Former Amazon Studios Canada originals boss Christina Wayne will be the new Managing Director of Saudi Arabia-based MBC Studios.
She will succeed Peter Smith, who we last week revealed was stepping down after four years. Smith will remain as an advisor.
Former AMC Networks exec Wayne and Smith are well known to each other. In 2012, Smith joined Cineflix Studios as CEO when Wayne was Managing Director.
At MBC Studios, the production arm of the Middle East and North Africa-focused network MBC Group, Wayne will look to continue a push into premium non-English-language TV programs.
MBC operates 17 free-to-air satellite channels and streaming service Shahid.
Sam Barnett, Group CEO of MBC Group, stated: “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming Christina Wayne to the role of Managing Director at MBC Studios. Christina brings with her a wealth of international expertise in content development and production where she has worked across a multitude of territories and languages and led on the development of Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning series.
“We look forward to her building on the team’s successes as we continue to expand our horizons in international content even further.”
He added Smith was leaving with “solid and successful team with an exciting slate of projects,” and pointed to shows such as Rashash, Rise of the Witches and Devil’s Promise.
Wayne was most recently Principal Creative Executive and Head of Originals for Canada and Australia for Amazon Studios, making shows for Prime Video. She held that role for three years before exiting in late 2022 and was known for presided over local original workshops, with a focus on interconnected series and formats.
Further back she held roles at Assembly Entertainment, Cineflix and AMC. As Senior Vice-President of Scripted Series and Miniseries for AMC, she oversaw the development and production of shows including Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
Newly appointed Wayne commented: “I am absolutely delighted to join MBC Group and MBC Studios and have heard great things about the incredible team Peter and the rest of MBC have built. This is a very exciting venture for me, and I cannot wait to get fully involved in one of the world’s most exciting territories for content production.”
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