Disney+ has recruited its new Executive Director for Local Content in Australia and New Zealand, Variety Australia can exclusively confirm.
The role has been appointed to Sarah Christie, former Head of Australian and New Zealand Originals at Amazon MGM Studios, who will start at the streamer in November.
Christie will oversee all Disney+ local original content commissioning and acquisition across ANZ and will lead the development and production of scripted and unscripted content. She will will report to Jon Wax, Executive Vice President, International Content, Disney Entertainment and work closely with Carol Choi, Executive Vice President of Integrated Marketing & Original Strategy, APAC and Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, ANZ and Head of ESPN, Asia-Pacific.
Christie spent five years at Amazon MGM Studios, working as Head of Originals for the past two-plus years, as well as almost three years as Senior Development Executive for Australia.
She commissioned a number of Amazon’s most popular local series, including “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” “Deadloch” seasons 1 and 2, “The Office Australia,” and “Inside the AFL.”
Just last month, Christie commissioned “Madness of Three,” “Free Spirits: The Backpacker Poisonings,” and “The Test S4.”
The news comes only days after Wax revealed at the Busan International Film Festival that Disney+ was looking to name a head local content head, with plans to ramp up local original spending in Australia.
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Meanwhile, the third and final season of Disney+ show, “The Artful Dodger,” kicked off production in Sydney this week, while a new docuseries starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the co-owners of the Bonds Flying Roos, an Australian sailing team, competing in the SailGP Championship, is also currently filming.