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Netflix on course for best year ever at UK's BAFTA film awards
As the dust settles on the Golden Globes, streaming services are already gearing up for their best showing ever at the BAFTAs -- aka the UK's Oscars. Netflix is up for eight awards (up from three last year), mainly thanks to Alfonso Cuarón's deeply personal Mexican drama, Roma, which already snagged the Best Foreign Language Film gong at the Globes and is nominated in the BAFTA Best Film category.
Amazon strikes a global deal with Blumhouse for eight thrillers
Jason Blum's Blumhouse Television, the production house behind TV shows like Eye Candy and Cold Case Files, has struck a deal with Amazon Studios to create eight dark/thriller films that will all be thematically connected. If the name Jason Blum sound familiar, he's the man behind such horror films as Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and the recent Unfriended: Dark Web. He's also behind the highly successful Halloween reboot that premiered earlier this year.
Netflix will raise $2 billion to pay for more original content
It's hard to deny that Netflix is a powerhouse when it comes to original content. The company wants to ensure it remains on top, though, and to do that it's willing to go into debt. Netflix announced today that it plans to raise $2 billion in debt (rather than offering equity in the company) to fund "general corporate purposes, which may include content acquisitions, production and development, capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions," according to a release.
Superhero epic 'Invincible' heads to Amazon as an animated series
Amazon Studios has greenlit an animated series based on the comic Invincible, which was created by artist Cory Walker and writer Robert Kirkman, who made The Walking Dead. The new show's source material tells the story of Mark Grayson, an ordinary teen whose father is the planet's Superman-like guardian. When Mark manifests powers himself, he discovers what it means to be a superhero -- with a twist that switches up the classic alien-becomes-Earth's-protector story.
Amazon Studios stops taking amateur scripts on June 30th
For years, Amazon Studios has held an open call for concept and script submissions. You could send an idea to the company and not only make it publicly available, but (if you were lucky) see it developed as an honest-to-goodness Prime Video production. However, you'll now have to scramble for an alternative. Amazon is closing the open call on June 30th, 2018. You'll still have access to the companion Storybuilder and Storywriter tools, but you won't be showing Amazon the fruits of that labor.
Amazon reshuffles its TV team in fight against Netflix
Amazon's new studio chief Jennifer Salke has made her first mark on the entertainment division since taking up the role in February. Amazon COO Albert Cheng has been named co-head of television, having previously served as interim head of the studio following Roy Price's disgraced departure last fall. According to Variety, sources say Salke is still on the lookout for an executive to work alongside Cheng, but no lead candidate has yet been identified.
Spike Lee’s ‘Pass Over’ brings the drama of live theater to Amazon Prime
Despite Spike Lee going over to Netflix to reimagine his classic film She's Gotta Have It as a series, the cinema auteur has deep ties with Amazon. He created its first original film, the musical Chi-Raq, and has another project debuting on the streaming provider later next month: Pass Over, a film-play hybrid.
YouTube to follow Amazon by screening its movies inside theaters
Following YouTube's announcement last month that it intends to spend "hundreds of millions" on original content for Red, it's just unveiled plans for a YouTube-made movie that'll also be released in theaters. And unlike its previous effort, 2016's widely-regarded flop Lazer Team, this project has a serious name attached to it: Susan Sarandon.
Amazon’s ‘Life Itself’ tells a love story that spans decades
Amazon Studios has released a teaser trailer for its upcoming film Life Itself. Written and directed by This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman, the movie centers on a couple -- played by Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde -- and a love story, which spans both decades and continents. The teaser shows images of the young couple at the very beginning of their relationship as well as snippets of Isaac embracing a pregnant Wilde as they stroll happily down the street. But there are some darker moments as well -- Isaac tearing up as he's asked to talk about "that day," one young woman punching another and shattered glass flying past the face of a child. And the "multi-generational love story," as Amazon describes it, is all tied together by some single event.
Amazon's answer to 'Altered Carbon' is Iain M. Banks' space opera
It appears that Amazon is looking for its answer to Netflix's crossover sci-fi thriller Altered Carbon. Today, the online retail giant announced that it has acquired the global television rights to Iain M. Banks' space opera series called The Culture. Amazon Studios will adapt the first novel, Consider Phlebas, for television.
NBC's Jennifer Salke is the new Amazon Studios chief
Amazon Studios has a head executive once again. Back in October, the film and TV production division's previous chief Roy Price had resigned days after he was publicly accused of sexual harassment. Today, NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke was named as his replacement, and is expected to remain at the network until she transitions into her new position heading Amazon Studios.
