Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Tobey Maguire’s Material Pictures has hired Focus Features executive Matthew Plouffe to be its new SVP Production. Plouffe, who has spent the past six years in the New York headquarters of Focus, will move to Los Angeles and start the job Oct. 1. Plouffe is currently Focus’ Director of Production and has worked on such Focus films as the Sam Mendes-directed Away We Go, Shane Acker’s 9, the Ryan Fleck/Anna Boden-directed It’s Kind of A Funny Story and most recently on the Lone Scherfig-directed adaptation of One Day that stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. Plouffe wanted to move West, and the transition was done with the blessing of Focus Features chief James Schamus, who wrote and produced Maguire’s breakout film as an actor, The Ice Storm. “All of us at Focus have been blessed over the past six years to see Matt grow to become one of the smartest, hardest-working and kindest execs out there, and while we’re sad to see him go, he couldn’t have found a better opportunity than the one Tobey has offered. It’s great to see two of the smartest people in the business teaming up,” Schamus said.

Said Maguire: “I have a lot of respect for Matt. He has an impressive track record and a great eye.” Material Pictures is currently producing the Adam Shankman-directed Rock of Ages for New Line, and its development project roster includes Pawn Sacrifice, a drama about chess genius Bobby Fischer, which has David Fincher attached; Robotech, a feature based on the TV series; and the Shana Feste-scripted Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale, an adaptation of the Carolyn Turgeon novel (Material Pictures previously worked with Feste on Country Strong). Material is based at Sony Pictures. As an actor, Maguire is currently starring in the Baz Luhrmann-directed The Great Gatsby for Warner Bros.