Jennifer Salke, the longtime head of Amazon MGM Studios, is stepping down from her role in a major executive shakeup that raises more questions than it answers. While Amazon is publicly framing the move as voluntary, the elimination of Salke’s position and the redistribution of her duties suggest a quiet restructuring—one that may be tied to the costly and controversial failures under her leadership, most notably The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV; Sophia Nomvete as Disa in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
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The announcement came via an internal memo from Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios chief Mike Hopkins, who wrote to staff that Salke “has decided that her next challenge and chapter will be on the production side.” Her new production company, unnamed for now, will remain connected to Amazon through an overall first-look deal for both film and TV.
However, Amazon made clear it will not be replacing Salke. Instead, the company is restructuring the studio under a flatter management model. Courtenay Valenti (head of film) and Vernon Sanders (head of television) will report directly to Hopkins, while marketing chief Sue Kroll will continue in her role.
“We’ve decided to flatten our leadership structure a bit and not fill the head of studios role,” Hopkins wrote. “In line with Amazon’s recent work to streamline reporting lines and accelerate decision making, we felt this was the best direction for our studio.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: Mike Hopkins, Jennifer Salke, and Vernon Sanders attend the premiere of Amazon’s “Harlem” series at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem on December 01, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Hatnim Lee/WireImage)
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This statement comes at a time when Amazon Studios is still dealing with the ripple effects of its high-stakes billion dollar investment in The Rings of Power, the most expensive television series ever produced. Originally touted as Amazon’s flagship franchise to rival Game of Thrones, the series has experienced a dramatic decline in viewership and fan engagement.
According to the Luminate TV and Film Report for 2024, Season 1 of The Rings of Power earned nearly 8 billion minutes watched. But by Season 2, that number dropped to around 3 billion—a staggering 60% decline. Further, an April 2023 report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed that only 37% of Season 1 viewers actually finished the season.
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
Despite these warning signs, Salke consistently maintained that the show was a success.
In a December 2023 interview, she claimed, “Over 55 million people at this point have engaged since Season 2 launched… and if you look at the long-term trajectory, which is how this company looks at an asset like that, this is a long-term investment in that franchise.”
She added, “There’s well over 150 million viewers watching and engaging with the show. So I feel really good. I think we all do.”
But many critics and fans accused Amazon of relying on vague and inflated engagement metrics to obscure a clear decline in interest. Ratings data from Nielsen and other independent trackers painted a stark contrast to Salke’s upbeat messaging. What was once a prestige play for Amazon quickly became a lightning rod for controversy—especially as layoffs hit Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios in the aftermath.
Robert Aramayo as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
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Complicating matters further, Salke’s tenure also drew scrutiny from major industry figures. During Amazon’s acquisition of MGM in 2021, longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli reportedly bristled at Salke’s involvement in discussions about the future of the franchise. Though she never named Salke directly, Broccoli gave a pointed quote to The Guardian.
“We’re not going to make a Bond film unless we’re going to be very proud of it,” she said. “We’re going to make it when it’s ready. I’d say that Bond is not a content brand. It’s a cinematic experience. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re not going to be rushed into anything by people who are just trying to fill slots on a platform.”
Rumors swirled for weeks that Broccoli was deeply offended when Salke referred to Bond as “content” behind the scenes, and some attribute this quote to that rumored incident.
While Salke was never explicitly named, the timing and context made clear that Broccoli was pushing back against studio executives perceived as temporary stewards of long-term franchises—a characterization that has now proven eerily prophetic.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Skyfall” – James Bond 007
Despite the controversy, Salke’s supporters point to recent hits like Reacher, Fallout, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith as evidence of her success. In his email, Hopkins praised her leadership and highlighted a strong slate of upcoming releases.
“Her vision, creativity and industry relationships were (and are) so apparent… The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, Saltburn, and others speak to the hits under her leadership that have stirred cultural conversation and delivered incredible storytelling.”
Still, with Rings of Power facing backlash from Tolkien fans for its deviations from the source material, DEI-heavy character arcs, and inconsistent tone, many observers see Salke’s departure as a delayed response to the underwhelming results of Amazon’s billion-dollar gamble.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 15: (L-R) Vernon Sanders, Head of Global TV of Amazon Studios, and Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios attends “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere & Screening on August 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Prime Video)
Her new production venture may keep her name in the credits, but her exit from the top seat—paired with the elimination of the role entirely—strongly suggests Amazon is moving on from Jennifer Salke. Whether that shift leads to a creative reset or more of the same remains to be seen.
How do you feel about Jennifer Salke being done at Amazon? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Rings of Power was trash, Fallout was trash, and Fallout Season 2 will be trash.
People are so desperate for entertainment, they settle for trash, and act like it’s gold.
Get your standards up people………
The problem is that Hollywood continues to pump out so much trash that people have lost the ability to tell the difference between good content and bad.
“Flattening out leadership” is usually corporate code for “the Board is taking over and auditing the entire department because we don’t trust what we’re being told by employees.” Salke must have screwed up spectacularly, far worse than even we know, if Amazon is going this far.
[…] Fonte: thatparkplace […]
It’s not cancelation of RINGS OF POWER, but at least it’s a step in the right direction; may Amazon continue to burn money on the remaining seasons…
People don’t seem to understand that this is just as important an event as if Kathleen Kennedy suddenly stepped down. Bond and LOTR may not be quite as culturally significant as Star Wars and Indy (were), but those IPs, and all the others that were under Salke’s leadership, are a huge deal. Removing her from the equation, and presumably the prog losers she hired, should be seen as a major improvement to Amazon TV’s prospects.
Depends on who they replace her with.