Former ABC Studios President Patrick Moran will be taking the next step of his career with Amazon Studios, after being let go from ABC earlier this year. The former studio exec will now take more creative role as a producer developing content for the streaming platform.
Moran’s new position at Amazon Studios reunites him with his previous collaborator Jennifer Salke, who is the studio head for Amazon. Moran and Salke previously worked together at 20th Century Fox TV, where they produced the hit show Glee. Since then, Moran oversaw the production of some of ABC’s most popular shows, including Black-ish, American Housewife, Grand Hotel, and the network’s series from Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland production company, including Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, and Station 19. Moran is also on the board of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), which aims to create safe and affirming spaces for LGBT+ youth in schools.
When asked about his new position at Amazon Studios, Moran acknowledged the executive team at the studio including Salke and co-heads of television Vernon Sanders and Albert Cheng. “Amazon Studios, known for bold groundbreaking storytelling, is the perfect place to embark on my next chapter as I look to be more closely aligned with the creative process,” Moran stated. “I look forward to partnering with innovative writers and show creators with a specific take on the world today in this new role, and am thrilled to work with Jennifer, Vernon, Albert and the Amazon Studios team.”
This overall deal with Moran is just one of many deals Amazon and other streaming platforms have made recently to lock down members of its key creative team. Last month, Amazon signed a huge overall deal with Phoebe Waller-Bridge following her Emmy wins for her series Fleabag. In similar vein, Netflix also recently signed a notable deal with Peter Morgan for his hit series The Crown. These deals are coming just before the release of Disney+ on November 12th of this year, with reports stating that Disney+ could potentially spend up to $25 million per episode on some of its series.