Amazon MGM Studios

History

Formation and early success (2010–2021)

Scripts for television and films used to be submitted online to Amazon 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.

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

In 2010, Amazon Studios started allowing people to submit screenplays, which Amazon Studios and its customers would vote on. The top scriptwriters were told that they would earn cash prizes. This was named as "the scientific studio" by Jeff Bezos. This program stopped eight years later as submitted scripts were of low quality.

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

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

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. The company also acquired global television rights to The Lord of the Rings for $250 million. 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.

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. 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 signed an overall television deal and a first-look deal with the studio. In September 2021, it was reported that Brian Otaño had signed a deal with Amazon Studios. Also in September, Eddie Murphy had signed a first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.

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.

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

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. Also in March, Joe Quesada signed an exclusive first-look deal with Amazon Studios, and the studio also signed a multi-year first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment.

In May 2023, Amazon Studios created Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, an international film and television distribution unit for Amazon and MGM projects. 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. 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. This would also result in the on-screen 2016 animated Amazon Studios logo designed by Monster Creative being retired, with all film productions going forward, as of September 2023, opening with the 2021 MGM Leo the Lion logo designed by Baked Studios.

In December 2023, Amazon MGM Studios secured a deal with Games Workshop, the creator of Warhammer 40,000, to adapt its characters and stories for film and television. The agreement, involving British actor Henry Cavill as an executive producer and actor, enables Amazon MGM to produce Warhammer 40,000 themed movies and TV shows. In January 2024, Amazon announced hundreds of layoffs across Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Twitch in order to "prioritize our investments for the long-term success of our business, while relentlessly focusing on what we know matters most to our customers," according to Mike Hopkins. In March 2024, beginning with the Prime Video release of the remake of Road House, Amazon MGM Studios marked the centennial anniversary celebration of the founding of MGM with a "100 Years" logo variant appearing on all films produced and released by the studio throughout the year.

In April 2024, Amazon MGM, in collaboration with Fandango at Home, Rotten Tomatoes and iTunes, offered customers a "100 Essential Movies" bundle of 100 films from the MGM library as part of the studio's centennial for a limited time. That same month, they signed a three-year first-look deal with Jake Gyllenhaal's Nine Stories Productions banner, for which they will have a first look on films the latter company intends to produce for theatrical and streaming releases, including a film adaptation of the musical Fun Home.

In July 2024, the company announced the revival of United Artists after more than a decade of dormancy as a label, entering a multi-year partnership with Scott Stuber, former Chief of Film at Netflix and Vice Chairman at Universal Pictures. Under the deal, Stuber will produce films under his newly formed production company for United Artists, with Stuber involved with all projects released by the freshly revived banner.

In late-August 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced they were planning to sell its unscripted production studio MGM Alternative as an independent company including its subsidiaries Evolution Media and Big Fish Entertainment.

In September 2024, it was announced that Amazon MGM and Prime Video would join the Motion Picture Association (MPA) as its seventh member starting October 1, the second non-studio to do so after Netflix in 2019; this would also mark a return to the MPA for MGM after it lost membership in 2005 following a buyout led by Sony Pictures.

In February 2025, Amazon MGM and Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of Eon Productions announced its intentions to form a joint venture to manage the franchise rights to James Bond. Following the closing of the transaction, Amazon MGM would have full creative control over the Bond film franchise. The deal cost Amazon MGM an estimated $1 billion for creative control, on top of what Amazon originally paid for MGM. According to reports, Bezos himself directed Amazon MGM executives to "get rid" of Broccoli "no matter how much it costs."

In March 2025, it was announced that Jennifer Salke would step down from her role at the helm of Amazon MGM to become a producer instead. In April 2025, the studio made its first appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, with the plan to release more films theatrically in 2026 than in previous years.