Amazon will focus on 'bigger' movies to lure people to Prime
Having made its name buying smaller, niche independent projects to build its TV and movie division into a multi-award-winning studio, Amazon plans ramp things up a little moving forward, Reuters reports. According to sources, the company will increase its spending on new films, dedicating as much as $50 million to more commercial projects. Amazon will reportedly reduce the number of art-house movies it buys, which it typically acquires at events like the Sundance Film Festival for figures in the low millions, in its bid to lure more people to Prime and onto its expanding streaming service.
Apple poaches three Amazon video execs
Apple's push into original programming has been given another significant boost after it was revealed the company lured three executives over from rival Amazon Studios. Variety reports that Tara Sorensen, who joined Amazon in 2012 and helped lead its children's TV division, will jump ship to continue the same role within Cupertino. She'll also be joined by legal affairs chief Tara Pietri and international development executive Carina Walker.
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel will need to forge its own identity
When rumors broke that Amazon was hoping to turn J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings into a TV series, many felt that CEO Jeff Bezos had found his own Game of Thrones. We're still many years out from seeing a final product, but the first steps were taken today: Amazon just announced that it is producing a multi-season series based in Tolkien's Middle-earth. But if Bezos really wants to emulate HBO's wildly popular adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Amazon's series will likely end up feeling rather foreign to Tolkien devotees.
Amazon confirms a 'Lord of the Rings' TV series is in the works
There have been rumors that Amazon is working on a Lord of the Rings TV series in its quest to find the next Game of Thrones, and now there's confirmation. Amazon announced today that it has acquired the global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings. Amazon Studios will produce a multiseason television series in cooperation with New Line Cinema, the Tolkien estate and HarperCollins.
Amazon reportedly eyeing a 'Lord of the Rings' TV series
Hollywood is buzzing with rumors (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter) that Warner Bros. and Amazon are considering a deal for a series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos "personally" involved in the talks. None are claiming that a deal is done yet, although Warner settled a lawsuit with the Tolkien estate this summer that may make it easier to produce new projects. Of course, Amazon has upheaval on its end with the recent removal of Studios head Roy Price, who has been replaced on an interim basis by Albert Cheng. Despite that, and the loss of drama and comedy head under separate allegations of conflict of interest, Amazon Studios recently announced it's moving into The Culver Studios at the end of this year.
Amazon Studios head resigns after sexual harassment allegations
A few days ago, Amazon suspended the VP leading its film and TV projects after Isa Dick Hackett told The Hollywood Reporter that Roy Price sexually harassed her. Now, CNN and others report that the exec has "resigned." Hackett is the producer on two Amazon adaptations of her father's (Philip K. Dick) work, and THR reported that Price "repeatedly and insistently propositioned her." However, this was not the first time that statement came to light, as The Information reported an Amazon investigation into the matter back in August. Hackett went on the record with THR, saying she was inspired after women shared stories of harassment and assault by Harvey Weinstein. Actress Rose McGowan spoke out against both men, tweeting to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that when she told Price that Weinstein had raped her (he was suggested as a producer for her show), Price ignored her. Now Price is gone and Weinstein today left the board of his film company.
Amazon postpones Prime Video showcase after suspending studio head
More and more companies are dealing with the the poor behavior of their executives. According to a report at Variety, Amazon is cancelling a scheduled Prime Video showcase in Europe next week that was reportedly headlined by Roy Price, disgraced chief of Amazon Studios. Both decisions come in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein debacle, which has raised a ton of important awareness of the rampant sexual harassment perpetrated by powerful men in the entertainment industry.
Amazon suspends studio head over sexual harassment allegations
Amazon has suspended the exec in charge of its film and TV unit after a producer accused him of sexual harassment. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Isa Dick Hackett (daughter of sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick) claimed Roy Price made inappropriate sexual advances towards her at Comic-Con two years ago. Hours after the article went live, Amazon said its exec "is on leave of absence effective immediately." Hackett serves as the producer on two of Amazon's adaptations of her late father's works: TV show The Man in the High Castle and anthology series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
Sci-fi is a big part of Amazon's upcoming TV slate
When it comes to the new TV shows that Amazon is focusing on, Jeff Bezos handed down a mandate to Amazon Studios chief Roy Price: "Bring me Game of Thrones." It appears that the studio is taking that seriously. They've announced three new high-concept science fiction series are in the works: Lazarus, Snow Crash and Ringworld.
