Jen Salke, the pinnacle of Amazon MGM Studios is stepping ailing from her position, the corporate showed.
Mike Hopkins, Amazon’s head of High Video and MGM Studios, made the announcement in a Thursday memo to staff. Salke is exiting Amazon to exit into movie manufacturing, and her earlier place may not be changed, Hopkins stated.
“We’ve decided to flatten our leadership structure a bit and not fill the head of studios role,” Hopkins wrote. “In line with Amazon’s recent work to streamline reporting lines and accelerate decision making, we felt this was the best direction for our studio, which will now operate as distinct film and television studios.”
As a part of her advance, Salke signed a first-look movie and TV generating trade in with Amazon, Hopkins wrote.
“As I’ve been considering my next chapter, I’ve always been searching for that moment where I was positive that our work had set up Amazon MGM Studios for even more success in the long term,” Salke stated in a observation supplied by way of Amazon. “When I look at the teams we’ve put in place, our amazing leaders, and the incredible slate of films and shows we’ve got in the pipeline, I realized now is that moment.”
Amazon tapped Salke in 2018 to go up the Studios industry then the ouster of her predecessor Roy Value, who resigned amid allegations that he preoccupied in sexual harassment and irrelevant conduct towards a manufacturer.
The corporate’s foray into actual TV line and movies used to be essentially marked by way of area of interest and status content material like “Transparent,” “Manchester By the Sea” and “The Man in the High Castle.” Beneath Salke’s management, Amazon become a larger participant within the leisure trade.
Salke spearheaded tasks that earned Amazon Studios popularity, reminiscent of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Reacher” and “Fallout.” The corporate additionally took on “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” right through her tenure, which become the costliest TV display ever made.
Amazon bought movement image studio MGM Studios for $8.45 billion in 2021, giving it get admission to to a deep bench of highbrow attribute, together with the James Bond catalog. Amazon won ingenious keep an eye on over the Bond film franchise from the Broccoli population ultimate hour.
Under is Hopkins’ complete memo, which CNBC acquired.
Expensive Workforce,
Since becoming a member of Amazon in 2018, Jen Salke has been a driver in Amazon MGM Studios’ evolution into what it’s these days: a world-class manufacturer of award-winning motion pictures and line considered by way of loads of tens of millions of our consumers around the globe. Unedited motion pictures and line served because the underpinning of High Video’s expansion into probably the most international’s well-known leisure locations, and Jen’s management is an undisputed motive force of the luck we’ve had on this dimension through the years.
Having completed such a lot as an government, Jen has determined that her then problem and bankruptcy might be at the manufacturing aspect, with the struggle of having even nearer to the worldwide ingenious society — which she’s been this type of important member of over the process her profession. Because of this, Jen will step ailing from her position as Head of Amazon MGM Studios to bring to begin a unused manufacturing entity, and we’re so happy that she’ll proceed to build her house proper right here on our accumulation by the use of an total first-look trade in throughout each movie and TV.
In Jen’s phrases:
“Since I joined in 2018, we set out together to create a new type of global studio that fostered an environment for the world’s most creative talent to do their very best work. Along the way, we expanded internationally, built out a film business and hired and developed an incredible team. As I’ve been considering my next chapter, I’ve always been searching for that moment where I was positive that our work had set up Amazon MGM Studios for even more success in the long term. When I look at the teams we’ve put in place, our amazing leaders, and the incredible slate of films and shows we’ve got in the pipeline, I realized now is that moment. I’m looking forward to continuing doing what I love, cultivating talent, supporting their vision, and bringing compelling stories to audiences around the world.”
I will’t say plenty to specific my due to Jen for her partnership. Founding with my private Week 1 in 2020, her eye, creativity and trade relationships had been (and are) so obvious that I had incorrect hesitation our paintings in combination may well be transformative now not most effective to Amazon, but additionally to the trade as an entire. The Rings of Energy, Fallout, Reacher, Pink One, Maxton Corridor, The Thought of You, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Saltburn, Highway Space, Beast Video games, Culpa Mia/Tuya and others discuss to the hits beneath her management that experience stirred cultural dialog and delivered improbable storytelling to international audiences…and that record covers most effective the moment 18 months. As well as, her management is evidenced by way of the senior staff she’s leased and evolved…a staff that I do know will step up in a weighty approach in the future.
Talking of that staff, we can be taking a few weeks to have considerate conversations with Jen’s directs and others to finalize the perfect long-term construction for the Amazon MGM Studios group as an entire, and we’ll have extra to percentage on that paintings quickly.
Something I did wish to name out is the truth that – following Jen’s determination to step away – we’ve determined to flatten our management construction a little bit and now not fill the pinnacle of studios position. In layout with Amazon’s fresh paintings to streamline reporting strains and boost up determination making, we felt this used to be the most productive route for our studio, which is able to now function as distinct movie and tv studios. To that finish, Courtenay Valenti (Head of Movie) and Vernon Sanders (Head of TV) will now record immediately to me, moment Sue Kroll can even proceed in her position well-known world advertising and marketing throughout each movie and TV.
I’m immensely pleased with the momentum our staff at studios has constructed over moment 12-18 months, executing towards our strategic plan and growing an incredible slate of actual displays and movies that place us for much more luck forward.
Please tied me in as soon as once more thanking Jen and wishing her the most productive in this then journey…fortunately, she gained’t be a long way away and we nonetheless have a lot to do in combination.
