Lionsgate’s Hoogstra taps Half Yard execs for eOne US label

Dirk Hoogstra

Lionsgate’s Dirk Hoogstra has hired a raft of execs from his former outfit Half Yard Productions to work on the studio’s eOne US alternative division.

Hoogstra joined Lionsgate earlier this year to take on the remit for unscripted at the eOne US label, which was created following Entertainment One (eOne)’s acquisition in 2023.

He has now landed Nicole Sorrenti as EVP of development for eOne US, San Heng as SVP of development and Brittany George as exec director of development. US trade Deadline broke the news.

Sorrenti had been COO at Half Yard prior to her exit alongside Hoogstra last year, while Heng worked on shows including RuPaul’s Drag Race and George has credits on TLC’s Dragnificent. All three report into Hoogstra, who spent three years at Half Yard and now reports into Craig Piligian.

Piligian was named managing director of Lionsgate Alternative Television earlier this year, heading up Lionsgate’s nascent unscripted division that houses his Pilgrim Media Group and the factual units from eOne, including Blackfin, Renegade and Daisybeck.

The combined entity includes firms behind unscripted franchises such as Naked And Afraid, Street Outlaws, Wicked Tuna, The Yorkshire Vet, Ex On The Beach, Selling Sunset and MILF Manor, as well as limited series like Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez and Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre.