Amazon Studios’ James Farrell Looks to Build Lighter, Cost-Conscious Scripted International Originals

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has signed a first-look deal with actor, writer, and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone and his company Balboa Productions.

in the U.K., which is set to release its first part over Thanksgiving weekend in 2024. (“Wicked Part 2” will premiere in 2025 with a specific date to come).Meanwhile, Sanders and Jacobs are currently in post-production for the musical feature adaptation of “The Color Purple.”“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” itself is based on the Bible’s book of Genesis and originates from a cantata written for a school choir.

EXCLUSIVE: Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu will direct a new film version of the famed Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Amazon Studios.

exposé that led to widespread criticism of the HFPA over its demographics and allegations of awards campaign misconduct. With a voting body that now totals 310, including its current 95 members, the move surpasses its previous pledge to increase the body’s size and diversity.

EXCLUSIVE: Prior to the global debut of the AGBO spy series Citadel, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is getting into business with Amazon Studios again, this time with the John Cena and Idris Elba movie, Heads of State. Cameras roll in May.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios is developing Koreatown, a one-hour drama set in L.A.’s Koreatown from writer-executive producer Gene Hong (Magnum P.I.), Alan Yang (Loot) and Universal Television. 

Selome Hailu Lizzo’s looking to add to her posse again. The “About Damn Time” singer has opened a casting call for new Big Grrrls, her name for the plus-sized performers who back her up during live performances. In Season 1, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in March 2022, Lizzo led a group of women through a boot camp in order to select 10 backup dancers for her currently ongoing Special World Tour. The series went on to pick up three Emmys for outstanding competition program, reality directing and reality editing. Though Amazon has not officially greenlit Season 2, a second installation would follow Lizzo as she seeks out contestants who excel in both dancing and singing.

Today it was announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, and Richard Madden are set to star in Killer Heat, from Amazon Studios. Philippe Lacôte is directing the film, which is based on Jo Nesbø’s short story The Jealousy Man, from a script penned by Roberto Bentivegna (House of Gucci), with revisions by Oscar and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies; Treason). Makeready’s Brad Weston is producing the film, with Jo Nesbø (bestselling Harry Hole book series), Niclas Salomonsson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Karnowski, and Makeready’s Collin Creighton executive producing. Makeready’s Oscar Montemayor will associate produce.

Angelique Jackson Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley and Richard Madden are set to star in the thriller “Killer Heat,” from Amazon Studios. “Night of the Kings” filmmaker Philippe Lacôte has signed on to direct the movie, which is based on Jo Nesbø’s 2021 short story “The Jealousy Man.” The film centers on twin brothers (Madden) caught in a violent love triangle on a remote Greek island, and a damaged detective known as “The Jealousy Man” (Gordon-Levitt), who is called in to investigate. Lacôte will direct from a script penned by Roberto Bentivegna (“House of Gucci”), with revisions by Oscar and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Matt Charman (“Bridge of Spies,” “Treason”).

Amazon Studios has closed an exclusive multiyear first-look film deal with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, the company announced on Friday.Under the pact, Amazon Studios will have a first look on narrative features and documentaries Imagine Entertainment intends to produce.“Whether it’s a captivating drama like ‘Thirteen Lives’ or a poignant documentary like ‘Lucy and Desi,’ the team at Imagine Entertainment has an incredible gift for storytelling,” Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios said in a statement. “As we look forward to more exciting projects on the horizon, we are honored to make our longstanding relationship official and to bring more powerful, engaging stories to audiences around the world.”“Brian, Ron, and I, along with our entire team at Imagine including Karen Lunder, President of Imagine Features, and Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries, couldn’t be more excited to have a home at Amazon and continue our shared desire to make tentpole films that inspire, elevate, and entertain audiences,” Justin Wilkes, President of Imagine Entertainment added.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has closed an exclusive multiyear first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment. In making Amazon its new movie home, co-founders Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will give Amazon first look on narrative features and documentaries Imagine intends to produce.

Amazon Studios has signed an exclusive first-look deal with former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada. Under the deal, Quesada will be developing series and films for Prime Video, focusing on adapting existing and new comic book IP.

