Amazon hires Lancaster, rejigs leadership

Amazon Studios has appointed former Fox and NBC exec Laura Lancaster as head of series and promoted Marc Resteghini to head of development as part of an expansion and restructure of its leadership team.

Laura Lancaster

The restructure involves Amazon Studios organising its leadership team to focus on the three areas of series, development, and IP and talent management.

Each of the three departments will be led by an exec who will report directly to Amazon Studios’ co-heads of TV, Vernon Sanders and Albert Cheng.

Taking up the position for series is Lancaster, who will oversee the studio’s returning series when she officially joins on March 1. Lancaster was most recently president at Alcon Entertainment and was previously exec VP of drama programming at NBC Entertainment and senior VP of drama development at Fox.

Resteghini, meanwhile, will take up the position for development both in the US and globally. His current role as head of drama will be assumed by senior development and programming exec Kara Smith, who will report to him.

Also reporting to Resteghini will be head of genre development Jon Wax, head of unscripted Chris Castallo and head of comedy Ryan Andolina, in an expanded role. Head of animation Melissa Wolfe will now report to Andolina.

The third new position of head of IP and talent management is yet to be filled. Amazon Studios is searching for a senior executive to take up this role, which will focus on scaling up operations for Prime Video, IMDb TV and other units at the company.