Amazon MGM Splits Film Slate Between Two Studio Chiefs

Amazon MGM Studios is putting two executives in charge of its growing film pipeline. Alana Mayo has been promoted to serve alongside Julie Rapaport as head of film, production and development, giving each executive responsibility for roughly half of a slate that now exceeds 30 movies a year.

Both executives will report to Courtenay Valenti, Amazon MGM’s head of film, streaming and theatrical. The arrangement covers movies intended for theaters and streaming across genres. Each chief is expected to manage about 15 films annually, but the company is not dividing the studio into isolated production units.

One team with a divided slate

In a staff memo reported by Variety, Deadline and TheWrap, Valenti said senior production and development employees would continue working with both Rapaport and Mayo. The two executives will also coordinate with marketing, finance, content strategy, publicity, theatrical distribution and Prime Video programming.

That structure matters because Amazon MGM is balancing traditional theatrical releases with a large streaming operation. Assigning clear oversight for individual projects can spread the workload without turning the studio into two competing camps. Physical production, business affairs, casting, consumer insights, studio operations, music and worldwide theatrical distribution will continue to report to Valenti.

Two different studio track records

Rapaport joined Amazon in 2015 and became head of movies in 2022. Her recent slate has included Road House, Saltburn, Project Hail Mary and Verity, giving her experience across commercial, awards-oriented and star-driven projects.

Mayo will keep leading Orion Pictures, the label she has overseen since 2020. Orion’s recent credits include Women Talking, American Fiction, Nickel Boys, Bottoms and Hedda. Her expanded role brings that filmmaker-focused background into Amazon MGM’s broader production portfolio.

The promotion signals that the studio’s challenge is now one of scale as much as acquisition. With more than 30 films moving through theatrical and streaming channels each year, Amazon MGM is betting that shared leadership can preserve creative attention while keeping one coordinated decision-making system.