EXCLUSIVE: In competition, Amazon Studios is in final talks for the package The Pick Up, with Eddie Murphy eyeing to star and Tim Story attached to direct. John Davis and John Fox will produce through his Davis Entertainment banner. Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster are also in talks to produce through Eddie Murphy Productions, and Story will also be producer.

K.J. Yossman Former Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown has revealed her first industry role since leaving the streamer last year. She is set to chair a skills task force for the U.K. screen industry with the intention of focusing on critical labor shortages in the production sector. Joining her on the task force will be senior representatives from major U.K. broadcasters BBC, ITV and Channel 4 as well as international studios and streamers including Prime Video, Netflix, Disney and NBCUniversal, key orgs such as ScreenSkills, PACT and the British Film Commission and national screen agencies. The British Film Institute (BFI) have convened the task force following a skills review commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport showing crew shortfalls will soon reach breaking point. Its remit is to produce and support a plan of action that will result in growth, training and increased retention in the screen sector as well as improvements in equity, diversity and inclusion and mental health. Where appropriate, the task force will make recommendations to the U.K. government.

Former Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown is to chair the BFI’s Skills Task Force, which has been assembled to address major skills shortages in the UK film and TV sector over the next five years.

Amazon Prime Video is exploring more global franchise opportunities following the success of the Russo Brothers’ Citadel.

Amazon Studios is taking to the streets to promote Ben Affleck’s “Air,” which chronicles the beginnings of the iconic Air Jordan sneaker brand. The studio has teamed up with iconic sneaker culture icon Jason Markk to host a multi-city consumer experience, dubbed “Fresh Air,” which ties into the film’s social campaign, “A shoe is just a shoe until I step into it.” The activation will see guerilla street teams flood U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, in a unique opportunity to bring together sneakerheads and celebrate the culture and history of the sneaker community. The street team will also have a presence at the Jason Markk flagship store in L.A.

an unfurnished “Doll’s House” starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (top ticket $299), which features only a few chairs positioned on a turntable that’s lit like a hospital broom closet. The no-frills revival of the musical “Parade” (top ticket $297), which began as a City Center Encores concert, has just a raised platform surrounded by lamps and more chairs. The return of the Bob Fosse revue “Dancin’” (top ticket $297) has a projection screen and a few metal towers — appropriate for jazz hands, but flimsy all the same.“Into the Woods,” another City Center concert that has since closed at the St. James Theater and gone on tour, had some wooden steps and simple birch tree trunks, because the main event was its sizable 15-person orchestra and stars such as Sara Bareilles and Patina Miller.Meanwhile, “& Juliet” (top ticket $323), a jukebox musical comedy from London featuring Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys songs, is glitzier than the above, goes to multiple locales and features garish lighting, but is still designed to look like a bricky rehearsal space.Everywhere you look, there’s nothing.That’s not to say these shows are all bad.

Amazon Freevee has announced that it will stream Casa Grande, a bilingual limited series that examines the everyday realities and conflicts between California’s migrant workforce and the landowners who reap the profits.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Amazon Freevee has landed the exclusive first-run U.S. rights to “Casa Grande,” a bilingual limited series that follows the tales of California’s hardworking, often undocumented migrant workforce, as well as the wealthy landowners in Northern California. The series, which consists of five one-hour episodes, premieres May 1 on Freevee. Lauren Swickard (“A California Christmas”) and Ali Afshar created “Casa Grande,” which comes from Afshar’s ESX Entertainment shingle. Series stars include John Pyper-Ferguson (“The 100,” “Suits”), Christina Moore (“That ‘70s Show,” “90210”), Madison Lawlor (“Juniper”), Karen Bethzabe (“Babylon”), Javier Bolaños (“All American”), Raquel Dominguez (“Chicago Med”), James Marsters (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”), Kate Mansi (“Days of Our Lives”), Daniel Edward Mora (“Coco”), Loren Escandon (“The Baxters”) and Ali Afshar (“He’s Just Not That Into You”).