Amazon to Lay Off ‘Several Hundred’ Across Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios

Zoë Kravitz’s feature directorial debut, the suspense thriller, Blink Twice (ne Pussy Island), is getting a global theatrical release from Amazon MGM Studios on Aug. 23.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios has launched development on Razzlekhan, a new film inspired by a 2022 article in the New York Times, which Hannah Marks (Don’t Make Me Go) will direct from her own script.

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata.Iwata was president of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015 and oversaw both the Nintendo DS and the Wii.However, he was also CEO during the turbulent Wii U era of Nintendo, which was considered a flop by many. Following the failure, he took a 50 per cent pay cut while other executives reduced their salaries by 20 per cent.Speaking about the decision in 2013, Iwata said: “If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results, employee morale will decrease.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios has just landed a big sci-fi film package which they’re setting a global theatrical release on, and that’s Mercy, starring Chris Pratt, directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning producer Charles Roven. I understand the deal closed in the last week with a spring start of production planned.

Microsoft is laying off about 1,900 people in its gaming division following the closing of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Primetime Emmy nominee Tessa Thompson‘s Viva Maude has closed a multiyear first-look film deal with Amazon MGM Studios.

UPDATE: The layoffs of more than 20% of the Los Angeles Times newsroom elicited sharp criticism from the guild, saying that it was handled in a “brutal and inhumane way.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Los Angeles Times announced Tuesday that it is laying off 115 staffers, as billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong looks to stem losses that have grown to $30-$40 million a year. The layoff figure includes both union members and non-union managers. Matt Pearce, a Times reporter and president of Media Guild West, said on X that 94 union staffers were being let go, which he said was “devastating” but less than the number expected a week ago.

Recently, it was announced that Amazon is joining the ranks of Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services by offering a cheaper, ad-infused tier for its streaming service, Prime Video. This would allow folks to pay less monthly, but they have to deal with commercials during their streaming content.

The tech sector’s tough times continue. Riot Games, the video game developer behind the popular League of Legends and Arcane, the Netflix series on which it is based, is laying off about 530 staffers worldwide in a move its CEO described as a “decision [that] is critical for the future of Riot.”

EXCLUSIVE: Apple TV+‘s Kids operations underwent layoffs today. The cuts impacted eight people across music, production, development, a fraction of the overall staff involved in kids content, Deadline has learned.

Anna Wintour kept her trademark dark sunglasses on even as she was delivering bad news to Pitchfork staffers, one writer that was part of the purge complains.

Margaret Qualley is showing off her dance moves in Bleachers‘ new music video!

EXCLUSIVE: Rosa Salazar (Captain America: Brave New World) has booked the female lead in Play Dirty, Shane Black’s crime thriller for Amazon MGM Studios, also starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield. Details as to her role are under wraps.

BreAnna Bell Amazon and Tastemade have signed a multi-year first look deal to produce unscripted lifestyle content. Their first venture together as part of the deal will deliver 15 new shows to Prime Video and Amazon Freevee audiences over the next few years.

Prime Video is to change its content strategy in Southeast Asia from a model based on original productions to one focused instead on licensing. As a result it has cut some jobs in the region. The move follows last week’s announcement of a restructuring and several hundred job cuts in North America at Prime Video and the Amazon-owned MGM. “Today we have made the decision to discontinue some programs and initiatives, and rebalance our international organization to focus on the countries and regions driving the most growth for our service.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Prime Video Southeast Asia is cutting its originals team in Singapore and moving to a “leaner operating model,” as part of the globe wave of redundancies announced earlier this week.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music After weeks of rumors, Universal Music Group has confirmed that it will be laying off an unspecified but significant number of employees in the coming weeks. The company’s recorded-music division is said to be receiving the brunt of the layoffs.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook and podcast division, laid off about 5% of its employees, representing just over 100 staffers. The cutbacks come as other Amazon groups — including Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios and Twitch — this week are pink-slipping several hundred workers. Audible CEO Bob Carrigan informed employees of the cuts in an audio memo Thursday.

After what feels like myriad delays and setbacks, “Mr. & Mrs.