Amazon Studios
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
Jennifer Salke (CEO)[1] |
| Products | Television production Film production Film distribution |
| Parent | Amazon.com |
| Divisions | Prime Movies[2] |
| Website | studios |
Amazon Studios is a subsidiary of Amazon that focuses on developing television series, and distributing and producing films and comics from online submissions and crowd-sourced feedback.[3] It was started in late 2010.[3] Content is distributed through Amazon Video, Amazon's digital video streaming service, and is a competitor to services like Netflix and Hulu.[4]
Contents
Film and television[edit]
Scripts for television and films are submitted online to Amazon[5] and are read by staff. Amazon aims to review submitted scripts within 90 days (although the process can last longer). If a project is chosen for development, the writer receives $10,000.[6] If a developed script is selected for distribution as a full-budget movie, the creator gets $200,000; if it is selected for distribution as a full-budget series, the creator gets $55,000 as well as "up to 5 percent of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses."[7]
In 2008, Amazon expanded into film production, producing the film The Stolen Child with 20th Century Fox.[8] In July 2015, Amazon announced it had acquired Spike Lee's new film, Chi-Raq, as its first Amazon Original Movie.[9][10][11]
Amazon Studios had received more than 10,000 feature screenplay submissions as of September 2012[3] and 2,700 television pilots as of March 2013;[12] 23 films and 26 television series were in active development as of March 2013.[3][6] In late 2016, it reorganized its film division into Prime Movies.[13]
On July 27, 2017, it was announced that, starting with the December 2017 release Wonder Wheel, Amazon Studios would be its own self-distributing company. Previously, Amazon Studios had relied on multiple external studios to distribute their projects.[14] The company also acquired global TV ownership of Lord of the Rings for $1 billion[15]
Accolades[edit]
In 2015, Transparent was the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award and the first show produced by a streaming media service to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (aka "Golden Globe for Best Series").[16] In 2017, for Manchester by the Sea, Amazon Studios became the first streaming media service to be nominated for an Oscar Best Picture;[17] it was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards and won two Oscars, including Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Original Screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan. The film The Salesman (2016) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It was directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and distributed in the US by the company.[18]
Comics[edit]
Amazon Studio's first and only comic book series, Blackburn Burrow, was released in 2012 as a free download.[3] It contained a survey allowing Amazon to collect feedback to determine whether or not it was worthwhile to make the comic into a film.[3]
Television[edit]
Filmography[edit]
| Release Date | Film Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| December 4, 2015 | Chi-Raq | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions; first film and release |
| March 14, 2016 | Creative Control | co-distribution with Magnolia Pictures |
| April 22, 2016 | Elvis & Nixon | co-distribution with Bleecker Street |
| May 13, 2016 | Love & Friendship | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions |
| June 24, 2016 | The Neon Demon | co-distribution with Broad Green Pictures |
| Wiener-Dog | co-distribution with IFC Films | |
| July 15, 2016 | Café Society | co-distribution with Lionsgate |
| July 29, 2016 | Gleason | co-distribution with Open Road Films |
| August 26, 2016 | Complete Unknown | co-distribution with IFC Films |
| September 9, 2016 | Author: The JT LeRoy Story | co-distribution with Magnolia Pictures |
| September 23, 2016 | The Dressmaker | co-distribution with Broad Green Pictures |
| October 21, 2016 | An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win | co-distribution with American Girl |
| The Handmaiden | co-distribution with Magnolia Pictures | |
| October 28, 2016 | Gimme Danger | co-distribution with Magnolia Pictures |
| November 18, 2016 | Manchester by the Sea | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions Winner of 2 Academy Awards: Best Actor (Casey Affleck) and Original Screenplay (Kenneth Lonergan) |
| December 28, 2016 | Paterson | co-distribution with Bleecker Street |
| January 27, 2017 | The Salesman | co-distribution with Cohen Media Group Won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film |
| February 3, 2017 | I Am Not Your Negro | co-distribution with Magnolia Pictures |
| April 14, 2017 | The Lost City of Z | co-distribution with Bleecker Street |
| May 12, 2017 | The Wall | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions |
| June 23, 2017 | The Big Sick | co-distribution with Lionsgate |
| July 7, 2017 | City of Ghosts | co-distribution with IFC Films |
| July 21, 2017 | Landline | |
| August 11, 2017 | The Only Living Boy in New York | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions |
| August 18, 2017 | Crown Heights | co-distribution with IFC Films |
| September 15, 2017 | Brad's Status | co-distribution with Annapurna Pictures |
| October 13, 2017 | Human Flow | |
| October 20, 2017 | Wonderstruck | co-distribution with Roadside Attractions |
| November 3, 2017 | Last Flag Flying | co-distribution with Lionsgate |
| December 1, 2017 | Wonder Wheel |
Upcoming films[edit]
| Release Date | Film Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| March 9, 2018 | Gringo | co-distribution with STXfilms |
| April 6, 2018 | You Were Never Really Here | |
| July 13, 2018 | Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot | |
| September 21, 2018 | Life Itself | |
| October 12, 2018 | Beautiful Boy | |
| October 11, 2019 | The Goldfinch | Distributed by Warner Bros. |
| TBD | The Man Who Killed Don Quixote | |
| TBD | Peterloo | |
| TBD | A Rainy Day in New York | |
| TBD | Suspiria | |
| TBD | Radioactive |
References[edit]
- ^ Lumb, David (February 10, 2018). "NBC's Jennifer Salke is the new Amazon Studios chief". Engadget. Her predecessor, Roy Price, resigned in October 2017
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (17 October 2016). "Amazon Studios Comedy Chief Joe Lewis Adds Drama Oversight, Morgan Wandell To Head International Productions". Deadline.
- ^ a b c d e f Fritz, Ben (September 12, 2012). "Amazon Studios going into comics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ Perez, Sarah (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Now Funding Original Content Series For Amazon Video Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- ^ "FAQ". Studios.Amazon.com.
- ^ a b Moyer, Edward (June 23, 2012). "Amazon's 'Studios' effort picks first TV shows to develop". CNET. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- ^ West, Kelly (May 2, 2012). "Amazon Studios Invites TV Writers To Submit Comedy And Children's Series Ideas". Cinema Blend. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- ^ Graser, Marc Graser (February 21, 2008). "Amazon, Fox nursing 'Stolen '". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
- ^ The Associated Press (July 15, 2015). "Amazon Studios acquiring Spike Lee film as its 1st release". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Barnes, Henry (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee's Chiraq gets Amazon release – and Oscars push". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
- ^ Kharpal, Arjun (2015-07-16). "Spike Lee directs Amazon's first ever movie". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
- ^ Vanderbilt, Tom (March 28, 2013). "The Nielsen Family Is Dead". Wired. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (17 October 2016). "Amazon Studios Comedy Chief Joe Lewis Adds Drama Oversight, Morgan Wandell To Head International Productions". Deadline.
- ^ "Amazon Moves Into Self-Distribution With Woody Allen's 'Wonder Wheel' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/21/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-tv-netflix-disney-apple
- ^ "Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Sales Up 15% to $29.33 Billion" (XBRL). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. January 29, 2015.
- ^ "The Snubs and Surprises of the 2017 Oscar Nominations". Vulture. 24 January 2017.
- ^ Jr, Ali Jaafar,Mike Fleming (2016-05-18). "Amazon Acquires Asghar Farhadi's 'The Salesman', Partnering With Cohen Media Group On Domestic – Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
