Moviefone Editorial

Tag: amazon-studios

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Thriller ‘7500’ Sells to Amazon at Cannes

Sony Pictures Entertainment

It’s been a busy day for big deals at the Cannes Film Festival, with a new thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt the latest title to get snapped up for distribution.

Deadline reports that “7500,” in which Gordon-Levitt plays the co-pilot of a plane that is hijacked by terrorists, is set to take flight at Amazon Studios, following bids from multiple potential buyers. The flick marks the feature directorial debut of Patrick Vollrath, who received an Oscar nomination for his live action short film “Everything Will Be Okay.” Vollrath is also writing the script for “7500.”

The production is the latest of several high-profile films hailing from Germany to make big deals at Cannes this year. Terrence Malick‘s “A Hidden Life,” shot in both English and German, secured an eight-figure payday for its distribution rights.

Amazon has also had a busy time at Cannes, with the burgeoning film powerhouse previously picking up the rights to “Les Miserables,” a buzzy French film set in the same Parisian neighborhood in which Victor Hugo set his classic novel. This story is based on director Ladj Ly’s Cesar-nominated short of the same name, which was inspired by the 2005 riots in the French capital.

Stay tuned to see when Amazon releases “7500.”

[via: Deadline]

May 20, 2019
Shia LaBeof’s ‘Honey Boy’ Will Hit Theaters in November

Amazon Studios

Before “Honey Boy” hits Amazon Prime Video, it’ll make a stop in theaters. Amazon Studios announced Thursday that the drama is set for theatrical release on Nov. 8.

The film stars Shia LaBeouf, who wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences. It centers on a young actor named Otis Lort and his tumultuous relationship with his father. LaBeouf plays the father character, which Amazon describes as “a version of his own father, an ex-rodeo clown and a felon.” Meanwhile, Noah Jupe (“A Quiet Place”) and Lucas Hedges (“Boy Erased”) play Otis at different stages of his life.

Directed by Alma Har’el, the film made a splash at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Not only did Amazon acquire it, Har’el was chosen for the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Vision and Craft. With the film’s awards season release date, Amazon seems to have high hopes for it.

“Honey Boy” will start in select theaters on Nov. 8, and then it will have a wider release in the following weeks.
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May 9, 2019
Julia Roberts in Talks for Amazon’s ‘Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win’

Amazon

It looks Julia Roberts is ready for another TV series, and another one on Amazon at that.

The Academy Award-winning actress is in talks to star in and executive produce the limited series “Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win,” Deadline reports. The project is based on Jo Piazza’s 2018 novel of the same name, with acclaimed playwright Jon Robin Baitz adapting the work.

Piazza’s novel centers on Charlotte Walsh, a fictional senatorial candidate running during a crucial midterm election. As Charlotte discovers just how dirty politics can be, she has to decide how important winning is to her and what she’s willing to sacrifice. The book is described as “a searing, suspenseful story of political ambition, marriage, class, sexual politics, and infidelity.”

Roberts only recently had her first starring role in a TV series, and the show was also on Amazon. She appeared in the first season of the psychological thriller series “Homecoming,” and through Roberts won’t return for Season 2, she remains an executive producer. Her production company, Red Om Films, is also backing “Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win,” along with wiip. Roberts will executive produce alongside Red Om Films colleagues Lisa Gillan and Marisa Gill, as well as wipp’s Paul Lee and Mark Roybal, ScratchPad’s Baitz, and Rebelle Media’s Laura Lewis.

[via: Deadline]

February 28, 2019
Woody Allen Is Suing Amazon For Pulling Out of Movie Deal

Amazon Studios

Woody Allen and his production company, Gravier, have filed a lawsuit against Amazon.

The lawsuit claims that Amazon is in breach of contract after opting not to distribute four Allen films. The company entered into a series of deals with Allen and Gravier, starting in 2014 as it grew its original content. The deals included his first-ever TV series, “Crisis in Six Scenes,” the 2016 film “Café Society,” and four other features.

The relationship apparently began to sour in 2016. That was when Allen’s son Ronan Farrow wrote a 2016 column about a decades-old allegation made by the director’s daughter Dylan Farrow, as The Hollywood Reporter points out. The article, combined with the rise of the #MeToo movement, put the director in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and Amazon soon became concerned.

