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Tag: Jennifer Salke

  • Citadel Indian & Italian spinoffs axed as Amazon rewrites its spy game

    Citadel Indian & Italian spinoffs axed as Amazon rewrites its spy game

    MUMBAI: Amazon has pulled the plug on Citadel: Honey Bunny and Citadel: Diana, the much-hyped Indian and Italian offshoots of its globe-trotting spy saga. Instead, those “successful and widely enjoyed international chapters” will be stitched into season two of the main series, Citadel, which is now set to drop globally in Q2 of 2026.

    That’s the word from Amazon MGM Studios television head Vernon Sanders,  who promised an “exhilarating” return. “With high-stakes storytelling, new additions to our amazing cast and bold, cinematic ambition,” he said, “season two will deepen the emotional journeys of Nadia, Mason and Orlick against the relentless force that is Manticore.”

    Translation? The spinoffs are toast, and Amazon’s once-grand plan to build a Bond-style franchise without Bond is looking like an expensive misfire.

    The cancellation comes on the heels of Jennifer Salke’s exit from the studio. Salke, who first pitched the sprawling espionage epic to Joe and Anthony Russo, dreamt up Citadel as a prestige powerhouse for Prime Video—an interconnected universe with local-language series spanning continents. What she got instead: ballooning budgets, reshoots galore and a reported $300m price tag for season one.

    Still, Citadel got renewed before its April 2023 premiere. But season two was quietly delayed after Amazon brass were said to be “unhappy” with early footage. Now, storylines from Honey Bunny and Diana—which, despite being ratings hits in India and Italy, respectively—will be merged into the mothership’s narrative.

    The new season picks up a month after the first ended: the spies are underground, hunted by Manticore, and pulled back into action to stop Brazilian billionaire Paulo Braga from unleashing a world-ending device, courtesy of Citadel’s own Bernard Orlick.

    So yes, the spies are still in the game. But Amazon’s dream of a global franchise? That’s very much under review.

  • Prime Video presents: Trailblazers, celebrates women of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios

    Prime Video presents: Trailblazers, celebrates women of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios

    Mumbai: The inaugural Prime Video presents: Trailblazers took place in London today, an event celebrating the women of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. Hosted by Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke and Prime Video International VP Kelly Day, the showcase featured guest appearances from actors Priyanka-Chopra Jonas, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, directors Charlotte Brändström and Louise Hooper, and producers Amy Pascal, Sue Vertue and Lindsey Weber, at Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s South Bank Centre.

    Creative talent from both in front of and behind the cameras joined Salke and Day at the event, attended by industry guests and Prime Video female executives, including global heads of Amazon MGM Studios and regional Prime Video leaders. Hosted by broadcaster Clara Amfo, the event discussed global franchises, appealing to younger audiences, and the rise of action heroines. Participants included Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Octavia Spencer, the cast and directors of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Bryce Dallas Howard. The event previewed international series and films like Citadel: Diana, The Devil’s Hour Season 2, Culpa Tuya, My Fault: London, La Virgen Roja, The Office Australia, and Pimpinero: Blood and Oil.

    During the live showcase, Jennifer Salke commented: “We’ve had a mission to be a destination for women all around the world, and we’re starting to see progress with that” and Kelly Day added “we’ve expanded the storytelling so much for women, and it’s brought so many new customers to the service and ignited a lot of passion for our female viewers.”

    As part of an on-stage fireside chat, Octavia Spencer said, “For me, there weren’t a lot of female executives. So, to see how vastly different the industry is, how many opportunities are made available to us, I think it’s imperative that we come into the industry with as much in our arsenal as we can give.”

    Commenting on the upcoming Australian Original adaption of The Office, Felicity Ward told Clara Amfo: “Ricky Gervais approved a female lead. He was very excited about a female lead” and on the importance of female commissioners, Laura Osma (Pimpinero: Blood and Oil) said “so many stories have been hidden for so long but now we can delve into them”.

    During a fireside conversation with Jennifer Salke, on what the industry is getting right, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “I was wanting to get out of the box and here with Amazon is where I got that, it takes huge courage to back local stories”

    “Women are at the core of our business – from our incredible actors, our inventive producers and our executive teams,” said Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke. “We also know that women around the world love to be moved by incredible storytelling and we look forward to bringing them all a compelling slate featuring some of the most talented women working both in front and behind the camera.”

