Amazon MGM Studios Brand Licensing in 2024 and 2025
License Global reports on the latest happenings at Amazon MGM Studios, looks at what’s trending in the entertainment sector and highlights some of the big movies and TV series that are on the horizon and the opportunities for licensed products that they present.
License Global: Can you tell us how the licensing team has evolved since Amazon and MGM Studios came together?
Jamie Kampel: Our consumer products licensing business integrated last year, and we couldn’t be more excited to support the Amazon MGM Studios content slate. As a combined team, we offer an expanded portfolio of evergreen and emerging IPs and more resources to support the business. Both MGM and Amazon bring a wealth of licensing expertise, and working together, we are even stronger.
Jamie Kampel, head, consumer products and interactive licensing, Amazon MGM Studios
Can you discuss some key collaborations and success stories that have recently defined Amazon MGM Studio’s approach to licensing (e.g., adaptation or consumer product)?
At Amazon MGM Studios, we consistently put the fans first as we develop our licensing strategy. We generally take a more focused approach to new IP by leaning into Amazon Merch on Demand, a print on demand service that enables us to create products for sale on Amazon, with no upfront cost or investment. This allows us to test new IP or to react quickly as we see customer demand increasing. From there, we determine whether or not it makes sense to develop a broader licensing program. Across our evergreen IP we regularly update style guides to stay current and keep the property fresh.
We’re seeing renewed interest in “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” and have a highly anticipated video game releasing in partnership with Illfonic later this year. The film is a horror classic and our collaboration with licensees such Spirit Halloween, Hot Topic and Funko continues to expand. We’re also looking forward to our holiday tentpole film, “Red One,” from Dwayne Johnson and Seven Bucks Productions, coming to theaters in November. McFarlane and Funko are already on board and we have a fantastic apparel collection that will be announced imminently. We are also working on the next installment of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” and we’re excited to dive into “Hazbin Hotel,” a wildly popular, adult animated musical comedy that launched on Prime Video earlier this year. Naturally, the opportunities are endless with a breakout hit like “Wednesday.” There is no sign of customer demand slowing down and we have so many incredible products coming soon.
What can you tell us about your upcoming slate and some of the consumer product collaborations to support them?
We launched a collection for the Prime Video series, “Fallout,” based on the video game franchise. We have licensees across apparel, accessories, collectibles and beverages, including McFarlane, Bones Coffee, The Wand Company and Dark Horse. We expanded our licensing program for “Wednesday.” Fans will be able to enjoy a variety of toys, collectibles, publishing and other merchandise from best-in-class collaborators like Mattel, Penguin Random House and Hallmark. We continue to support our legacy properties such as “Pink Panther,” “Rocky,” “Robocop,” “Stargate”, “Legally Blonde” and more through new licensees across fashion, collectibles, costumes and interactive games.
CLUE: Wednesday Board Game, Usaopoly
What trends are shaping the licensed entertainment market at the moment?
Consumers have more content to choose from than ever before. We believe the most successful consumer products have to feel authentic and fan-driven. We obsess over customers and how they engage with and react to the IP and our products across social media channels. We also lean into trends that help customers further celebrate their fandom and bring them closer to the story. We also recognize the power of gaming and are bringing many of our titles into the interactive space for the first time. Finally, I would add the integration of streaming and commerce, or what we refer to as 'Watch and Shop.' Amazon is well-positioned to innovate and delight fans in this area.
How do you see the strategy of bringing entertainment franchises to life changing?
"Fans have always been at the core of any franchise. Through the rise in popularity of social media, it has become easier than ever to understand fan sentiment, see how they engage with IP, and meet them where they are. New technologies are also changing the way we bring entertainment franchises to life. Through Prime Video, for example, fans can enjoy content and shop for exciting products inspired by what they watch from the comfort of their living room. This kind of offering makes it even more important that the licensing programs we curate fit seamlessly with the storylines that fans see on the screen.
Amazon MGM Studios Upcoming Releases
2024 and Beyond:
“Red One”
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” (Season 3)
“The Boys” (Season 4)
“Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina” (Season 3)
“Wednesday” (Season 2)
Evergreen Properties
“Rocky”
“Pink Panther”
“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”
“Stargate”
“RoboCop”
“Legally Blonde”
“The Addams Family”
“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”
This interview was taken from Entertainment Report in the May 2024 issue of License Global. Read the full issue here.
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Amazon StudiosMGMMcFarlane ToysPink PantherRockyRoboCopGlobalLicense Global OriginalMay 2024About the Author
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