Alana Mayo appointed President of Orion Pictures; Etiquette for Focusing on Inclusive Storytelling – Deadline



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Seasoned industry director and producer Alana Mayo has joined MGM as president of the recently revived Orion Pictures.

The division will focus exclusively on under-represented voices and authentic storytelling in cinema, with an emphasis on the development, production and acquisition of feature films that amplify underserved voices, both in front and behind the film. camera. The announcement was made jointly by Michael De Luca, MGM Film Group President and Pam Abdy, MGM Film Group President.

According to Mayo, “We are at an exciting and critical tipping point in our industry. For years, many filmmakers and creators who were viewed and treated as outsiders have nevertheless persisted in creating visionary films that have drawn audiences across the globe and defined culture. Many of these films and directors have inspired me to pursue storytelling as a career and to work towards creating a more equitable environment for all creators, ”Mayo said. I am excited to be working in partnership with Kevin, Mike and Pam to carry on Orion’s legacy and create a home that embraces and fosters the seismic change that occurs in entertainment and culture, and to support filmmakers and content. that authentically reflect the world we live in. “

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Mayo will oversee Orion’s day-to-day operations, including development, acquisitions, physical production and post-production, while also working closely with MGM’s marketing and advertising team and the studio’s distribution partners, on the exit strategy and the activation of the social impact campaign. for each movie. MGM will provide worldwide distribution, with United Artists Releasing which will market and distribute films under the Orion Pictures label in the United States as part of the studio’s theatrical distribution joint venture.

De Luca and Abdy said, “We believe deeply in creating content that reflects our global communities and we are delighted that Alana is leading the recently relaunched Orion Pictures label to uplift and strengthen the many voices whose stories are worth telling. . As a company dedicated to entertaining audiences around the world, MGM is committed to increasing access for all people of color, women, the LGBTQ + community, people with disabilities and other historically marginalized groups like a moral and commercial imperative.

Kevin Ulrich, Chairman of the MGM Board of Directors, said: “It was essential that we find an exceptional leader who will be a leader at the forefront of change in our industry. Alana’s incredible vision, experience and passion, along with her fearlessness, make her the perfect choice for Orion. As we continue to build on MGM’s strong legacy and foundation as a premier entertainment company, we look forward to the legacy Alana will create by bringing vital new voices in storytelling to life. Under the strong and visionary leadership of Cinema President Michael De Luca and President Pam Abdy, and with the addition of Alana to lead Orion, MGM’s film group is poised to make a lasting impact as we’re heading into the next century of the studio.

Mayo most recently served as Head of Production and Development for Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society studio. There, she oversaw the company’s movie roster through Warner Bros. and TV series through Amazon Studios. During her tenure she worked on Just pity, and Paramount Without remorse in addition to developing the feature film adaptation of the fantasy novel Black leopard; Red world by author Marlon James; as well as an original untitled monster movie by Kong: Skull Island filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts; and an action drama about WWII The liberators.

She also co-produced the Emmy-nominated HBO Films adaptation. Fahrenheit 451 which earned Jordan a Producers Guild Award; 61st street for AMC; OWN drama series David makes the man Oscar Moonlight Tarell co-writer Alvin McCraney; Raising Dion, which was one of the most watched shows on Netflix in 2019; the comedy Fashionable black written by Emmy-nominated writer Robin Thede and Christa Gatewood at HBO Max; and the series black friday, created by critically acclaimed writer Nana Adjei-Brenyah.

Previously, Mayo was Vice President of Production at Paramount Pictures, where she worked on films including A quiet place, annihilation, and the Oscar Fences and The big court, Oscar nominee for best film Selma, as good as 13 hours.

After his stint at Paramount, Mayo worked with Vimeo as the company’s VP and head of original development. In his role, Mayo helped strategize for the creation of the video streaming service’s SVOD platform with original, scripted TV content. She graduated from Columbia University with a BA in English and a BA in Film Studies.



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