Film Group.
In April last year, eOne officially unveiled its global film production arm under Xavier Marchand and recently signed a multi-year first-look deal with Whiplash and Nightcrawler producer David Lancaster’s Rumble Films, as well as with the UK’s Hammer. Movies it’s producing include Gavid Hood’s Eye In The Sky in association with Colin Firth and Ged Doherty’s Raindog Films; and Fabrice du Welz’s Message From The King with Chadwick Boseman.
Internationally, eOne is handling such pics as Jay Roach’s Trumbo; Viggo Mortensen-starrer Captain Fantastic; Spotlight with Rachel Mcadams, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton; and Ma Ma with Penelope Cruz. The company will continue selling what’s in the pipeline.
Van Lier plans to continue working with filmmakers and financiers from around the world to package films with strong international appeal, eOne said. Following his departure, eOne Films International SVP of International Sales, Charlotte van Weede, and VP of International Sales at specialty division Séville, Anick Poirier, will continue to direct international sales, reporting to Marchand.
“As our focus on eOne financed and produced films continues to develop, our global sales efforts and production strategy need to be fully aligned. In bringing the International Sales teams together with the Film Production business, we will be best-positioned to offer our distribution partners a portfolio of high quality films that are guided by eOne’s international market expertise,” says Bertram.
“We wish to thank Harold for his leadership in building out our International sales capabilities. We wish him the best as he takes on his next challenge,” Bertram added.
Nancy Tartaglione
