Searchlight Marketing Chief Michelle Hooper Steps Down After Two Decades

Michelle Hooper has left her role as executive vice president of marketing at Searchlight Pictures. Her departure ends a 20-year tenure that included the studio’s most prolific awards season in recent history.

Hooper joined Searchlight in 2006. During that period, her team managed publicity, awards campaigns, and creative marketing efforts. These initiatives contributed to nearly 200 Oscar nominations and more than 130 Golden Globe nominations for the company.

Searchlight secured 49 Academy Awards during Hooper’s time. The wins included best picture trophies for “Nomadland,” “The Shape of Water,” “Birdman,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” The studio also received best picture nominations at the Golden Globes for those five films and 15 other titles.

A colleague described Hooper as a leader who read films to determine their cultural fit. The colleague noted that Hooper’s team could close campaigns using real-time feedback. The colleague called her departure a loss for the studio but predicted another company would benefit from her skills.

Before Searchlight, Hooper worked at CBS Entertainment as director of entertainment communications. She helped shape the publicity strategy for “Survivor.” She also spent four years at Fox Broadcast as vice president of entertainment publicity, working on campaigns for “The Simpsons,” “Arrested Development,” and “American Idol.”

Variety featured Hooper in its 2025 Women’s Impact Report. The report highlighted her work with executives Rebecca Kearey, DanTram Nguyen, and Katie Goodson. Their team earned 10 Academy Award nominations for “A Complete Unknown” and “A Real Pain,” including a best supporting actor win for Kieran Culkin.

Searchlight executives stated that the studio’s focus on adventurous choices and deep filmmaker relationships helps it navigate business challenges. They argued that audiences still want films that entertain, challenge, and provoke. Hooper was leading marketing campaigns for “Wild Horse Nine” and “Behemonth!” this awards season before her exit.