In June 2025, Sony Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios formed a multi-year deal in which Sony would handle the international theatrical distribution of titles from the latter studio following the conclusion of its four-year deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. However, this does not include home entertainment rights as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (and later on, Alliance Entertainment) will continue to distribute MGM's products. This deal would reunite Sony with MGM for the first time since 2020.

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").

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; 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.

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.

United Artists Releasing's Women Talking earned a nomination for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In 2023, Orion Pictures' American Fiction earned Amazon MGM Studios its first win for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival following the studio's rebrand. The film went on to receive five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards; including Best Picture, and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Assets

Film production and distribution

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• United Artists
• Orion Pictures
  • Orion Classics
  • American International Pictures
• Prime Movies
• Amazon Content Services
• Amazon MGM Studios Distribution

Television

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television
  • MGM Alternative Television
  • MGM International Television
  • MGM On Demand
  • MGM/UA Television
• Big Fish Entertainment LLC
  • Half Moon Pictures
• Evolution Media
• Gato Grande Productions (joint venture with Mexican entrepreneurs Miguel Aleman and Antonio Cué)
• Lightworkers Media

Channels

• MGM+
  • MGM+ Marquee
  • MGM+ Hits
  • MGM+ Drive-In
  • MGM+ On Demand
• ScreenPix
  • ScreenPix Action
  • ScreenPix Westerns
  • ScreenPix Voices
  • ScreenPix On Demand
• Impact (joint venture with Comcast)
• MGM Sci-Fi (Roku linear channel)

Others

• Amazon MGM Studios Consumer Products
• MGM Home Entertainment
• MGM Music
• Prime Video Sport
• MGM On Stage

Production libraries

Main article: List of Amazon MGM Studios films, List of Amazon Prime Video original films

Main article: List of Amazon Prime Video original programming, List of ended Amazon Prime Video original programming, List of MGM Television programs

Television series

• Big Fish Entertainment LLC (including Half Moon Pictures)
  • Shows produced:

1. America's Top Dog (2020-present)
2. Amy Schumer Learns to Cook (2020-2020)
3. Black Ink Crew (2013-2023)
4. Black Ink Crew: Chicago (2015-2022)
5. Black Ink Crew: Los Angeles (Compton) (2019-2023)
6. Bomb Patrol Afghanistan (2011-2012)
7. Cartel Crew (2019-2021)
8. DC Cupcakes (2010-2013)
9. Girls Cruise (2019-2019)
10. History's Greatest Mysteries (2020-present)
11. How Far Is Tattoo Far? (2018-2019)
12. Live PD (2016-2020)
13. Live PD Presents: PD Cam (2018-2020) (2025-present)
14. Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol (2018-2018)
15. Live Rescue (2019-2021)
16. Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012-2022) (2023-present)
17. Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (2014-2019)
18. Love & Hip Hop: Miami (2018-present)
19. Love & Hip Hop: New York (2011-2020)
20. Martha Knows Best (2020-2020)
21. On Patrol: Live (2022-present)
22. Ring Nation (2022-2023)
23. Seeking Brother Husband (2023-2023)

• Evolution Media
  • Shows produced:

1. Bands Reunited (2004-2006)
2. Beach Patrol (2006-2008)
3. Beverly Hills Nannies (2012-2012)
4. Big Brother (American TV series) (2000-present)
5. Botched (TV series) (2014-present)
6. Bug Juice (1998-2001)
7. Code: 9 (2012-2012)
8. Fear Factor (2001-2006) (2011-2012) (2017-2018) (2026-present)
9. Growing Up Supermodel (2017-2017)
10. Growing Up Twisted (2010-2010)
11. High School Confidential (TV series) (2008-2008)
12. Ocean Force (2007-2009)
13. Private Lives of Nashville Wives (2014-2014)
14. Prom Queens (TV series) (2012-2012)
15. Sin City Rules (2012-2013)
16. Switched! (American TV series) (2003-2004)
17. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010-2010)
18. The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006-present)
19. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island (2026-present)
20. Totally Hoops (2001-2001)
21. Totally in Tune (2002-2002)
22. Vanderpump Rules (2013-2013)
23. Vanderpump Rules: Jax & Brittany Take Kentucky (2017-2017)
24. Yo Momma (TV series) (2006-2007)
25. 10 Years Younger (American TV series) (2004-2009) Lucilla D'Agostino has been in sole charge of Half Moon Pictures, Big Fish Entertainment and Evolution Media since 2023.

