Sue Kroll, Global Head of Marketing, Films, Series and Brands
Courtenay Valenti, Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrics
Julie Rapaport, Head of Film, Development and Production
Amazon MGM Studios
These three are making Amazon exciting this year. With a strong commitment to theatrical releases, Valenti, Kroll, Rapaport and their team have released seven films in theaters this year, grossing more than $1 billion at the global box office. Notably, Valenti and Rappaport oversaw “The Hail Mary Project,” which entered theaters through an innovative marketing campaign spearheaded by Kroll. Kroll also designed the “Obsession Is in Session” marketing and fan program, which builds on Prime Video’s inaugural Obsessed Fest in June. The team also prioritizes building an international cinema distribution organization to directly distribute films in key overseas markets. “Over the past year, we have put outstanding leaders and infrastructure in place in key geographies, and now our focus is on combining local expertise with Amazon’s comprehensive scale to create a truly connected global theater operation,” Valenti said.
What’s next: “I’m excited to continue to drive our plans forward, building on the incredible momentum in 2026. With movies like The Thomas Crown Affair, The Royal Wedding and Spaceballs set to hit theaters in 2027, we want to continue to bet on bold filmmakers and big ideas, and make movies that audiences around the world really can’t wait for, whether they’re still at home or not,” Porter said.
Recent achievements to be proud of: “I’m most proud of the cultural moments we’ve created around our films and TV series, from strategizing and leading the execution of Obsession is in Session, to translating the extraordinary enthusiasm of our teen audience into a new fan platform for Prime Video, to the global theatrical campaign for Project Hail Mary,” said Kroll.