Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM, made his debut at the studio’s 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 kid with his brother, both in jammies, “even though I was a bit too old to wear pajamas in public.”
Applause for that in the auditorium of Caesars Palace Las Vegas, and even more for his promise to deliver 15 feature films a year to theaters by 2027, and for years to come. The studio will begin with 12-14 films starting next year, Courtenay Valenti, head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical, said recently.
“We are committed to doing this for the long terms and when Amazon commits to something, we tend to do it big.” The company is putting together a distribution team to roll out films globally.
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“Tonight, our job is to convince you that commitment [to theatrical] is real… and to prove to all of you how bullish we are on theatrical – both here in the U.S. and overseas,” he said.
Amazon acquired MGM in 2022 and Hopkins said, “I’ve had my eye on this ever since.” The deal, while rooted in expanding Amazon’s massive Prime loyalty program, also “really speaks to our excitement about the feature film business.”
It’s become even more exciting now that the company is in the clear to ramp up its James Bond franchise after making a deal to gain creative control from rights-holder and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have signed on to produce the next James Bond film. Valenti and Sue Kroll, the studio’s head of global marketing, said the producers are currently “both in London getting started. So thank you Amy and David.”
“It’s still early days for us, and we have a ton of work to do,” he said. But the studio is committed to “epic, culturally, relative storytelling that needs to be seen on giant screens like the one behind me.”
Hopkins took the stage just days after Jennifer Salke’s surprise exit as head of Amazon MGM Studios after seven years. She will not be replaced, with Valenti, and Head of TV Vernon Sanders, now reporting to Hopkins.
Said Valenti: “We’re building a bold and diverse slate with theatrical in mind … Whether we’re tapping into beloved IP or launching original concepts, our goal is the same: to deliver unforgettable, four-quadrant experiences that deserve the theatrical moment.”
The post Amazon MGM’s Mike Hopkins Cozies Up To Theater Owners, Promises “When Amazon Commits To Something, We Tend To Do It Big” — CinemaCon appeared first on Deadline.
