Jennifer Salke,Head of Amazon’s TV and Film Steps Down

Jennifer Salke Jennifer Salke held the position for seven years. The tech giant named separate chiefs for television and movies.

Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon MGM Studios, is stepping down from her role and will instead focus on producing, according to an internal memo obtained by Deadline. In the memo, Mike Hopkins, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios head, tells employees that the company will not fill Salke’s role as part of efforts to “flatten our leadership structure.”

“As I’ve been considering my next chapter, I’ve always been searching for that moment where I was positive that our work had set up Amazon MGM Studios for even more success in the long term,” Salke said in a statement. “When I look at the teams we’ve put in place, our amazing leaders, and the incredible slate of films and shows we’ve got in the pipeline, I realized now is that moment.  I’m looking forward to continuing doing what I love, cultivating talent, supporting their vision, and bringing compelling stories to audiences around the world.”

Hopkins wrote in his memo:“we’ve decided to flatten our leadership structure a bit and not fill the head of studios role. In line with ’s recent work to streamline reporting lines and accelerate decision making, we felt this was the best direction for our studio, which will now operate as distinct film and television studios.”

News of Salke’s departure comes a month after Amazon MGM Studios gained creative control over the iconic James Bond franchise from longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

In the past two years Amazon MGM Studios has made clear it is assembling a theatrical slate and is said to have pledged $1bn a year. The first major tentpole to emerge from that initiative, the Dwayne Johnson-Chris Evans Christmas caper Red One, earned $185m at the global box office. At a reported $200m-$250m budget, box office alone would have marked down the tentpole as a misfire, however Prime reported in December that the feature drew a record 50m viewers in its first four days on the service.

Amazon’s film strategy shifted radically during Salke’s tenure. The executive initially prioritized indie Sundance fare like “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” “Late Night” and “The Report” before pivoting to more star-driven pieces like “Being the Ricardos” and “The Tomorrow War.” The latter was a Chris Pratt action film that represented one of the label’s rare flagship hits (at least, according to vague viewership data released by Prime Video at the time). However, despite the star power, Amazon’s film offerings often struggled to get the kind of awards attention that Netflix received.

The company’s mission changed once again following the acquisition of MGM in 2022, where film properties like Bond, Pink Panther and the Rocky franchises came under Amazon’s purview. “Creed III” was a big box office success for the newly-merged studio and other properties have born fruit, like “Legally Blonde,” which is getting a prequel series, and “The Thomas Crown Affair,” with studio star Michael B. Jordan directing a remake.