Amazon is getting into the movie business. And no, I don’t mean the original content, made-for-Prime Instant Video movies; I’m talking dinner and a movie style movie at your local theater (sorry, dinner isn’t included).
The e-commerce giant on Monday revealed plans to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release. Films will focus on unique stories, voices and characters from top and up-and-coming creators, the company said. The goal is to bring customers a dozen original movies each year.
Production is set to begin this year with Ted Hope set to lead the new division, Amazon Original Movies, as head of production. Hope is best known for co-founding and leading production company Good Machine, which produced noteworthy films such as Eat Drink Man Woman and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
It typically takes anywhere between 39 to 52 weeks for a theatrical movie to premiere on subscription video services. Amazon, however, plans to drastically reduce the wait time of its feature films to just four to eight weeks after their theatrical debut, giving consumers yet another reason to sign up for a Prime subscription.
Amazon is already doing quite well for itself in the original content department. The company picked up a Golden Globe for best comedy series for Transparent just a week ago while another original, The Man in the High Castle, is already getting solid reviews.
The latter series, an adaptation of the 1962 book by the same name, is an alternate history piece in which the Allies lost World War II and control of the US was divided between the Germans and the Japanese.
https://www.techspot.com/news/59447-amazon-reveals-plans-create-feature-films-theaters-debut.html
