Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke (Shutterstock photo)

Erik Gruenwedel

November 30, 2022

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios since 2018, will also oversee the venerable MGM Studios Amazon acquired this year for $8.5 billion. The move was announced in a Nov. 29 staff memo from Mike Hopkins, SVP of Prime Video at Amazon Studios. Separately, Chris Brearton, who was COO at MGM, will now be vice president of PVS corporate strategy for MGM+ and MGM Alternative Television.

Longtime television producer Mark Burnett, who was chairman of MGM Television, left the studio earlier this week to return to independent production. Burnett has produced almost 4,000 hours of television programming (notably “The Voice,” “Survivor,” “Shark Tank,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”), which regularly airs in more than 70 countries worldwide.

“Jen’s outstanding reputation in the creative community has earned her the respect of Hollywood’s top talent throughout the industry,” Hopkins wrote. “With Jen now having oversight of both studios — along with distribution and all creative marketing — creatives will have a single point of entry for the opportunity to showcase their content across all our platforms.”

Amazon Studios is ending 2022 having launched the most expensive original television series ever, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”  Other high-profile Prime Video content includes “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” “The Boys,” The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and reality show “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” Movies include Borat Subsequent Movie Film and The Tomorrow War.