Amazon wants to compete with Hollywood
Amazon is setting its sights on Hollywood: After TV series, the world's largest online retailer is also tackling the production of feature films. The aim is to drastically shorten the time window between the movie's debut and its appearance on a TV screen.
The goal is to produce up to twelve films a year, said Roy Price, vice president of Amazon Studios. Production is under the artistic direction of American film producer Ted Hope, who has already won numerous awards for his independent films. In the case of its own productions, Amazon also wants to shorten the waiting time between theatrical debut and availability for TV, for example. The films are to be shown in Amazon's in-house video streaming service just four to eight weeks after their premiere in the movie theater.
Amazon already makes its own TV shows; a few days ago, the series "Transparent" won a Golden Globe. Amazon recently scored a coup by signing Woody Allen. The actor and film director will produce a TV series for Amazon's Prime service. However, neither the title nor the content have been confirmed yet.
Restricted budget
Amazon is not the only Internet company to penetrate Hollywood's traditional territory. The streaming service Netflix is also focusing on in-house productions and, among other things, is shooting four films with Adam Sandler and a sequel to the martial arts flick "Tiger & Dragon. This film is to be released in theaters and on Netflix at the same time. That's why some American movie theaters didn't want to show it. Both companies had already won in the TV series category at the Golden Globes. The budget for Amazon's new film productions should be between five and 25 million US dollars, reported the industry journal Variety. With this framework, Hollywood does not need to worry about new competition for expensive action blockbusters. However, any newcomer to the business means increased competition for movie theaters. (SDA)
