Amid a sexual harassment scandal that resulted in the resignation of Amazon Studios head Roy Price — as well as a failure to drum up any recent buzzy originals in the vein of competitors like Netflix and Hulu — Amazon announced that it is relocating its video operations into the iconic Culver Studios.
Amazon will move its Amazon Studios, IMDb, Amazon Video, and World Wide Advertising teams to The Culver Studios, where it will rent more than 280,000 square feet of office space. Amazon also plans to hire for a wide variety of new jobs after the move — including for creative, technical, marketing, and legal positions. More than 700 current employees in the aforementioned divisions — currently based in the company’s Santa Monica, Calif. offices — will move into The Culver Studios by year’s end, Amazon says.
The Culver Studios was founded by silent movie pioneer Thomas Ince and has served as the home for storied films like Citizen Kane and Gone With The Wind.
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“We are very excited about being a part of 100 years of movie and TV history,” said Amazon Studios head Albert Cheng. “Most importantly, this new L.A.-based office will give us the much-needed space for our team to work and grow so we can keep bringing Prime members the very best in series and movies.”
Last month, reports also swirled that Apple was seeking to lease a new headquarters for its original video team in The Culver Studios, which is owned by an affiliate of Hackman Capital Partners. However, those plans have yet to materialize.
