Amazon MGM Studios announced a major restructuring of its film division on Tuesday, appointing Julie Rapaport and Alana Mayo as Head of Film, Production & Development.
Both executives will report to Courtenay Valenti, Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical at Amazon MGM. Valenti detailed the organizational changes in an internal memo shared with staff.
“Julie and Alana will each oversee approximately half of our film slate — spanning all genres across theatrical and streaming — with each managing roughly 15 films per year,” Valenti wrote. “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.”
Under the new structure, Mayo will continue to lead Orion Pictures, a position she has held since 2020. Meanwhile, Rapaport, who has been with Amazon since 2015, most recently served as Head of Film, Production & Development.
Valenti’s memo to the team highlighted the studio’s growth. “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. To match that scale and drive even greater creative output, I am pleased to announce that Julie Rapaport and Alana Mayo will each serve as Head of Film, Production & Development, reporting to me.”
The memo also outlined broader collaborations. Julie and Alana will partner closely with marketing, content strategy, finance, public relations, theatrical distribution, and Prime Video programming to align creative, business, and financial decisions across the film team. Physical production, business affairs, casting, consumer insights, studio operations, music, and worldwide theatrical distribution will continue reporting to Valenti, alongside Rapaport and Mayo. The studio remains one unified creative team, committed to storytelling and creative partnerships.
Valenti praised Rapaport’s history with the company. Julie has been instrumental in building the creative development team since joining Amazon in 2015. Over the past decade, she has shaped a slate that includes Road House, Saltburn, Project Hail Mary, and Verity, cultivating a pipeline that consistently attracts top talent and bold material. Her creative instincts are exceptional, and the trust she has earned across the creative community is a testament to her leadership.
Valenti also commended Mayo’s leadership at Orion Pictures. Alongside her expanded role, Mayo will continue to lead Orion Pictures, which she has overseen since 2020. Under her leadership, Orion has built beautifully on its legacy of bold, distinctive filmmaking — Oscar-winning Women Talking and American Fiction, Oscar-nominated Nickel Boys, breakout hit Bottoms, Nia DaCosta’s provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda, and this year’s 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.
“I am so proud of what this team has built together, and I could not be more energized by what is ahead. Please join me in congratulating Julie and Alana,” Valenti concluded.