Highest-grossing films

References

References

1. Lumb, David. (February 10, 2018). "NBC's Jennifer Salke is the new Amazon Studios chief".
2. Andreeva, Nellie. (17 October 2016). "Amazon Studios Comedy Chief Joe Lewis Adds Drama Oversight, Morgan Wandell To Head International Productions".
3. (May 26, 2021). "Amazon Buys MGM, Studio Behind James Bond, for $8.45 Billion".
4. Perez, Sarah. (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Now Funding Original Content Series For Amazon Video Service".
5. "FAQ".
6. West, Kelly. (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Invites TV Writers To Submit Comedy And Children's Series Ideas".
7. Graser, Marc. (February 21, 2008). "Amazon, Fox nursing 'Stolen '". [[Variety (magazine).
8. (July 15, 2015). "Amazon Studios acquiring Spike Lee film as its 1st release". The Denver Post.
9. Barnes, Henry. (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee's Chiraq gets Amazon release – and Oscars push".
10. Kharpal, Arjun. (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee directs Amazon's first ever movie". CNBC.
11. Stone, Brad. (2021). "Amazon unbound: Jeff Bezos and the invention of a global empire". Simon & Schuster.
12. Fritz, Ben. (September 12, 2012). "Amazon Studios going into comics". [[Los Angeles Times]].
13. Vanderbilt, Tom. (March 28, 2013). "The Nielsen Family Is Dead".
14. Andreeva, Nellie. (17 October 2016). "Amazon Studios Comedy Chief Joe Lewis Adds Drama Oversight, Morgan Wandell To Head International Productions".
15. (27 July 2017). "Amazon Moves Into Self-Distribution With Woody Allen's 'Wonder Wheel' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
16. (November 21, 2017). "Amazon's $1bn bet on Lord of the Rings shows scale of its TV ambition".
17. Spangler, Todd. (April 14, 2018). "Amazon Studios Shuts Down Open Script-Submission Program".
18. Otterson, Joe. (2021-08-17). "Amazon Inks Overall TV Deal, First-Look Film Deal With Development Executive Steven Prinz".
19. Cordero, Rosy. (2021-09-01). "Amazon Studios Inks Overall Deal with TV Scribe & Playwright Brian Otaño".
20. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (September 22, 2021). "Eddie Murphy Signs Three-Picture & First-Look Film Deal With Amazon Studios.".
21. (30 November 2022). "Amazon's Jennifer Salke Gains Control of MGM Film, TV Operations".
22. Andreeva, Nellie. (December 1, 2022). "'The Haunting' & 'Midnight Mass' Duo Mike Flanagan & Trevor Macy Ink Overall TV Deal With Amazon Studios".
23. Sakoui, Anousha. (December 7, 2022). "Amazon Studios unveils massive virtual production stage, deepening ties to Culver City".
24. Petski, Denise. (January 25, 2023). "Amazon Studios Inks Overall TV & First-Look Film Deal With Critical Role, Sets 'Mighty Nein' Animated Series As First Project".
25. McClintock, Pamela. (March 5, 2023). "Box Office: Michael B. Jordan's 'Creed III' Wins Title With Historic $58.6M Opening".
26. Cordero, Rosy. (March 30, 2023). "Amazon Studios Signs Marvel's Former EIC Joe Quesada To Exclusive First-Look Deal".
27. Vlessing, Etan. (March 31, 2023). "Imagine Moves First-Look Deal From Apple to Amazon".
28. Whittock, Jesse. (May 8, 2023). "Amazon MGM Studios Distribution To Launch At LA Screenings".
