Sony Pictures Entertainment has turned to veteran Hollywood executive Tom Rothman to chair its motion picture group following the departure of Amy Pascal.

Rothman, 60, who played a part in bringing hits like “Avatar” and “Titanic” to the screen during his 12 years at the helm of Fox Filmed Entertainment, will report to Michael Lynton, who has had his contract as chief executive of SPE and Sony Entertainment extended.

“Tom’s creativity, strong talent relationships and track record of enduring films and commercial success are unparalleled in this industry and exactly what we are looking for to grow our film business,” Lynton said in a statement.

In the wake of the cyberattack which temporarily crippled the Culver City studio, Pascal announced earlier this month that she was stepping down as studio chief in May to begin a new Sony-backed production deal on the lot.

For the past two years, Rothman has been chairman of TriStar Productions, a joint film and television venture with Sony, where he has landed new projects by acclaimed moviemakers Ang Lee and Robert Zemeckis.