UPDATED with more departures: More exits have emerged from the Amazon layoffs, this side on the unscripted side of the business.
Deadline understands that Matthew Vafiadis and Scott Goldstein from MGM Alternative TV, which is led by Barry Poznick, have been let go.
Vafiadis is VP, Unscripted and has been with the company for nearly four years after stints there RuPaul’s Drag Race producer World of Wonder and Discovery, where he was VP, Current Programming, working on shows such as Gold Rush.
Goldstein is Executive of Casting at the company and has been with the company for over two years, having previously worked at All3Media America and Discovery.
Both reported to Lucilla D’Agostino, who runs MGM Alternative TV labels Evolution Media and Big Fish Entertainment.
Sara Willard is also exiting; Willard has spent almost four years as a senior business affairs executive working on Prime Video’s Sports Originals under Matt Newman including Iverson, Cocaine Quarterback and Eli Manning Presents: The Undercovers.
UPDATED with additional departures: More names are starting to emerge of Amazon MGM Studios executives affected by the sweeping companywide layoffs today.
They include Nathan KitadaSenior Creative Executive, Tentpole & Universe Development. He has been at the studio for more than three years, working on criminal, starring Charlie Hunnam, and other genre and MGM IP development. Prior to that, he was a creative executive at Netflix and YouTube Originals.
Also leaving are:
Liz CohenSenior Creative Executive, First-Look & Overall Deals. She has been at Amazon for almost four years and worked on the upcoming series Life Is Strange and Sterling Point as well as the previously announced Silent River. Previously, Cohen was SVP of Development at Jax Media.
Priscilla LightSenior Creative Executive, YA & Comedy Series. She has been at the studio for more than four years. Prior to that, she was a creative executive at Facebook.
Additionally, departing is Maggie ChoiDrama Series Executive who has been at the studio for more than three years. She was part of the team that had oversight of such series as hits The Summer I Turned Pretty and mr. & Mrs. Smith neither well nor Butterfly and the upcoming Scarpetta. Prior to Amazon, Choi was VP Current Programming at Paramount TV Studios.
Several more recent additions to the Amazon MGM Studios TV executive ranks are also leaving. They include:
Jenny KoffCreative Executive, YA & Comedy Series. She has been at the studio for three years, in her current role for a year. Koff worked on the new Bosch spinoff series Ballard.
Christina PopeCreative Executive, Comedy & Drama Development. She has been at Amazon for almost four years, in her current role for more than one. Among the shows she worked on is the upcoming YA series Off Campus.
Taylor SumnersCreative Executive. She has been at the studio for more than four years, in her current role for almost two.
Sahhara AssafiriCreative Executive, Tentpole & Universe Development. She has been at the studio for four and a half years and worked on the upcoming series 56 Days.
RELATED: Amazon Confirms It’s Slashing 14,000 Jobs, Anticipates More Layoffs In 2026
The group joins Donna Rosenstein, a 12-year Amazon MGM Studios veteran who is departing after serving as Worldwide Head Of Casting and, more recently, Head of Series Casting.
The staff cuts come a month after the leadership change at the studio, with Peter Friedlander succeeding Vernon Sanders as Head of Global TV for Amazon MGM Studios. He is yet to put his stamp on the studio’s senior TV executive team.
Amazon MGM Studios parent Amazon this morning revealed that it is eliminating 14,000 jobs across different areas, with AI advancements among the reasons cited. Looking ahead to 2026, the company expects “there will be additional places where we can remove layers, increase ownership, and realize efficiency gains” as it continues to review its operations.
RELATED: Amazon Job Cuts Hit Video Games Division As Strategy Leans Into What “Amazon Does Best”
اترك تعليقاً