Jennifer Salke Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke feels about Warner Bros. making competing projects based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Salke, who has held the top content job at Amazon since 2018, walked a Monday red carpet for the premiere of Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” where she spoke with Variety about last week’s news that Warner Bros. had secured film rights to some of Tolkien’s books. One of Salke’s defining moves at Amazon was to secure television rights to the same literary works, which she achieved at great expense. The first season of Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” premiered in 2022 with a big global marketing push and critical acclaim — as well as a reported budget north of $450 million for the first batch of episodes. Previously, Warner Bros. pushed out two massively successful film franchises with auteur Peter Jackson beginning in 2001. Those films grossed over $5 billion at the worldwide box office and brought home a best picture Oscar for one of the entries.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon restructured MGM’s television business at the end of November but it seems that there’s more movement in that department.

Anna Faris, Craig Robinson and Flula Borg are joining the “My Spy” franchise, with all three comedy vets signing up for “My Spy: The Eternal City” at Amazon Studios. Director Pete Segal (“Get Smart,” “Anger Management”) is returning to helm the sequel, which reunites franchise stars Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman alongside scene-stealers Kristen Schaal and Ken Jeong.

Prime Video has taken the global distribution rights to the latest film from Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly. “Ricky Stanicky” will be the “Green Book” director’s first R-rated comedy since “Hall Pass” in early 2011; his brother and ’90s-era co-director Bobby Farrelly will not be involved.

EXCLUSIVE: Sources tell us that former Warner Bros President of Production and Development Courtenay Valenti is nearing the end of her vetting process at Amazon Studios/MGM and is now negotiating her deal at the studio for a top film position.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has won a heated auction among four other studios and streamers for a Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston comedy vehicle. The untitled body swap comedy was pitched last week by Max Barbakow, who will write and direct the film. LuckyChap Entertainment, the production label of Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, will produce alongside Roberts and her Red Om Films banner, Aniston’s Echo Films, and Barbakow. He is best known for directing Palm Springs, the Andy Samberg-Cristin Milioti 2020 comedy won by Neon and Hulu at Sundance for a then-festival record sum. The comedy is based on his original pitch.

Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort, “Air,” will get a global theatrical release from Amazon Studios on April 5, ahead of its global streaming premiere on Prime Video.“Air,” from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, features what is being described as a “first of its kind arrangement” with Amazon Studios distributing the film globally with Warner Bros. Pictures handling international as part of its distribution pact with Amazon’s MGM.The new movie tells the true story of the partnership between Michael Jordan, a then-rookie with grand ambitions, and Nike’s fledging basketball division.

EXCLUSIVE: In its latest corporate realignment, Amazon has created a single unit for third-party living room device business development and partner marketing for Prime Video, MGM+ and Freevee. Leading those activities will be company veteran Andrew Bennett.

Amazon Studios has made it official, confirming that it has secured global rights to the Warhammer 40,000 game from Games Workshop for Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) to star in and executive produce the Warhammer 40,000 franchise across all Amazon Studios productions. The agreement encompasses rights to the universe across TV series, film, and likely games and animation.

Hi team,Nearly nine months ago when we acquired MGM, we said we would take a thoughtful and measured approach to the integration process. It was important to take the time to ensure the right people were in the right jobs for maximum collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

It’s official – Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, will also oversee MGM, the venerable film and TV studio, which was acquired by Amazon earlier this year for $8.5 billion. Additionally, MGM’s COO Chris Brearton will take on a new role, VP, PVS Corporate Strategy, MGM+ and MGM Alternative Television. Mike Hopkins, SVP, Prime Video and Amazon Studios, just made the announcement internally in a memo (You can red it under the post.)

Tyler Perry is going to Amazon Prime Video. The film division led by Jennifer Salke has notched a deal with the Atlanta-based entertainment mogul that will see him produce, write and direct four features for worldwide distribution on Prime Video.

Amazon Studios announced on Monday that it has closed a four-picture film deal with powerhouse producer, actor, writer and director Tyler Perry. The pact will see Perry write, direct and produce four features for release on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Dan Scharf — the VP and global head of business affairs at Amazon Studios — will now oversee production, studio operations, casting, and studios music. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, made the internal announcement Wednesday.

As we told you last week, former Warner Bros Global Marketing Chief Sue Kroll was bound to be named Amazon Studios’ new Head of Marketing. On Monday, the company confirmed the news.

