Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, made his debut at his first CinemaCon tonight, breaking the ice with de rigueur anecdote of how he fell in love with cinema – going to see Stars Wars as a child along with his brother, each in jammies, “regardless that I used to be a bit too previous to put on pajamas in public.”
Applause for that within the auditorium of Caesars Palace Las Vegas, and much more for his promise to ship 15 function movies a 12 months to theaters by 2027, and for years to return. The studio will start with 12-14 movies beginning subsequent 12 months, Courtenay Valenti, head of Movie, Streaming and Theatrical, mentioned not too long ago.
“We’re dedicated to doing this for the lengthy phrases and when Amazon commits to one thing, we are likely to do it massive.” The corporate is placing collectively a distribution workforce to roll out movies globally.
“Tonight, our job is to persuade you that dedication [to theatrical] is actual… and to show to all of you the way bullish we’re on theatrical – each right here within the U.S. and abroad,” he mentioned.
Amazon acquired MGM in 2022 and Hopkins mentioned, “I’ve had my eye on this ever since.” The deal, whereas rooted in increasing Amazon’s huge Prime loyalty program, additionally “actually speaks to our pleasure concerning the function movie enterprise.”
It’s grow to be much more thrilling now that the corporate is within the clear to ramp up its James Bond franchise after making a deal to achieve artistic management from rights-holder and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have signed on to supply the subsequent James Bond movie. Valenti and Sue Kroll, the studio’s head of world advertising and marketing, mentioned the producers are at the moment “each in London getting began.”
“It’s nonetheless early days for us, and we’ve got a ton of labor to do,” he mentioned. However the studio is dedicated to “epic, culturally, relative storytelling that must be seen on big screens just like the one behind me.”
Hopkins took the stage simply days after Jennifer Salke’s shock exit as head of Amazon MGM Studios after seven years. She is not going to get replaced, with Valenti, and Head of TV Vernon Sanders, now reporting to Hopkins.
Mentioned Valenti: “We’re constructing a daring and numerous slate with theatrical in thoughts … Whether or not we’re tapping into beloved IP or launching unique ideas, our objective is identical: to ship unforgettable, four-quadrant experiences that deserve the theatrical second.”