The lawsuit says that Amazon executives discussed the negative publicity with representatives of Allen and Gravier in December 2017. Initially, Amazon planned to push the release date of Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” to 2019. However, by June 2018, Amazon had sent a termination notice, informing Allen and Gravier that Amazon would not be distributing it or the other films, the lawsuit says.

Allen and Gravier are now seeking more than $68 million in compensation, claiming that Amazon is not only in breach of contract for pulling out but also in breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The lawsuit further alleges that Amazon was unjustly enriched by “their highly-publicized relationship with Mr. Allen and Gravier.”

According to the lawsuit, “There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.” It points to the fact that the allegation “was already known to Amazon (and the public)” prior to the deals and claims that Amazon “used” and “discarded” Allen.

It seems Amazon will have to make a case that it did have legitimate grounds to back out of the deal. The company has not responded to Moviefone’s request for comment.

[via: THR]

A previous version of this article mistakenly referred to Dylan Farrow as Mia Farrow. Mia Farrow is Dylan Farrow’s mother.

February 7, 2019
Blumhouse TV and Amazon Team up for Series of 8 Thriller Movies

Blumhouse Television; Amazon Studios

Amazon has partnered with the production company behind the TV shows “The Purge” and “Sharp Objects” to bring us more creepy thrills.

Blumhouse TV has reached an agreement with the retail and streaming giant to produce a series of eight thrillers. The movies will be “linked thematically,” per THR, and reach audiences in more than 200 territories via Prime Video. It’s Amazon Studios’ first deal involving global-direct to service feature-length programs, Deadline reports.

Blumhouse founder Jason Blum expressed excitement about the company being able to “deliver its signature chills and thrills” to such a wide swath of the global population. He plans to make representation a priority when it comes to the projects’ directors. It’s “a great opportunity for Blumhouse Television to empower underrepresented filmmakers offering a fresh take on the dark genres loved by fans the world over,” he said.

We don’t know yet what the timeline for the films’ respective releases will be, but we look forward to the “fear, shock and all things spinetingling” (in the words of Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke) that Blum brings.

[via: THR; Deadline]

November 14, 2018
‘Suspiria’ Trailer Is Full of Creepy, Witchy Darkness

Amazon Studios/YouTube

A lot of dance movies are light and upbeat, but that’s definitely not the case with “Suspiria.”

Amazon Studios released the official trailer for the upcoming horror film on Thursday, and the tone is nothing if not dark. The preview shows Dakota Johnson as Susie Bannion, a talented dancer who captures the attention of a powerful artistic director (Tilda Swinton). Great as that sounds, Susie starts to uncover dark and dangerous secrets at her dance school. It looks like she’s got a psychologist (Lutz Ebersdorf) and a friend (Mia Goth) on her side, but whatever she’s up against is eerie.

Watch the chilling trailer below.

“Suspiria” is a remake of the 1997 film of the same name, and it was directed by Luca Guadagnino. The cast also includes Chloe Grace Moretz.

The new film’s world premiere will take place on Sept. 1 at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival. “Suspiria” then hits theaters Oct. 26.

August 23, 2018
‘Jack Ryan’: John Krasinski Teases ‘Moral Gray Areas’ for His CIA Agent Character

Amazon Studios via YouTube

Late author Tom Clancy’s fictional CIA agent character Jack Ryan is headed to the small screen, and it’ll be an action-packed adventure that raises complicated questios.

The titular character, played by “A Quiet Place” star John Krasinski, was made popular by the book series of the same name that Clancy published between 1984 and 2002. With the Amazon TV adaptation coming out in 2018, Krasinski told the Wall Street Journal that his version of the character “feels like a throwback character from the 1950s who just happens to be living in today’s world.”

Krasinski expanded on that description and hinted that Ryan is going to find himself in positions where his principles are challenged.

“There is a deep sense of right and wrong in him, and he’s thrust into this world where there are going to be moral gray areas,” the actor said.

The internal conflict for Ryan will presumably stem from his work as a CIA agent. Season 1 follows him as he goes from working behind a desk to being thrown into the field. Based on all the high-stress scenarios we saw packed into the two-minute preview, released in June, it’s a big adjustment and we could see how he could end up facing moral quandries.

