Oliver-Jones is leaving Apple TV after six years to join Amazon MGM Studios as senior commissioner of British scripts, according to an internal email sent to his team by Nicole Clemens, the studio’s vice president and head of international originals.
Jones will work closely with Clemens to begin production on the new British scripted series, which is expected to begin in May.
Jones will return to London from Los Angeles for the role, where he will spearhead the commissioning of a new British-scripted series. Existing script commissioners Gemma Brandler and Punit Mattoo will report to him.
“Oliver is an experienced scriptwriting executive with a proven track record in developing premium content internationally,” Clemens wrote in an email. “This appointment confirms our continued investment in world-class British scripted programming as we expand our programming for UK and international audiences.”
At Apple, Mr. Jones most recently served as senior creative executive for international scripted television, where he shaped the streamer’s international originals strategy from its early stages and guided projects across development, production and global expansion. His credits include “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” starring Kurt Russell, which had a record-breaking Apple TV premiere in November 2023. Masters of the Air, the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks World War II series starring Austin Butler, topped the platform’s charts following its January 2024 debut. Disclaimer, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. The latest project in production is Berlin Noir, written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan and starring Colin Firth, Jack Lowden and Jessica Gunning. Previous works include “Tehran” and “Sunny” (A24), which won the 2021 International Emmy Award for Best Drama.
Prior to joining Apple, Jones held senior roles at Fremantle, where he worked on productions of “Mosquito Coast,” “Fellow Travelers,” and “American Gods.” He also directed Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” for the Weinstein Company and “Empire” for Imagine Television.
The hire comes as Amazon MGM Studios accelerates its scripted push in the UK. In a memo to staff, Clemens pointed to recent releases such as “The Girlfriend,” starring Robin Wright. “Steel” starring Sophie Turner. “Harlan Coben’s Lazarus”. and describes Riz Ahmed’s ‘Bait’ as a ‘fan-favorite, genre-defying series that has delighted customers in the UK and around the world’. The studio also recently greenlit an adaptation of author Matt Charman’s original police thriller “Dirty” and Chloe Walsh’s BookTok novel “Boys of Tommen.”
“It’s been an honor to work with some of the great colleagues at Apple TV over the past six years, and to collaborate with some of the great artists I’ve been lucky enough to work with,” said Jones. “Leaving a job you love is always a difficult decision, but it’s the perfect time to come home and start a new adventure. The commitment and momentum of Amazon MGM Studios to tell ambitious, provocative and premium stories, and the scale of our growing investment in the UK, means there couldn’t be a more exciting moment to join Nicole and her incredible team.”
