Amazon's longtime head of film and television, Jennifer Salke, is resigning from her role after seven years, a decision announced by the company that disrupts the upper management of the streaming giant.
There are no current plans to appoint a successor. In an internal memo shared by Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, it was noted that film and television operations will now function as separate studios, with Courtenay Valenti overseeing film and Vernon Sanders in charge of TV, both reporting to Hopkins. Sue Kroll, the head of marketing, will continue to support both areas.
Salke is set to launch her own production company and has secured an overall first-look agreement covering both film and television, a typical move for an outgoing studio leader.
This announcement comes during the same week that Amy Pascal and David Heyman were revealed as producers for the forthcoming ‘Bond 26’. In February, Amazon MGM Studios declared that it would take creative control of the James Bond franchise.
Despite Hopkins stating in his memo that Salke chose to depart, there will be inquiries regarding her exit. Reports suggest she had conflicts with former James Bond franchise steward Barbara Broccoli, and The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted ongoing tensions. Valenti is regarded as a highly skilled film executive capable of developing the pipeline.
Salke joined in 2018 to succeed Roy Price after working as the president of NBC Entertainment.
Primarily a television expert, she was also tasked with developing the feature slate and shifted the company’s focus from indie films to larger budgets and original content.
The $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM in 2022 added a rich library, resulting in the Creed franchise spun off from Rocky, alongside an upcoming remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. The previous year's direct-to-platform Road House remake was a hit on Prime but upset director Doug Liman, who claimed he was initially informed the film would be released in theaters.
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In the last two years, Amazon MGM Studios has made it clear that it is putting together a theatrical slate and is reportedly committed to investing $1 billion annually. The first significant project to arise from that initiative, the Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans Christmas film Red One, grossed $185 million worldwide. At an estimated budget between $200 million and $250 million, the box office alone would categorize the tentpole as a failure, yet Prime reported in December that the film attracted a record 50 million viewers in its first four days on the platform.