Amazon Seeks Top Film Executive Amid Expansion of Entertainment Arm

AMZN 2.59%▲Amazon.com AMZN 2.67%▲ Inc. is searching for a senior movie-studio executive to help lead its growing entertainment division, turning to rivals for a chance to poach an experienced Hollywood player.

Amazon Studios has held conversations with several Hollywood leaders about the role, including Netflix Inc.’s NFLX 2.97%▲ film head, Scott Stuber, one of the streamer’s most powerful and visible executives, according to people familiar with the matter.

It couldn’t be determined if the talks are ongoing. Mr. Stuber is one of several candidates who have talked to Amazon about the role, the people said. The company also held discussions with former Paramount Pictures executive Emma Watts about a position, the people said.The conversations Amazon had with Mr. Stuber and others come amid power shifts under way in Hollywood and fresh vulnerabilities at the industry’s dominant streaming service. At Netflix, where Mr. Stuber helped cement the company’s status as the streaming industry’s dominant player, he oversees a division that has produced dozens of movies, including Martin Scorsese’s Mob drama “The Irishman” and the big-budget action release “The Gray Man.”

Yet, Netflix has of late signaled a retrenchment, as rivals like Walt Disney Co. spend heavily to surpass it in subscriber numbers and content offerings. Netflix’s global rise has slowed, leading it to cut spending and scale back operations. At Amazon, executives have spent billions of dollars this past year hoping to augment its Prime service, using A-list stars to lure subscribers.SHARE

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Amazon Seeks Top Film Executive Amid Expansion of Entertainment Arm

Amazon Studios held conversations with Netflix’s studio head Scott Stuber about a top film role

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Aug. 17, 2022 8:24 pm ET

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AMZN 2.57%▲Amazon.com AMZN 2.67%▲ Inc. is searching for a senior movie-studio executive to help lead its growing entertainment division, turning to rivals for a chance to poach an experienced Hollywood player.

Amazon Studios has held conversations with several Hollywood leaders about the role, including Netflix Inc.’s NFLX 2.92%▲ film head, Scott Stuber, one of the streamer’s most powerful and visible executives, according to people familiar with the matter.

It couldn’t be determined if the talks are ongoing. Mr. Stuber is one of several candidates who have talked to Amazon about the role, the people said. The company also held discussions with former Paramount Pictures executive Emma Watts about a position, the people said.

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The conversations Amazon had with Mr. Stuber and others come amid power shifts under way in Hollywood and fresh vulnerabilities at the industry’s dominant streaming service. At Netflix, where Mr. Stuber helped cement the company’s status as the streaming industry’s dominant player, he oversees a division that has produced dozens of movies, including Martin Scorsese’s Mob drama “The Irishman” and the big-budget action release “The Gray Man.”

Yet, Netflix has of late signaled a retrenchment, as rivals like Walt Disney Co. spend heavily to surpass it in subscriber numbers and content offerings. Netflix’s global rise has slowed, leading it to cut spending and scale back operations. At Amazon, executives have spent billions of dollars this past year hoping to augment its Prime service, using A-list stars to lure subscribers.

Emma Watts, a former Paramount Pictures executive, has held discussions with Amazon about a position.

PHOTO: GABE GINSBERG/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES

For two consecutive quarters Netflix has lost subscribers as it confronts increased competition and as inflation pressures consumer spending. The subscriber attrition led its stock to drop nearly 60% this year. Netflix is looking for new sources of revenue to compensate, including launching an ad-supported tier of its service.

Some Netflix executives have resisted widely releasing more movies in theaters. Mr. Stuber has argued to associates that more theatrical film debuts could help the company boost revenue, said people familiar with the matter.

A leadership vacuum at Amazon formed this spring with the departures of Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, MGM executives now at Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. In March, Amazon closed a $6.5 billion acquisition of the MGM movie and television studio.