Courtney L. Cunniff and Bronte Payne have been named the co-heads of film at LuckyChap.
Cunniff joins the Barbie banner as an executive VP of film from Black Bear, with Payne, a LuckyChap veteran, being upped to executive VP of film.
At Black Bear, Cunniff produced upcoming titles like Greg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde, and Tuner, the Telluride and TIFF title from Oscar winner Daniel Roher. She also worked on Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams and Matthew McConaughey starrer The Rivals of Amziah King. She previously held positions at Focus Features and eOne where she worked on titles like Downton Abbey and The Woman King.
Payne, a graduate of the AFI film conservatory, has been with LuckyChap since 2018, working across the company’s feature slate and producing the Sundance breakout My Old Ass from director Megan Park.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Courtney to LuckyChap. She’s the ultimate first-round draft pick — sharp, passionate, and aligned with our filmmaker-first ethos. Her creative instincts, work ethic and deep relationships make her a force, and we know that together with Bronte, they are going to be a powerhouse duo as we continue to grow and champion our creative partners,” said the LuckyChap partners in a statement.
This year, LuckyChap, led by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, released the Emmy-nominated series Sirens with Netflix and will next be in theaters with Wuthering Heights, the outfit’s third collaboration with director Emerald Fennell after Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. The company recently wrapped production on Park’s latest feature, the drama Sterling Point.