Watch the trailer below.

Amazon has already renewed “Jack Ryan” for a second season, even though it has yet to premiere. Season 1 starts streaming Aug. 31 on Amazon Prime.

[via: WSJ]

August 16, 2018
‘Forever’ Trailer Shows the Evolution of a Relationship With Almost No Dialogue

Prime Video/YouTube

The upcoming Amazon series “Forever,” starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, is coming, and we’re already intrigued.

Amazon released the official trailer Thursday, and it’s an interesting look at the couple’s marriage. It brings us through what we assume are years of their relationship, and it does so with almost no dialogue. Then, when the couple does finally speak, it’s a comically mundane conversation about butterflies and the Grand Canyon.

Here is how Amazon describes the series:

June (Maya Rudolph) and Oscar (Fred Armisen) live a comfortable but very predictable wedded life when suddenly they find themselves in a completely unexpected situation, raising questions about love and marriage.

Interestingly, the preview really only shows the comfortable, predictable portion of their relationship, and then flashes of a very different life. We’re curious to see what happens to shake things up so drastically.

Watch the trailer below.

“Forever” Season 1 will be available via Prime Video starting Sept. 14.

August 2, 2018
Russo Brothers Announce ‘Multi-Layered International Event Series’ for Amazon

Marvel Studios

This sounds fascinating.

But.

Does it also mean the Russo Brothers are officially leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe after “Avengers 4“? Or maybe just taking a Ross-and-Rachel break?

At the end of Amazon’s TCA panel over the weekend, it was revealed that Joe and Anthony Russo would be teaming up with Amazon Studios for a mysteries new series.

According to Deadline, in a pre-taped video, the directors called the series “a massive, global TV adventure” and said that they would be “sourcing talent from all around the world.”

Here’s a description of the series, or at least a vague blueprint of the scale of the thing (via Collider):

“Amazon Studios is on a quest to create a radical global storytelling disruption by teaming with the Russo Brothers’ AGBO Studios on a large-scope, multi-layered international event series. As part of the collaboration, the Russo Brothers will have the creative freedom to oversee an ambitious concept meant to captivate the Prime Video audience and redefine the boundaries of storytelling.

While the creative is under wraps, the origin mothership series will function as a fire-starter to ignite the creation of multiple original local language and local production series. All of the local series are meant to enhance the entire entertainment experience and will be available for the viewer to deep dive into an imagined layered world.”

So it will start with one “origin mothership series” that will launch a bunch of “local” spinoffs around the world? We’re sold, even if we’re not quite sure yet what we’re buying.

Here’s a statement from Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke:

“The Russo Brothers have impacted the pop culture barometer of creative excellence with their vision for both ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War.’ They brought a level of scale and execution to those films that has raised the bar for audiences everywhere and we can’t wait for them to do the same for us on this project for our Amazon Prime Customer. We are thrilled to be working with Joe and Anthony Russo and their AGBO Studios as they build this incredible, multifaceted, international franchise.”

We know the Russo Brothers are about to return for “additional photography” for “Avengers 4,” which opens next spring (either early May, or maybe late April). But it sounds like this ambitious series is going to occupy their time after their travels with Marvel Studios. Bittersweet!

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July 30, 2018
‘Peterloo’ Trailer Recreates 1819 British Uprising Turned Massacre

Amazon Studios

The infamous 1819 massacre that took place in England is now coming to the big screen in “Peterloo.”

Director Mike Leigh goes back to the historical drama well, which he so capably drew from in 2014’s acclaimed “Mr. Turner.” This time, he turns his eye to an uprising that occurred in St. Peter’s Field in Manchester England in 1819.

After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, England’s economy was suffering and the people were starving due to terrible laws passed by the 1 percenters in Parliament. That led to public demonstrations that were peaceful until British cavalry charged into St. Peter’s Field with their sabres drawn against 80,000 people. Hundreds were injured and more than a dozen were killed.

That bloody episode was named Peterloo as an nod to the Battle of Waterloo and eventually helped spur democratic reform.

“Peterloo” stars Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, Neil Bell, Philip Jackson, Vincent Franklin, Karl Johnson, and Tim McInnerny and opens in theaters November 9.

July 24, 2018