Amazon Studios Names New Heads Of Drama & Comedy Development

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios is tweaking its development ranks, with three executives moving to new department head positions. Additionally, as the streaming service’s slate of original series grows, it is establishing current programming operations.

In the new setup, Nick Hall, who joined Amazon from HBO a year ago as Head of Development of the digital service’s Half Hour/comedy department, is moving to the hourlong side to become Head Of Drama. Gina Kwon, who has been an executive in Amazon’s comedy department for almost two years, has been named co-head of the department alongside fellow Amazon development executive Ryan Andolina.

The appointments formalize Amazon Studios’ development structure following the October promotion of Head of Half Hour Joe Lewis to oversee both comedy and drama as head Of Drama Morgan Wandell moved to run international productions. Amazon now has named heads of comedy and drama under Lewis, to whom Hall, Kwon and Andolina will report.

In a newly created position, two Amazon development executives have been tasked to oversee current series. Marc Resteghini, who had worked on such drama series as The Man In The High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Last Tycoon, has been named Head of Current Hour, while Jill Arthur, who developed the new comic-based comedy The Tick, has been appointed Head of Current Half Hour.