    “As we look to grow Prime Video internationally, women will be central to driving that success,” added Day. “From the millions of viewers globally, to the women running the Prime Video and Studios teams in Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the US, to the women starring in and delivering our biggest shows and movies, Prime Video is being shaped by trailblazing women.”

    The following announcements were made at Prime Video presents: Trailblazers:

    . Greenlight: Prime Video announced a spinoff series, The Untitled Neagley Project, starring Maria Sten (Reacher, Swamp Thing). Created by co-showrunners and executive producers Nick Santora (Reacher, Prison Break) and Nicholas Wootton (Law & Order, Prison Break), and produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Skydance Television, and CBS Studios, the series will premiere on Prime Video in over 240 countries. It follows Frances Neagley, a private investigator, seeking justice after a friend’s suspicious death.

    . First-look clip: An exclusive clip from Citadel: Diana, the highly anticipated Italian series from the Citadel universe, was revealed. Starring Matilda De Angelis, the action sequence is set at the Cretto di Gibellina in Sicily. De Angelis performed most of her own stunts, with the series featuring approximately 850 stunts. The show premieres globally on 10 October.

    . First-look images: Images from the new UK Original movie My Fault: London, set to launch in 2025, were unveiled. Based on Mercedes Ron’s bestselling Culpables trilogy and following the success of Culpa Mia, it stars Asha Banks and Matthew Broome.

    . Trailer: The official trailer for Season 2 of The Devil’s Hour was introduced by Jessica Raine. Premiering globally on 18 October, the psychological thriller stars Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Phil Dunster, and new cast member Saffron Hocking.

    .  Skills: The £10 million Prime Video Pathway programme, launched in 2022, has seen 64 per cent of all places filled by women, including in traditionally male-dominated fields like Sound, Camera, and Lighting at the National Film and Television School Craft Academy.

  • Amazon’ ‘The Rings of Power’ attracts over 25 mn global viewers

    Amazon’ ‘The Rings of Power’ attracts over 25 mn global viewers

    Mumbai: Amazon has announced that its show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power attracted more than 25 million global viewers on its first day. The record marked the biggest premiere in the history of the OTT platform Prime Video.

    The series was launched exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

    Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said, “It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories – among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre – have led us to this proud moment. I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate and to our showrunners J.D. Payne, Lindsey Weber, executive producer Patrick McKay, and other cast and crew – for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy. And it is the tens of millions of fans watching – clearly as passionate about middle-earth as we are – who are our true measure of success.”

    Episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will launch weekly through the 14 October season finale on Prime Video.

  • Mike Hopkins departs Sony Pictures; joins Amazon as head video entertainment

    Mike Hopkins departs Sony Pictures; joins Amazon as head video entertainment

    MUMBAI: Jeff Bezos has scored a coup of sorts. The Amazon chairman & CEO has signed up Sony Pictures Television (SPT) chairman Mike Hopkins as leader of the video entertainment business – including Prime Video and Amazon Studios – reporting directly to him. Hopkins who joined SPT- with oversight of its TV production, distribution and marketing operations globally for the studio –  in November 2017 after serving as CEO of Hulu will be leaving the Japanese company on 24 February 2020.

    The anouncement was made by Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) chairman & CEO Tony Vinciquerra in an internal note to staff.  Said Vinciquerra in the memo: “I want to thank Mike for his outstanding leadership since arriving at the studio in late 2017. From day one he was charged with rethinking the way we run our television businesses. Under his watch, SPT has been transformed into a stronger and more nimble organization, able to pivot and change course quickly in today’s rapidly evolving entertainment landscape. As part of our ‘Reimagine’ efforts, SPT has undergone essential structural change and realignment—such as combining our networks operations with distribution/home entertainment into a new territory management model and refocusing our network portfolio. Additionally, SPT has made several significant deals on the M&A front and forged new relationships with top creators and talent. These were not small tasks and would not have been possible without the outstanding work of SPT’s excellent divisional leadership and their teams, who will continue to drive our business forward.”

