It’s been a while since we’ve read the industry runes on what behind-the-scenes studio shenanigans might mean for a new Stargate show.
Last week, Deadline reported that Courtenay Valenti has been appointed Head of Film, Streaming, and Theatrical at Amazon and MGM Studios. Valenti, who comes from Warner Bros. Pictures, will report directly to Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke.
It’s big news for the studio and what it means for a new Stargate series is:
- The structure following Amazon’s MGM takeover looks to be firming up. This is a prerequisite for any long-term thinking around relaunching established brands like Stargate.
- If we do get a new Stargate show, Valenti is ultimately the person who’ll have to be convinced it’s a good idea.
So what do we know about Courtenay Valenti?
As President, Production, and Development for Warner Bros. Pictures, Valenti has a track record for worldbuilding, particularly with the Warner Animation Group. She’s credited with the success of The LEGO Movie and its spin-offs and is an executive producer on DC’s League of Super-Pets (2022). She also supervised the final four Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts series, and the forthcoming Willy Wonka prequel.
From her work with both Warner Animation Group and the studio more broadly we can see a real respect for the source material, whether books or comics, but also the ambition to revitalize it, take chances on tone and creators, and introduce it to new audiences.
Valenti also has some chops in science fiction, developing Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) at Warner Bros., and way back at the beginning of her career, Robert Zemeckis’s Contact (1997).
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