Kroll will report directly to Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke and will oversee marketing campaigns for all of Amazon’s films and TV series that will be released both in theaters and on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. Kroll, who launched her own production company Kroll & Co.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor CANNES — Global tentpoles and local-language series that travel — that’s the content cocktail that Amazon Studios is stirring as the company looks to capitalize the momentum behind “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, discussed the e-commerce giant’s content strategy and investment priorities in her keynote address at Mipcom on Oct. 18. Salke had intended to travel to Cannes to accept the Variety Vanguard Award, presented by Variety and Mipcom, but on the eve of travel she came down with COVID. Instead, Salke recorded a 35-minute live-to-tape Q&A with Cynthia Littleton, Variety’s Co-editor in chief.

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one has had a “halo effect” on the streamer’s other tentpoles such as The Boys and Wheel of Time, according to Studios boss Jennifer Salke.

2022 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala Barker Hangar, Santa MonicaJustin Timberlake and Jessica Biel (clad in a feathery Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown) led the charge at the 2022 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala, helping to raise a record-breaking $5.5 million for that medical center dedicated to healing children. Timberlake put on a show that had the whole place up and dancing, as Chris and Robert Pine served as hosts of the party held at the Barker Hangar, which is a perfectly mutable space with plenty of parking, making it a favorite of the charity gala crowd.

Cara Delevingne is to appear at Mipcom Cannes discussing her upcoming BBC Three and Hulu show Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne.

Jennifer Salke entered the Second Age in London. The head of Amazon Studios spent the 72 hours leading up to the launch of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” in a whirlwind, traveling from the series’ global premiere event in London’s Leicester Square to her Manhattan apartment to watch the early returns arrive via reports from Amazon’s formidable consumer research department. The “Rings” team was exhausted, having had no chance to recover from the grueling worldwide promotional campaign for the Amazon Prime Video series that is an enormous bet for the tech giant, being the most expensive television series ever produced. For most of launch day, Sept. 1, Salke and key members of her executive team, many members of the large ensemble cast and executive producers J.D. Payne, Patrick McKay and Lindsey Weber gathered together for hours in virtual “war rooms,” bone tired but energized, to wait for the world’s reaction.

Prolific television producer Greg Berlanti and former soccer player Robbie Rogers just threw another successful event to support the fight against cancer!

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Rachel Zoe, Julie Plec and Jennifer Salke will be honored at this year’s Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala. Zoe will be presented with the Vanguard Award and Plec will receive the Barbara Berlanti Hero Award. The Humanitarian Award will go to Salke. The event, taking place Oct. 1 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and chaired by Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, will include musical performances by Tori Kelly, En Vogue and The Scarlet Opera. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Fuck Cancer. The guest list includes Aisha Tyler, Azie Tesfai, Daniel Ezra, David Ramsey, Hailey Bieber, Jesse L. Martin, Kheng Hua Tan, Lily Cowles, Maz Jobrani, Michael Trevino, Misha Collins, Olivia Liang, Peter Facinelli, Sara Foster, Taylor Zakhar Perez, TR Knight, Tzi Mai, Yasha Jackson and Yvonne Chapman.

Albert Cheng is moving up at Amazon.

Macro, the Oscar-winning film studio founded by Charles D. King, is getting into business with Amazon. Under the new deal, Amazon Studios has first look on feature film projects from the Judas and the Black Messiah producer, which intends to develop, package and produce for Prime Video. The  OTT service has a footprint in 240 countries around the globe.

Addie Morfoot Contributor The day before the pandemic shut down Los Angeles in March 2020, veteran documentary filmmaker Ryan White (“Assassins,” “Ask Dr. Ruth”) signed on to make “Good Night Oppy.” With the support of NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the documentary recounts the true story of Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity and the bond forged between the robots and the humans who created them.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power has become the biggest opening premiere in Amazon Prime Video’s history.Following the release of the first two episodes on Friday (September 2), Amazon shared that the show had earned 25million viewers in the first 24 hours after debuting “in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide”.Speaking about the milestone, Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said: “It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories – among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre – have led us to this proud moment.“I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate – and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew – for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy.

The numbers are in for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has become Amazon Prime Video's most-watched premiere ever. The fantasy television series' debut drew a global audience of more than 25 million viewers, the largest in the streaming platform's 15-year history, according to a report by Deadline on Saturday. "Rings of Power", which is based on J.R.R.Tolkien's classic "The Lord of the Rings" novels, premiered Thursday in 250 countries and territories.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the biggest thing Amazon Prime Video has ever done, and it looks like the TV series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing has delivered big time.