In October of 2017, Amazon Studios lost its previous head Roy Price, who chose to step down from his position when a producer on Man in the High Castle came forward with allegations of sexual harassment. As a result, Amazon Studios has been searching for a new head for some time, which has resulted in it choosing Jennifer Salke. For those who are unfamiliar with her name, Salke used to be the president of NBC Entertainment, meaning that she will bring considerable expertise and experience to her new role. With that said, it seems safe to say that she will need all of the expertise and experience that she can bring to bear because the evidence suggests that her new role will be a challenging one.
What Challenges Await Amazon Studios?
For example, Salke is the one who will be entrusted with the task of managing Amazon Studios’s new series based on The Lord of the Rings, which can be seen as either an enviable or a not so enviable mission depending on one’s perspective. Simply put, Amazon Studios is betting big on the series to be its Game of Thrones, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that Jeff Bezos is reputed to be a huge fan of both fantasy and sci-fi fiction. As a result, some people are predicting that the total costs of a new series based on The Lord of the Rings could reach up to $1 billion, thus making its success that much more critical for Salke in her new role. Moreover, it should be mentioned that Amazon Studios made the deal with the Tolkien Estate without having gathered together a creative team to take charge of the project, meaning that Salke’s task is even more difficult than it seems on initial consideration.
Of course, the new series based on The Lord of the Rings is far from being the sole challenge that awaits Salke. After all, the wave of sexual misconduct allegations that came out in the wake of the reveal about Harvey Weinstein’s misdeeds has caused Amazon Studios more problems than just the loss of its previous head. First, there is Transparent, which has lost Jeffrey Tambor because of allegations of sexual harassment, meaning that it remains to be seen how the series will proceed from this point forward, assuming that it can be continued at all. Second, there is the five-movie deal that Amazon Studios made with Woody Allen, which has become rather problematic for Amazon Studios because there is now renewed interest in the claim that he sexually abused his own daughter. Each one of these problems would be a serious matter on its own, but combined, they become that much more challenging for Salke to overcome.
On top of this, Salke is taking over Amazon Studios at a time of transition at the place. For proof, look no further than the fact that it is moving away from the quirkier sort of comedies that have proven to be its specialty in the past, meaning that this is a matter that will have to be handled with care and consideration. As a result, it is no exaggeration say that Salke will have her hands full for the foreseeable future, particularly since there has been recent rumbling about a lack of faith from creators in Amazon Studios’s ability to perform in its intended line of business.
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