29. Cordero, Rosy. (September 22, 2022). "'Sitting In Bars With Cake': Bette Midler, Ron Livingston, Aaron Dominguez & Rish Shah Among 12 Rounding Out Cast Of Amazon Rom-Com".
30. Debruge, Peter. (2023-09-01). "''Saltburn'' Review: A Vicious ''Talented Mr. Ripley'' Knockoff From the Director of ''Promising Young Woman''".
31. de la Fuente, Anne Marie. (October 3, 2023). "Amazon Studios Now Called Amazon MGM Studios, Executive Pablo Iacoviello Reveals in Iberseries Keynote". [[Variety (magazine).
32. (2023-12-19). "Amazon to make Warhammer 40,000 shows and movies". BBC News.
33. (10 January 2024). "Amazon Cutting Hundreds of Jobs at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios".
34. Sharpe, Josh. "Fandango at Home and Rotten Tomatoes Celebrate MGM with 100 Film Collection".
35. Galuppo, Mia. (2024-04-02). "Jake Gyllenhaal's Nine Stories Signs First-Look Deal with Amazon MGM".
36. Fleming, Mike Jr. (26 July 2024). "Scott Stuber Closes Deal To Revive United Artists".
37. White, Peter. (August 27, 2024). "Amazon In Talks To Sell MGM Alternative, Production Group Behind ‘The Voice’ & ‘Vanderpump Rules’".
38. Johnson, Ted. (19 September 2024). "MPA Adds Amazon Prime Video and MGM Studios As Newest Member".
39. Kroll, Justin. (February 20, 2025). "James Bond Shocker! Amazon MGM Studios Takes Creative Control Of Spy Franchise As Producers Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli Step Back". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
40. Kroll, Anthony D'Alessandro,Justin. (2025-02-20). "Amazon MGM Studios Shelled Out An Extra $1 Billion-Plus To Take Control Of James Bond: What’s Next For The Franchise".
41. Davies, Rob. (2025-02-21). "Amazon paid more than $1bn to take creative control of James Bond". The Guardian.
42. (2025-03-07). "‘Get Rid of Her’: Why Jeff Bezos Ousted James Bond Producer".
43. "Jeff Bezos reportedly interceded to oust Barbara Broccoli from James Bond franchise".
44. Ha, Anthony. (2025-03-29). "Amazon shakes up streaming leadership team".
45. Goldsmith, Jill. (April 2, 2025). "Amazon MGM's Mike Hopkins Cozies Up To Theater Owners, Promises "When Amazon Commits To Something, We Tend To Do It Big" — CinemaCon".
46. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (2025-06-27). "Amazon MGM Studios & Sony Pictures Ink Multi-Year International Theatrical Distribution Deal".
47. (January 29, 2015). "Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Sales Up 15% to $29.33 Billion".
48. (24 January 2017). "The Snubs and Surprises of the 2017 Oscar Nominations".
49. (May 18, 2016). "Amazon Acquires Asghar Farhadi's 'The Salesman', Partnering With Cohen Media Group On Domestic – Cannes".
50. (2023-09-17). "'American Fiction' wins People's Choice award at Toronto Film Festival".
51. "Oscars 2024: The complete list of winners at the 96th Academy Awards".
52. White, Peter. (July 11, 2023). "MGM Alternative Shakeup: Lucilla D'Agostino To Run 'On Patrol: Live' Producer Big Fish & 'Real Housewives' Producer Evolution As Dan Cesareo Exits". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
53. [https://www.nexttv.com/features/wonder-women-of-new-york-2024-lucilla-dagostino Wonder Women of New York 2024: Lucilla D’Agostino], [[Multichannel News]], 03/11/2024, by Stuart Miller