Fresh off a successful night at the Emmys, Amazon Studios is ready to add to its growing pool of original content. The online retail giant will launch its fall pilot season in the coming months, featuring six projects. Amazon announced the lineup Wednesday, and shared the names of the high-profile players involved with the pilots.
It’s a varied and intriguing lineup, to say the least. The pilots set to debut are Edge, a western set in the post-Civil War era; Highston, a comedy about a 19-year-old who disagrees with his parents’ belief that he needs psychiatric help; Good Girls Revolt, the story of several young female researchers fighting to be treated fairly; One Mississippi, a dark comedy about a woman coping with the sudden loss of her mother; Z, a bio-series pilot based on the life of 20s icon Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald; and Patriot, a political thriller about an intelligence officer tasked with keeping Iran from going nuclear. Highston, One Mississippi, and Z will all be half-hour pilots, while Edge, Good Girls Revolt, and Patriot will each be hour-long pilots.
“Our latest pilot season brings together a diverse group of shows that we think customers will really enjoy,” said Roy Price, vice president of Amazon Studios in a related press release. “We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”
Set to debut on Amazon Video in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria in the coming months, the fall pilot season will offer users a chance to watch the trial episodes and provide feedback on which of the offerings they hope will get a full series order. The studio will take viewers’ responses to each pilot into account in deciding what to move forward with. Ultimately, the shows chosen will be made available on Amazon to Prime subscribers.
Each possible series boasts a talented cast and crew, which isn’t surprising considering the quality of the original content that Amazon has produced so far. Actors involved with the pilots include Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Flea (The Big Lebowski), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Christina Ricci (Monster), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum). Even Shaquille O’Neal (Blended) has taken on a role.
Off-camera is an equally impressive group. The pilots come from an acclaimed group of show creators, including Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3), Louis CK (Louie), Diablo Cody (Juno), Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich (The Killing), and more.
