Amazon MGM Studios

Amazon MGM Studios, formerly Amazon Studios,[3] is an American film and television production and distribution studio owned by Amazon launched on November 16, 2010. It took its current name on October 3, 2023 following its merger with MGM Holdings, which Amazon had acquired two years before.[4]

Amazon MGM Studios
FormerlyAmazon Studios (2010–2023)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
PredecessorMGM Holdings
United Artists Releasing
FoundedNovember 16, 2010 (November 16, 2010)
HeadquartersCulver City, California, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jennifer Salke (CEO)[1]
ProductsTelevision production
Television distribution
Film production
Film distribution
ParentAmazon
DivisionsPrime Movies[2]
Amazon MGM Studios Distribution
Subsidiaries
Websiteamazonstudios.com

Productions from this studio are primarily distributed through movies theaters/cinemas and Amazon's own streaming media service, Amazon Prime Video.[5]

Overview

Formation and early success (2008–2021)

Scripts for television and films used to be submitted online to Amazon[6] and read by staff; however, the website states they no longer accept submissions. Amazon aimed to review submitted scripts within 90 days (although the process may be longer). If a project was chosen for development, the writer was paid $10,000.[7] If a developed script was selected for distribution as a full-budget movie, the creator was paid $200,000; if it was selected for distribution as a full-budget series, the creator was paid $55,000 as well as "up to 5 percent of Amazon's net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses."[8]

Logo of Amazon Studios, used from 2020 to 2023.

In 2008, Amazon expanded into film production, producing the film The Stolen Child with 20th Century Fox.[9] In July 2015, Amazon announced it had acquired Spike Lee's new film, Chi-Raq, as its first Amazon Original Movie.[10][11][12]

Amazon Studios also released its only comic-book series, Blackburn Burrow, in 2012 as a free download.[13] It contained a survey allowing Amazon to collect feedback to determine whether or not it was worthwhile to make the comic into a film.[13]

Amazon Studios had received more than 10,000 feature screenplay submissions as of September 2012[13] and 2,700 television pilots as of March 2013;[14] 23 films and 26 television series were in active development as of March 2013.[13][7] In late 2016, it reorganized its film division into Prime Movies.[15]

On July 27, 2017, it was announced that, starting with the December 2017 release Wonder Wheel, Amazon Studios would be its own self-distributing company. Previously, Amazon Studios had relied on multiple external studios to distribute their projects.[16] The company also acquired global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings for $250 million.[17] However, Amazon still has external distribution clients outside of the United States, such as Elevation Pictures in Canada, as well as Warner Bros. and StudioCanal in the United Kingdom and France.

In April 2018, Amazon Studios announced that they would no longer accept open submissions of screenplays to limit the filmmakers they work with to those whom the studio has established working relationships with and turn away up-and-comers from pitching their projects, deeming them as "unsolicited material" and "not notable and talented enough to work with them."[18]

Acquisition of MGM and rebranding (2021–present)

In May 2021, Amazon (parent company of Amazon Studios) entered negotiations to acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). On May 26, 2021, it was announced that the studio would be acquired by Amazon for $8.45 billion, subject to regulatory approval, continuing to operate as a label alongside Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video.[4] Amazon will continue to partner with United Artists Releasing (MGM and Annapurna Pictures' joint distribution venture), which will continue to operate and release MGM titles theatrically "on a case-by-case basis."

In August 2021, it was reported that Steven Prinz inked an overall TV deal and a first-look deal with the studio.[19] In September 2021, it was reported that Brian Otaño had signed a deal with Amazon Studios.[20] Also in September, Eddie Murphy had signed a first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.[21]

In January 2022, Westbrook signed a multi-year first-look deal with Amazon Studios. That same month, Amazon Studios signed a ten-figure deal with 87North Productions.

