First Look Media has promoted Maria Zuckerman to president of Topic Studios.
Having joined the Spotlight producer in 2019 as executive vp and head of Topic Studios, Zuckerman will continue to lead the indie producer’s creative vision and overall strategy, including development, financing, and production across feature films, documentaries and more recently ramping up in TV and podcasts.
In addition, Topic Studios has produced projects like Spencer, directed by Pablo Larrain and starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana; Kevin Macdonald’s legal thriller The Mauritanian, starring Jodie Foster; Nikyatu Jusu’s psychological horror film Nanny; and Toni Collette‘s directorial debut Writers & Lovers.
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“I’m thrilled to recognize Maria’s role in growing Topic Studios with her promotion to president. Maria and her team have built the Studio into a major creative force, giving new and established voices the opportunity to collaborate and produce truly extraordinary work,” Topic Studios CEO Michael Bloom said in a statement.
On July 18, Topic Studios premiered its big wave surfing documentary 100 Foot Wave for HBO and HBO Max. Also on the TV front, Topic Studios is producing the untitled Vincent Chin project, with Destin Daniel Cretton attached to direct, for Amazon Studios; the adult thriller Savannah from Tracy Oliver, also for Amazon; and the English-language adaptation of the critically acclaimed Israeli comedy Nehama.
“It has been thrilling over the past two years to grow Topic Studios’ reach and slate of productions. By working with the most exciting creators and partnering with the most dynamic leaders in our industry, we are demonstrating Topic Studios’ unique full-service capabilities across all our formats, playing diverse roles bespoke to each project,” Zuckerman said in her own statement.
She joined Topic Studios after nearly two decades at HBO, where she served as senior vp of HBO Films, overseeing the development and production of original movies for the network.
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