Amazon to Acquire MGM

Amazon has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MGM for a purchase price of $8.45 billion.

MGM has won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys. Its movie library has over 4,000 titles, among them 12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, the James Bond franchise, Legally Blonde, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, Robocop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Thelma & Louise and Tomb Raider. Its upcoming film slate includes House of Gucci, No Time to Die, Respect, The Addams Family 2 and the untitled Paul Thomas Anderson film. The catalog also features 17,000 TV shows, including The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo and Vikings.

“MGM has a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films—12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, Creed, James Bond, Legally Blonde, Moonstruck, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, Robocop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Thelma & Louise, Tomb Raider, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair and many other icons—as well as 17,000 TV shows—including Fargo, The Handmaid’s Tale and Vikings—that have collectively won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys,” said Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.”

“It has been an honor to have been a part of the incredible transformation of Metro Goldwyn Mayer,” said Kevin Ulrich, chairman of the board of directors of MGM. “ To get here took immensely talented people with a true belief in one vision. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the MGM team who have helped us arrive at this historic day. I am very proud that MGM’s Lion, which has long evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood, will continue its storied history, and the idea born from the creation of United Artists lives on in a way the founders originally intended, driven by the talent and their vision. The opportunity to align MGM’s storied history with Amazon is an inspiring combination.”