Veteran Hollywood movie executive Courtenay Valenti has closed a deal to take on the role of head of film, streaming and theatrical, overseeing all films for Amazon and MGM Studios. Talk of her joining Amazon’s ranks were first reported at the end of January and the hire caps months of speculation.

Valenti will report directly to Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke, whose movie and television portfolio expanded when Amazon paid $8.45 billion to acquire MGM. She begins March 1.

“Courtenay is a seasoned executive with more than three decades of experience in the industry, strong ties with filmmakers and creatives, and an outstanding reputation for excellence, from producing blockbuster movies to developing new franchises,” Salke wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday. “Under her leadership, the team will continue to carefully curate our slate to deliver a well-rounded selection of tentpoles, prestige films, and genre fare.”

Valenti’s hire ends a long search. MGM’s previous movie chiefs, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, left for Warner Bros. in summer 2022.

In an ironic case of musical chairs, Valenti exited Warners when new owner Warner Bros. Discovery put Abdy and De Luca in charge (they succeeded Toby Emmerich).

During her 33-year stint at Warners, Valenti was recognized for her keen eye and judgement, as well as for her steady style. She played a key role in the production of some of the studio’s most important modern-day franchises, including overseeing four Harry Potter films. Her roster also included The Lego Movie and the revived Mad Max fmovies, among many others. Upcoming titles include Barbie and The Color Purple.

She also oversaw notable Oscar players, including A Star is Born and current best-picture nominee Elvis. And she was in charge of Ben Affleck’s Argo, which won top honors at the 2013 Academy Awards.

In her new job, she’ll be reunited with Affleck on the movie AIR, a sports drama that will open everywhere in theaters in early April. Now that it owns a legacy Hollywood studio, Amazon is giving AIR a traditional theatrical release with a real window, versus making it available immediately, or almost immediately, on Prime Video.

Valenti will also be reunited with Sue Kroll, a Warner Bros. alum who now runs marketing at Amazon Studios. Both she and Kroll come from the theatrical side of the business, which isn’t insignificant when it comes to dealing with filmmakers, agents and talent.

Valenti also hails from industry royalty. Her father is the late Jack Valenti, the larger-than-life, longtime president of the Motion Picture Association who launched the movie ratings system that’s still in existence today and was devised in order to prevent government interference and censorship.