Netflix Film Publicity Vice President Julie Fontaine Stepping Down (EXCLUSIVE)

By Matt Donnelly

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Veteran Hollywood communications executive Julie Fontaine is exiting her post at Netflix, insiders told Variety.

Fontaine joined the streamer in 2017 as vice president of film publicity, where she worked closely with a group of executives including motion picture head Scott Stuber, indie film and documentary head Lisa Nishimura, vice president Tendo Nagenda, and awards and talent relations VP Lisa Taback.

Fontaine is expected to remain at the company through the end of May. A reason for departure was not immediately clear, and the executive had no immediate comment on the matter.

“She is a true cinephile and her indelible fingerprints can be found on the publicity campaigns for the Academy Award winning ‘Roma,’ Best Picture nominees ‘Marriage Story’ and ‘The Irishman,’ ‘Bird Box,’ ‘Extraction,’ ‘Murder Mystery’ and everything in between,” Stuber said when asked for comment. “We wish her continued success and thank her for her many contributions over the past three years.”

Fontaine came to the Ted Sarandos-run shop from Lionsgate, where she served as executive VP of theatrical publicity..She’s also served as VP of domestic publicity at Walt Disney Studios and had held PR positions at Miramax and Cowboy Pictures.

At Lionsgate, Fontaine handled publicity on Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” franchise, which grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and established Jennifer Lawrence as global star; “Sicario,” which received three Academy Award nominations; “Hacksaw Ridge,” which received six Academy Award nominations; and breakthrough musical comedy-drama “La La Land,” which received 14 Academy Award nominations and won six Oscars on its way to grossing $450 million worldwide.