John Lyons is leaving Focus Features, TheWrap has confirmed.
Lyons, who served as president of production at the specialty label, will return to independent producing and will devote more time to philanthropic efforts, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. A replacement has not been named and Lyons will stay with the company through August.
The decision to leave was Lyons own; he was not forced out, the individual said. He announced his exit in a staff meeting on Wednesday.
Lyons joined the company in 2003 to help oversee the company's development and production arm.
His announcement comes after Focus has scored two mid-size hits "Hanna" and "Jane Eyre" and has an upcoming line-up of potential awards bait projects such as "Hyde Park on the Hudson" with Bill Murray playing FDR and Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" on the horizon.
