Amazon Studios announced in an internal memo on Tuesday that it will combine its theatrical distribution team with that of the recently acquired MGM, with Kevin Wilson serving as president of the division.
In addition to Wilson’s promotion, Valenti announced that Amazon Studios’ distribution chief Mark Boxer will remain with the studio as head of specialty distribution, reporting to Wilson.
Wilson was a longtime partner of MGM theatrical distribution chief Erik Lomis, who died in March. He will oversee all of Amazon and MGM’s domestic theatrical distribution strategy and report to Amazon’s film division head Courtenay Valenti.
“Erik Lomis’s passing was a tremendously sad moment and profound loss for all who knew and worked with him. But we are very fortunate that Kevin Wilson, Erik’s partner and colleague of many years, will be Head of Theatrical Distribution,” Valenti said in a memo to employees.
Wilson has previously worked as a distribution executive at Summit Entertainment and Open Road Films, overseeing the release of films like Best Picture Oscar winners “The Hurt Locker” and “Spotlight.” At MGM, Wilson worked with Lomis on the release of films like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza,” Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III,” and most recently, Ben Affleck’s “Air,” which was released by Amazon earlier this month.
Wilson has overseen the release of recent Amazon films like the Sony animated film “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania,” the Oscar-winning “Sound of Metal,” and Eddie Murphy’s “Coming 2 America.” He previously worked at IFC Films, where he oversaw the release of Richard Linklater’s acclaimed movie “Boyhood.”