    During his stint at SPT, Hopkins negotiated with AT&T and helped Sony acquire 42 per cent of GSN, it did not already own. SPT also sold a majority stake in streaming service Crackle to Chicken Soup for the Soul under his watch.

    At the commerce giant, current Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke will report to Hopkins. Salke is expected to drive the creative at the studio while the bespectacled Hopkins is expected to drive distribution and biz dev. The current boss of Amazon’s streaming platform senior vice president of business development &  digital entertainment Jeff Blackburn – to whom Salke has so far been reporting – is on a sabbatical. Worldwide Amazon Video vice-president Greg Hart will also report to Hopkins.

    Blackburn too sent an internal note to Amazon staff in which he said: “Mike comes to us with over 20 years of industry experience at Fox, Hulu and Sony. He has an extensive track record as a global business leader in media, film and TV — negotiating landmark content and distribution agreements, running marketing operations, leading product/tech teams, and overseeing production of breakthrough television content. I have had the pleasure of working closely with many of you as we’ve built these video businesses from the ground up. You’ve created a global streaming service and award-winning original content that our customers love. And I know you’re only getting started. I’m so excited for Mike to join Jen and Greg [Hart], and the broader video leadership team, and build upon the global momentum we’ve experienced in 2019.”

    Sony’s Vinciquerra also announced that a realignment of the leadership structure is underway at SPT following Mike’s decision.  More responsibility will come president of worldwide distribution Keith LeGoy’s way and he will now oversee Funimation and the networks operations, programming and strategy group. Jeff Frost, president of US production, will now oversee first-run television, Embassy Row and the new game-show development team run by Mike Richards. LeGoy and Frost will report directly to Vinciquerra. As will the profitable India operations headed by CEO NP Singh.

    How this will impact Sony Pictures Networks’ India’s continuing conversations with Reliance Industries to acquire its entertainment TV business under TV18 is not clear at the time of writing. With Singh directly reporting to Vinciquerra the due dilligence process which is on currently by Sony in India could speed up or take time.

  • Amazon Studios strikes deal with Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films

    Amazon Studios strikes deal with Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films

    MUMBAI: The list of Amazon’s high-profile collaborations was bolstered with the addition of a first-look deal with Nicole Kidman and her production company. As per the terms of the agreement, Kidman’s Blossom Films will develop theatrical and series content for Amazon.

    Riding the digital wav,  many Hollywood talents of late have struck deals with Amazon and its main competitor Netflix. Earlier this month, Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions signed a similar deal with Amazon. On the other hand, Netflix has joined forces with top producers like Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes.

    Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke has praised Nicole as “a force of nature as both an actress and a producer”. “She understands the focus of bringing addictive, entertaining and compelling television to our Prime Video customers as well as movies that will connect with film audiences”.

    Kidman has also expressed her excitement regarding her venture with the Amazon team. “Our goal at Blossom Films is to create important and entertaining content across multiple platforms, and I can’t think of better collaborators with which to accomplish this,” she said.

    Blossom Films, founded by Kidman and Per Saari, has been doing significant projects with HBO too. It produced the Emmy-winning series Big Little Lies for HBO. The company is also producing The Undoing for HBO from Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley.

    Also Read:

    Amazon Prime Video premieres exclusive series die trying created by top comedian Kenny Sebastian, on Valentine’s Day

    India fastest-growing market in first year for Amazon: Jeff Bezos

  • NBC’s ‘This is Us’ renewed for two seasons

    NBC’s ‘This is Us’ renewed for two seasons

    MUMBAI: “This Is Us” premiered in September of last year and is already quick on its way to success! The show that airs in India on Star World Premiere HD received a tremendous response internationally and whopped in massive ratings. Now, the show has been renewed for two more seasons.

    “We all got our wish that this is a hit show,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke President, in a written statement. “This Is Us is as good as anything we’ve ever had. We’re thrilled to renew it for two seasons and there’s no doubt it will have a long life on NBC. In a world where there are literally hundreds of television dramas, we’re proud to have one of the very best that is also one of the highest-rated.”

    Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan and RonCephas Jones. The family ensemble, which jumps through different years, is about the intertwining lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and so much more than anyone would expect.

