Lena Waithe, Blake Lively, and Connie Britton are making major commitments with Amazon Studios. Each has signed a deal with the streamer.
Best known for her history-making Emmy win for writing on “Master of None” and for creating “The Chi,” Waithe scored an overall deal “believed to be for two years and in the eight-figure range,” Deadline reports. Waithe is already in business with Amazon: her upcoming horror anthology, “Them,” has a two season order from the streamer.
The agreement sees Waithe exec producing “Them” and working with Amazon Studios “to create and exec produce new original series to premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. She will develop shows through Waithe Hillman Grad, the company she founded with her creative partner Rishi Rajani,” the source notes.
“Lena is a powerhouse writer and producer who also has a gift for identifying exciting and authentic voices,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “Our upcoming series ‘Them’ is the result of her rare ability to cultivate brilliant voices like Little Marvin and bring his wholly original and compelling vision to Amazon. We look forward to collaborating with Lena and her team for years to come.”
Waithe’s feature writing debut, “Queen & Slim,” hits theaters November 27. The Melina Matsoukas-directed pic tells the story of couple’s ill-fated first date: a police officer pulls them over and what happens next changes their lives forever.
Lively, who most recently starred in “A Simple Favor,” inked a first-look deal with Amazon. The “Gossip Girl” alumna’s developing a series set in New York that includes a “fashion component” among other projects for the streamer, according to Deadline.
You can catch Lively next in “The Rhythm Section,” a spy pic helmed by Reed Morano that’ll bow November 22.
Britton nabbed a first-look deal with the streamer. Deadline reports that the “Dirty John” actress will develop female-led TV series to premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video via her production company, Deep Blue.
“Connie Britton is a multi-talented actress who has captivated audiences with her portrayal of smart, complicated women,” said Salke. “Britton’s ability to create memorable characters and identify compelling stories makes her a perfect fit for Amazon Studios. We look forward to seeing what she creates for the global Amazon Prime Video audience.”
Britton added, “I’m thrilled to be joining Jen and the team at Amazon, and my hope is to contribute thoughtful, provocative, female-driven, and inclusive programming to their exceptional platform, telling stories that will reflect ourselves back to ourselves in ways we’ve never seen before.” She added, “I know this will be an exciting and purposeful collaboration.”
A four-time Emmy nominee, Britton received nods for “Nashville,” “American Horror Story,” and “Friday Night Lights.” She was recognized twice for her work in the latter. Among the projects on Britton’s slate is “Promising Young Woman,” a revenge story that marks “Killing Eve” Season 2 showrunner Emerald Fennell’s feature directorial debut.
