‘Robocop,’ ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘Stargate’ Projects in Development as Amazon Studios Leverages MGM Titles

EXCLUSIVE: As the horses near the starting gate for Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions has lined up twin projects about Rich Strike, the upset winner of last year’s race.

Behind-the-scenes secrets! Meghan Trainor revealed that she and Charlie Puth made out nearly a decade ago while recording a duet.

Eyebrows were raised last week when images emerged of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with TV host Piers Morgan – one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s most outspoken critics.The royal siblings met up with Piers and other pals, including chart-topping singer James Blunt, at The Princess Royal pub in London’s Notting Hill, and were seen laughing and joking with the presenter as they left the venue. “After everything Piers has said about them as a couple – especially Meghan, who he’s called so many names – Harry and Meghan are astonished that they’ve gone behind their backs,” said our source.

Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide rights to the IMAX Original Documentary, “The Blue Angels,” the company announced on Monday.Bad Robot, Glen Powell’s Barnstorm Productions, Zipper Bros Films, and Dolphin Entertainment produced the project that chronicles a year in the cockpit with one of the most exclusive aviator teams in the world, filmed with awe-inspiring IMAX cameras.“The Blue Angels” follows the newest class of the storied Navy and Marine Corps flight squadron through intense training and into a season of heart-stopping aerial artistry, and the veterans on the team who, this year, will take their final flights. The documentary marks the first time the iconic blue and yellow F/A-18 Super Hornets will be featured in IMAX.

Amazon Studios is going airborne with a spectacular squadron of the U.S. military.

EXCLUSIVE: As the West End production of Mamma Mia! enters its 25th year on stage, Judy Craymer, its creator and driving force, is expanding the MM! universe with ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream talent show. Set on an idyllic Greek island, it’s aimed at finding MM! stars of the future. There’s definitely a desire to see MM! back on Broadway in 2025, Craymer confirms, and she says she’s also pushing to make the dream of a third MM! film a reality.

EXCLUSIVE: The invitation list to Amazon’s Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon wedding comedy, You’re Cordially Invited, continues to expand with Celia Weston, Jimmy Tatro, Leanne Morgan, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia joining the Nick Stoller directed and written feature.

Eva Green has claimed that “justice prevailed” after successfully suing a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.The Casino Royal star was set to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production company, White Lantern Films, collapsed in October 2019.After the film was abandoned, Green sued the production company, claiming she was still entitled to her $1m (£810,000) fee.On Friday (April 28), the judge ruled in Green’s favour, stating that the actress was entitled to her fee. The counter claim, alleging that Green jeopardised the film by abandoning it, was dismissed.The judge said (via The Independent) : “In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it.”Following the ruling, Green said in a statement: “My professional reputation has been upheld.“In this legal action I was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes,” she said.

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Morgan’s Talaria Media has launched development on Arigato Tokyo, a new drama set in the world of women’s professional wrestling, after acquiring a feature pitch by Daytime Emmy winner Mark Blutman (Ghostwriter, Boy Meets World). Jamie Anderson is on board to direct the pic, with Morgan to exec produce.

. “As a result, a small number of roles will be eliminated on some teams. We will be supporting impacted employees through this transition and thank them for the work they have done on behalf of our customers.”The spokesperson noted that new roles will be added in areas for future growth. In addition to Amazon Studios and Prime Video, the tech giant has three other workforce cuts: One in November that impacted its Alexa unit, another in January that impacted 18,000 employees and another in March that impacted 9,000 employees.

The string of media layoffs continues. Amazon is the latest company to trim its ranks with a round of staff reductions across Amazon Studios and Prime Video. About 100 of the divisions’ 7,000 employees are impacted. The list is not believed to include high-level content executives.

Kevin Wilson has officially been named Head of Theatrical Distribution for Amazon Studios and MGM as the parent company combines labels into one theatrical distribution group.

EXCLUSIVE: The Sex Lives of College Girls star Alyah Chanelle Scott has signed with Lighthouse Management + Media for management in all areas.

News of a Kidnapping,” created by Andrés Wood and Rodrigo García, swept the top prizes for best picture on Saturday night at the 2023 Platino Awards, in a sign of how the global streamers – here Amazon Studios and Prime Video – have lured top-of-their-class talent in Latin America. One highlight of the ceremony, dedicated to films and TV shows in the Spanish-speaking world, was Benicio del Toro’s acceptance speech of a honorary Platino in which he reflected on being typecast for many years in Hollywood as a Latino actor.  “If I had to play stereotypes, I tried to find the character’s humanity, a sense of complicity, so that audiences felt what my character felt and whilst they’re watching, don’t forget who I am and where I come from.,” he said. “What’s important is to share more than be divided,” he added. 

Ewan McGregor has had decent luck in TV the past decade with shows like “Fargo,” “Halton,” and Disney+‘s “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Now Variety reports he’ll star in a new show in development at Amazon called “Lodi,” based on an Alta online article by Andrew Dubbins.

Queen Margrethe has reunited with all eight of her grandchildren!

Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM last year has opened the door for Amazon Studios to develop new projects based on some of the studio’s hottest properties, and news is emerging of some upcoming reboots, remakes and sequels currently being considered.

After streaming giant Amazon acquired MGM Studios, it was a little unclear what active properties and projects in development would move forward. Thankfully, a new report from Deadline is giving us a better idea of what could be coming soon from that heap of high-profile IP at Amazon Studios.

Amazon is reportedly contemplating reboots for around a dozen hit movies and series that were owned by MGM after acquiring the studio.

EXCLUSIVE: MGM’s extensive film & TV catalogue, built over the past century, was the main driver behind Amazon’s $8.5B acquisition of the storied Hollywood studio. For the past year, since the deal closed in March 2022, Amazon Studios has been sifting through MGM’s library, identifying about a dozen initial titles for film and/or TV development, including Robocop, Stargate, Legally Blonde, Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, Pink Panther and The Thomas Crown Affair.