In November 2022, it was announced that Jennifer Salke, in addition to Amazon Studios, will be given full control of MGM's film and television divisions, with Brearton stepping down as COO to become the Vice President of PVS Corporate Strategy for MGM+ and MGM Alternative Television.[22]

In December 2022, Intrepid Pictures signed a multi-year overall television deal with Amazon Studios.[23] The studio is one of the largest employers in Culver City with roughly 2,700 staffing their headquarters and production facilities.[24] In January 2023, Critical Role Productions signed a multi-year overall television and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.[25]

In March 2023, it was announced in response to the decision to release Air into theaters worldwide instead of Prime Video, that Amazon had shut down United Artists Releasing and folded the distributor's operations into MGM, making Creed III the first film to be distributed by the latter studio itself under Amazon's ownership.[26] Also in March, Joe Quesada signed a exclusive first-look deal with Amazon Studios, and the studio also signed a multi-year first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment.[27][28]

In May 2023, Amazon Studios created Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, an international film and television distribution unit for Amazon and MGM projects.[29] The distributor's first films were Saltburn, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2023, Sitting in Bars with Cake, which was released on Prime Video on September 8, 2023 and A Million Miles Away which was released on Prime Video on September 15, 2023, all 3 films were released through the MGM banner.[30][31] On October 4, 2023, Pablo Iacoviello, the studio's director of monetization for local originals, announced at the TV forum Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid that Amazon Studios would merge with MGM Holdings and would be renamed to Amazon MGM Studios itself to reflect this. Amazon Studios' onscreen logo was animated by Antenna Creative and was introduced in 2016. It would be retired in September 2023 following the rebrand, in which all films going forward would open with the 2021 MGM logo created by Baked Studios.[32][33]

Accolades

In 2015, Transparent was the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award and the first show produced by a streaming media service to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (a.k.a. "Golden Globe for Best Series").[34] In 2017, for Manchester by the Sea, Amazon Studios became the first streaming media service to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture;[35] the film was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, winning two: Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Original Screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan. The film The Salesman (2016) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; it was directed by Asghar Farhadi and distributed in the US by Amazon Studios.[36] In 2018, the period comedy-drama television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, starring Rachel Brosnahan, won two Golden Globe Awards (Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for Brosnahan) and five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Brosnahan.

Assets

Film production and distribution

Television

Channels

Others

Productions library
Further information: List of libraries owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Television series
See also: List of Amazon Prime Video original programming and List of MGM Television programs

Films
Main articles: List of Amazon MGM Studios films and List of Amazon Prime Video original films

References
  1. Lumb, David (February 10, 2018). "NBC's Jennifer Salke is the new Amazon Studios chief". Engadget. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2018. Her predecessor, Roy Price, resigned in October 2017
  2. Andreeva, Nellie (17 October 2016). "Amazon Studios Comedy Chief Joe Lewis Adds Drama Oversight, Morgan Wandell To Head International Productions". Deadline. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  3. de la Fuente, Anne Marie (October 3, 2023). "Amazon Studios Now Called Amazon MGM Studios, Exec Pablo Iacoviello Reveals in Iberseries Keynote". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  4. Spangler, Todd; Lang, Brent (May 26, 2021). "Amazon Buys MGM, Studio Behind James Bond, for $8.45 Billion". Variety. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  5. Perez, Sarah (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Now Funding Original Content Series For Amazon Video Service". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. "FAQ". Studios.Amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  7. Moyer, Edward (June 23, 2012). "Amazon's 'Studios' effort picks first TV shows to develop". CNET. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  8. West, Kelly (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Invites TV Writers To Submit Comedy And Children's Series Ideas". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  9. Graser, Marc (February 21, 2008). "Amazon, Fox nursing 'Stolen '". Variety. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  10. "Amazon Studios acquiring Spike Lee film as its 1st release". The Denver Post. The Associated Press. July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  11. Barnes, Henry (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee's Chiraq gets Amazon release – and Oscars push". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  12. Kharpal, Arjun (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee directs Amazon's first ever movie". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  13. Fritz, Ben (September 12, 2012). "Amazon Studios going into comics". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
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  20. Cordero, Rosy (2021-09-01). "Amazon Studios Inks Overall Deal with TV Scribe & Playwright Brian Otaño". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
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  28. Vlessing, Etan (March 31, 2023). "Imagine Moves First-Look Deal From Apple to Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter.
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  33. https://www.antennacreative.com/projects/amazon-studios
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