The abrupt departure of MGM Motion Picture Group chairman Michael De Luca and the group’s president Pam Abdy sent shockwaves thoughout the film industry this week — a sign that Amazon will be putting its own stamp on the almost-100-year-old legacy studio that it acquired for $8.5 billion in March.
“Nobody saw that coming,” one high-level agent told TheWrap from CinemaCon, the annual trade show for the movie theater industry.
Others wondered about the direction of MGM and its deep slate of film projects in the absence of two established industry figures who’ve overseen hit franchises like James Bond, “Creed” and the upcoming “Legally Blonde 3” as well as acclaimed awards bait like “House of Gucci” and “Licorice Pizza.