Amazon MGM Names Julie Rapaport, Alana Mayo Heads of Film

Amazon MGM Studios has restructured the leadership of its film division, naming Julie Rapaport and Alana Mayo as heads of film, production and development, according to a staff memo from Courtenay Valenti, the studio's head of film, streaming and theatrical. The change was announced Tuesday, Oct. 20, and was reported by Variety, Deadline and TheWrap, each of which published the memo.

Two executives, one slate

Under the new structure, Rapaport and Mayo will both report to Valenti, and each will oversee approximately half of the studio's film slate. In the memo, as published by Deadline, Valenti wrote that the two executives will each manage "roughly 15 films per year," spanning all genres across theatrical and streaming releases.

Valenti tied the reorganization to the studio's growth in volume. "Our output now spans more than 30 films a year across theatrical and streaming — growth that reflects the trust our studio has built with the creative community and the extraordinary work of our team," she wrote, according to Variety.

The memo stated that the division will not be split into separate units. "It's important to note that we are not creating separate pods or siloed teams, as our senior production & development team members will all work with both Julie and Alana across the entire slate, regardless of specific reporting lines," Valenti wrote, according to Deadline.

According to TheWrap, Rapaport and Mayo will also work with the studio's marketing, content strategy, finance, public relations, theatrical distribution and Prime Video programming groups to align creative, business and financial decisions. The memo said physical production, business affairs, casting, consumer insights, studio operations, music and worldwide theatrical distribution will continue to report directly to Valenti.

The executives' track records

Rapaport joined Amazon in 2015, and Variety reported that she was named head of movies in 2022. Deadline reported that she most recently held the title of head of film, production and development. In the memo, Valenti credited Rapaport with shaping a slate that includes "Road House," "Saltburn," "Project Hail Mary" and "Verity."

Mayo has led Orion Pictures since 2020 and will continue to run the label alongside her expanded role, according to Deadline. Valenti's memo cited Orion's Oscar-winning films "Women Talking" and "American Fiction," the Oscar-nominated "Nickel Boys," the breakout hit "Bottoms," Nia DaCosta's modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda," and this year's releases "Is God Is" and "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother."

"Alana has a gift for identifying and elevating bold, distinctive voices, and the relationships she has built with the talent she champions reflect the kind of creative partnership this studio stands for," Valenti wrote, according to TheWrap.

Context within the studio

Deadline characterized the announcement as a reorganization of the film division. In the memo, Valenti described the change as "an important evolution of our Amazon MGM Film Studio" and wrote that the film group will "remain one unified creative team, committed to the storytelling and creative partnerships that define this studio."

The memo did not announce changes to individual film projects or release dates. Valenti wrote that the new structure is intended "to match that scale and drive even greater creative output," according to Variety.