Veteran industry executive and producer Alana Mayo is a member of MGM as president of the newly relaunched Orion Pictures.
The division will focus exclusively on under-represented voices and authentic storytelling in film, with a focus on developing, producing and purchasing feature films that reinforce underlying voices, both in front of and behind the camera. The announcement was made jointly by Michael De Luca, MGM’s Film Group Chairman and Pam Abdy, MGM’s Film Group President.
Said Mayo, “We are at an exciting and critical turning point in our sector. For years, however, many filmmakers and makers who are considered and treated as outsiders have persisted in making visionary films that have attracted audiences all over the world and defined culture. Many of these films and filmmakers have inspired me to pursue storytelling as a career, and to work towards a more equitable environment for all makers, ‘said Mayo. I’m happy to work with Kevin, Mike and Pam to continue Orion’s legacy and create a home that embraces and reinforces the seismic shift in entertainment and culture, and returns filmmakers and content that is authentic reflect the world in which we live. ”
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Mayo will oversee Orion’s day-to-day operations, including development, acquisitions, physical and post-production, while also working closely with the marketing and publicity team at MGM, and the studio’s distribution partners, on the release strategy and activation of the social influence campaign for each film. MGM will handle worldwide distribution, with United Artists Releasing marketing and distribution of films under the Orion Pictures label in the US as part of the studio’s common theatrical distribution network.
The Luca and Abdy said, “We deeply believe in creating content that reflects our global communities and we are pleased that Alana is moving to the newly relaunched Orion Pictures label to raise and reinforce the many voices whose stories are told As a company dedicated to engaging audiences around the world, MGM is dedicated to increasing access for all people of color, women, the LGBTQ + community, people with disabilities, and other historically marginalized groups as a whole. moral and business imperative. ”
Said Kevin Ulrich, Chairman of the Board of MGM, “It was essential that we find an exceptional executor who will be a leader at the forefront of change in our sector. Alana’s incredible vision, experience and passion, together with her fear of making her the ideal choice for Orion.While we continue to build on the strong legacy and foundation of MGM as a leading entertainment company, we look forward to the legacy that Alana will create as she vital new life Under the strong, visionary leadership of Film President Michael De Luca and President Pam Abdy, and with the addition of Alana to lead Orion, MGM’s film group is set to make a lasting impact as we century of the studio. “
Mayo served mostly as head of production and development for Michael B. Jordan’s studio Outlier Society. There, they oversaw the release of films through Warner Bros. and TV series through Amazon Studios. During her tenure, she worked on Just Mercy, and Paramount’s Without remorse in addition to developing the feature adaptation of the fantasy novel Black Leopard; Red Wold by author Marlon James; as well as an untitled original monster movie from King: Skull Island filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts; and a WWII action drama The LIberators.
She also produced the Emmy-nominated HBO Films adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 who earned Jordan a Producers Guild Award; 61 Street for AMC; the OWN drama series David made Man of Oscar-winning Moonlight co-author Tarell Alvin McCraney; Increase Dion, which was one of Netflix’s most streamed shows of 2019; the comedy feature Fashions black written by Emmy nominated writers Robin Thede and Christa Gatewood at HBO Max; and the series Friday Black, created by critically acclaimed author Nana Adjei-Brenyah.
Previously, Mayo served as Vice President of Production at Paramount Pictures, where she worked on films including A quiet place, destruction, and the Oscar winning Fences en The Big Short, Oscar Best Picture nominated Selma, as well as 13 hours.
After her time at Paramount, Mayo worked with Vimeo as VP of the company and head of original development. In her role, Mayo helped strategize the creation of the video streaming service’s SVOD platform with scripted, original television content. She is a Columbia University graduate with a Bachelor Degree in English and a Bachelor Degree in Film Studies.
