craiyon logo

Photorealistic image of businessmen sitting around a conference table with documents and a large screen displaying charts.

Photorealistic image of businessmen sitting around a conference table with documents and a large screen displaying charts.

In December 2020, MGM began to explore a potential sale of the studio, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the domination of streaming platforms due to the closure of movie theaters as contributing factors. The company hired Morgan Stanley and LionTree Advisors to handle the process on behalf of the studio.[195][196] On May 17, 2021, online retail and technology company Amazon entered negotiations to acquire the studio. The negotiations were made directly with MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich whose Anchorage Capital Group is a major shareholder.[197][198] On May 26, 2021, it was officially announced that MGM would be acquired by Amazon for $8.45 billion, subject to regulatory approvals and other routine closing conditions; with the studio continuing to operate as a label under Amazon's existing content arm, complementing Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video.[199] On March 15, 2022, Amazon secured an unconditional European Union (EU) antitrust approval for its proposed acquisition of MGM.[200] On February 8, 2022, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza became the studio's first fully produced, marketed and distributed film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 33 years, after 1988's Rain Man.[201] On March 17, Amazon finalized the merger.[202] Later that day, Amazon Studios and Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins revealed that Amazon would continue to partner with United Artists Releasing, which would remain in operation to release all future MGM titles theatrically on Mehr sehen