    The series has won critical acclaim for its direction, acting and more and was an awards season favourite having been nominated at prestigious award ceremonies- Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild as well as Writers Guild of America. On digital platforms too, NBC claims This Is Us as its most-viewed series premiere on record, more than doubling the network’s previous record for most one-day views of a debuting series across the network’s digital platforms, according to Forbes.

  • NBC’s ‘This is Us’ renewed for two seasons

    NBC’s ‘This is Us’ renewed for two seasons

    MUMBAI: “This Is Us” premiered in September of last year and is already quick on its way to success! The show that airs in India on Star World Premiere HD received a tremendous response internationally and whopped in massive ratings. Now, the show has been renewed for two more seasons.

    “We all got our wish that this is a hit show,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke President, in a written statement. “This Is Us is as good as anything we’ve ever had. We’re thrilled to renew it for two seasons and there’s no doubt it will have a long life on NBC. In a world where there are literally hundreds of television dramas, we’re proud to have one of the very best that is also one of the highest-rated.”

    Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan and RonCephas Jones. The family ensemble, which jumps through different years, is about the intertwining lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and so much more than anyone would expect.

    The series has won critical acclaim for its direction, acting and more and was an awards season favourite having been nominated at prestigious award ceremonies- Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild as well as Writers Guild of America. On digital platforms too, NBC claims This Is Us as its most-viewed series premiere on record, more than doubling the network’s previous record for most one-day views of a debuting series across the network’s digital platforms, according to Forbes.

  • NBC renews ‘Blindspot’ for second season

    NBC renews ‘Blindspot’ for second season

    MUMBAI: NBC has ordered a second season of its hit freshman drama Blindspot, the #1 new series of the fall in the 18-49 demo.

     

    With Sullivan Stapleton as an FBI agent who’s not to be messed with and breakout star Jaimie Alexander now firmly established as a TV leading lady, Blindspot has proven to be both a ratings and critical smash. Since its 21 September launch, the series has dominated the 10 pm Monday timeslot.

     

    “We are over the moon with the success of Blindspot, and want to thank our producers and amazing cast for creating one of the most riveting shows on television. Jaimie and Sullivan have done an amazing job of ratcheting up the tension each week in trying to unravel the mystery of Jane’s tattoos. We literally can’t wait to see what the second season will bring,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke.

     

    Blindspot is averaging a 3.7 rating, 12 share in adults 18-49 and 12.7 million viewers overall so far this season, according to “most current” averages from Nielsen Media Research through the season’s opening six weeks, making it the #1 new series of the new fall season in 18-49.

     

    The cast includes Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza, Ukweli Roach and Ashley Johnson.

     

    Writer Martin Gero serves as executive producer along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Mark Pellington and Marcos Siega. Pellington directed the pilot episode.

     

    Blindspot is a production of Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions.

  • NBC resurrects cult favourite TV series, Heroes

    NBC resurrects cult favourite TV series, Heroes

    MUMBAI: An iconic series that still commands a rabid fan base, Heroes will return to the network in 2015 as an event miniseries with original creator and executive producer Tim Kring (Touch) at the helm, it was announced on 23 February by National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Entertainment President Jennifer Salke.

     

    NBC has ordered 13 episodes for a new stand-alone story arc entitled Heroes: Reborn, with all details of storylines and characters being kept under wraps. “The enormous impact ‘Heroes’ had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening,” said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke in a press statement.

     

    “Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another instalment. We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept. Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

     

    The original series chronicled the life-changing stories of a series of unrelated ordinary people who discovered they had superhuman abilities. As the saga unfolded, they learned they were part of a grand plan that brought them together to change the world.

     

    With the return of Heroes: Reborn, NBC will launch a digital series prior to the 2015 premiere that will introduce the characters and new storylines. This leveraging of social media is being used as a way for fans to re-engage with what was one for the true pioneers in multiplatform storytelling.

     

    The iconic science fiction series, which ran on NBC from 2006-10 and was an immediate hit, ranked as television’s #1 new drama with an average audience of 14.5 million viewers during its initial season. The show was Golden Globe-nominated in its first year of eligibility for best drama series; it won the BAFTA Award for best international series, the AFI Award, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Award, two People’s Choice Awards and the Television Critics Association Award for Program of the Year.

     

    In India, Heroes aired on STAR World and FX India.