Peter Friedlander, the new head of Amazon MGM Studio TV, is reorganizing the division into genre divisions, with executives Laura Lancaster and Nick Pepper leaving the company and Netflix veteran Blair Fetter joining the company.
As of Monday, Amazon’s MGM Studios’ television division will move from its current model of wholly owned ownership and co-production to one divided into drama and comedy, world-building, animation and unscripted genres. Under this new organization, the development teams and current teams for each genre will work within the same department.
Previously, Pepper ran the wholly owned project, with Lancaster running the co-production department. Fetter now joins Amazon MGM Studios as head of worldbuilding and genre series. Tom Lieber and Matt King, who are in charge of worldbuilding, will report to Mr. Fetter, who will report to Mr. Friedlander.
The remaining members of the current television leadership team include Jen Levy (previously announced head of unscripted and documentary television) and Melissa Wolfe (who will continue as head of animation), who report directly to Friedlander. Carla Smith, Michael McDonald and Jen Chambers will serve as interim chiefs of drama, comedy and young adult programming, while Friedlander will find new heads of drama and comedy series.
Lauren O’Connor, head of global IP, and Lindsay Sloan, head of scripted series for MGM Television, will also report to Friedlander.
Lancaster and Pepper are in talks to make a deal with Amazon.
See Friedlander’s Monday memo to staff announcing the reorganization changes, obtained by Variety.
all,
I am writing this letter to announce the new organizational structure for the Amazon MGM Studios Scripted Series team. This organizational structure is designed to accelerate our mission to deliver great original television that engages audiences around the world. We will immediately move from our current structure, which is split between wholly owned and co-produced, to a streamlined genre-based organization (drama and comedy, worldbuilding, animation, and unscripted). Both Development and Current exist within this new framework, providing greater transparency, expertise and clear ownership across the portfolio.
As part of this evolution, Laura Lancaster and Nick Pepper will be leaving the organization. Negotiations for a production contract are underway. Nick and Laura have been invaluable in shaping our scripted series plans, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions to our success. Laura said she and her team have led the creative directorship of films such as “Summer,” “The Lord of the Rings: Ring of Power,” “Fallout,” “Reacher,” “The Terminal,” “Better Sister,” and “We Were Liars,” as well as “Spider Noir,” and “Blade Runner.” He has also contributed significantly to the success of Prime Video’s programming, including upcoming series such as “2099,” “Scarpetta,” and “God of War.” Nick was the driving force behind the critically acclaimed Prime Video series Overcompensation and upcoming titles Tomb Raider, Elle, Young Sherlock and Carrie. In addition, Nick has built a bold and distinctive animation slate that includes Secret Level, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, and two premium campaigns from Critical role: Voxmachina and Mighty Nein.
As part of this move, I am pleased to announce that Blair Fetter will be joining Amazon MGM Studios as Head of Worldbuilding and Genre Series, reporting to me starting February 2nd. Blair brings exceptional experience to Netflix, where he directed the spectacle series and was integral to the success of shows such as Stranger Things, Ozark, The Queen’s Gambit, Death by Lightning, BoJack Horseman, The Haunting of Hill House and Three Body Problem. His ability to discover and develop vast worlds and his commitment to quality storytelling make him an ideal addition to my leadership team. Tom Lieber and Matt King will report directly to Blair and will continue to focus on programming in the worldbuilding genre.
As previously announced, Jenn Levy has joined as head of unscripted and documentary television. Melissa Wolfe will continue to report to me as Head of Animation. For drama, comedy and young adult programming, Kara Smith, Michael McDonald and Jen Chambers will report to me on an interim basis until we finalize the structure and install a new Head of Drama & Comedy Series. As a result of these changes, Lauren O’Connor, Head of Global IP, will now report to me. Lindsay Sloan, who heads scripted series for MGM Television, will also continue to report to me.
By organizing around these specialized genres with dedicated leadership, we will move faster, make sharper creative decisions, and continue to build groundbreaking series that will define the future of television. I am energized by the opportunities ahead and confident in this team’s ability to serve our customers and the creative communities in which we work.
Thank you everyone
peter
