Joyce Choi, vice-president of film at Imagine Entertainment, has been named to Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders: Class of 2026”, an annual list that recognises 34 emerging executives, producers, agents and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of film, television, music and digital media.
From assistant to development chief
Choi, an alumnus of Elon University (Class of 2019), joined Imagine more than six years ago and has advanced from an executive assistant to a senior development role. In her current capacity she leads development across the film slate for the production company co-founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer.
Imagine’s library of acclaimed credits, including A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Friday Night Lights, positions the company as a high-profile training ground. Choi’s rise within that environment now places her among a cohort of industry professionals age 40 and under whom Variety singled out for driving “innovation and excellence” across entertainment sectors.
Projects and rights secured
During her tenure Choi has been attached to multiple development projects and source-material acquisitions. Her film projects include Dangerously Funny, a feature about the Smothers Brothers’ confrontation with CBS censors. She has also secured literary rights that Imagine is developing for film adaptations, including:
- 200 Monas by Jan Saenz
- The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros — acquired for Amazon
Imagine’s upcoming theatrical slate—projects the company has publicly identified—also lists titles that sit alongside Choi’s development responsibilities: How to Rob a Bank, Whalefall, The Mosquito Bowl and Spaceballs 2.
| Project | Type |
|---|---|
| Dangerously Funny | Feature (Smothers Brothers/CBS censors) |
| 200 Monas | Book rights secured |
| The Last Letter | Book rights secured for Amazon |
| How to Rob a Bank; Whalefall; The Mosquito Bowl; Spaceballs 2 | Upcoming releases on Imagine slate |
“You can’t succeed in a vacuum, and I think the best part of this industry is the camaraderie and community that you can find if you look for it,” Choi said. “To be recognized by the company where I grew up as a producer is incredibly meaningful, and even more than that, to look around and be celebrated by my peers and creative partners is everything.”
What the Variety list signals
Variety’s annual roundup spotlights a generation of executives and creative leaders under 40 who are gaining influence in content creation, talent representation and platform strategy. Inclusion points to both individual achievement and perceived potential to shape larger industry currents — from how stories are sourced and shepherded to which projects reach screens at scale.
For Choi, the accolade underscores a trajectory that moved quickly within a major production house: joining as support staff and progressing to a leadership role charged with shepherding material from acquisition through development. That pathway is increasingly visible in Hollywood where fast-moving development cycles and the hunt for commercially and culturally resonant IP can accelerate careers.
Her comment about community and collaboration also reflects a broader industry emphasis on relationship-building as a key currency in development work: assembling writers, talent, financiers and distribution partners requires networks as much as editorial judgement.
As Imagine continues to prepare a varied slate, Choi’s influence over which books and projects advance toward production will be one to watch — both for the company and for observers tracking the next generation of decision-makers named by Variety.
