Josh McLaughlin to head production at Focus Features

Focus Features has promoted Josh McLaughlin to president of production as the company looks to expand its slate.

Based in the Los Angeles office, McLaughlin will report to Focus president Robert Walak.

McLaughlin succeeds Jim Burke, who is returning to his career as a producer with a new film production deal at Focus and will leave in June.

McLaughlin joined Focus Features as senior vice-president of production in March 2012.

Among the projects he has been shepherded are Niki Caro’s The Zookeeper’s Wife, Colin Trevorrow’s upcoming The Book Of Henry, and this summer’s action thriller Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron and James McAvoy.

Prior to Focus he served as executive vice-president at Chernin Entertainment, and before that was executive vice-president and co-head of the motion picture division at The Mark Gordon Company.

Rebecca Arzoian has been promoted to vice-president of production from her previous position as director of development.

Arzoian was integral to the company’s production of Sofia Coppola’s competition entry The Beguiled and joined Focus in October 2011.

These latest promotions further solidify the senior leadership of the creative team under Walak following the recent promotion of Kiska Higgs, who will head up acquisitions and co-production.

“Josh and Rebecca have been constants at Focus for years,” Walak said. “Their genuine love of movies is at the core of what Focus stands for.

“Josh’s deep relationships with filmmakers and actors made him the clear choice to captain a department that he has already helped to strengthen.”