Marc Resteghini, head of series development at Amazon, is exiting the streaming giant amid a corporate restructuring of the TV production team. Head of studio creative Nick Pepper and head of series Laura Lancaster are expected to divide up Resteghini’s responsibilities and co-run the development and production of TV content, reporting to TV head Vernon Sanders.
The e-commerce giant’s acquisition of MGM and its television production studio do not factor into these changes. Additionally, Resteghini is currently negotiating a producing deal at Amazon.
Prior to assuming the top position in February 2021, Resteghini served in various capacities at Amazon Studios, including head of drama series, head of current drama programming and senior executive in the drama department.
During his eight-year tenure, the executive has overseen the development and production of such shows like the Emmy-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” the John Krasinski-starring “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” Barry Jenkins’ critically hailed “The Underground Railroad,” “Them,” “Hunters,” “The Wilds,” “Panic,” “The Man in the High Castle,” “Goliath” and “Patriot.”
Prior to joining Amazon Studios in 2014, Marc shepherded more than a dozen feature films over the course of 15 years, serving as an executive at 20th Century Fox and as a producer with DreamWorks based Parkes/MacDonald Productions and Warner Bros. based Di Novi Pictures.
Amazon declined to comment on the matter.
Lancaster joined the studio in February 2021 under Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke’s team, at the same time Resteghini was promoted to series development from spearheading drama development. Pepper was hired a month later to oversee acquiring and managing the studio’s IP — its largest being the rights to “Lord of the Rings” — and talent deals (such as overall and first-look pacts). The changes were part of Amazon’s reforming of development, series and IP/talent management. At the time, they reported to Sanders and Albert Cheng, who served as co-heads of TV before the latter was enlisted to become a full-time chief operating officer last year.
