- Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) cancels three original series as the company moves away from awards bait and towards shows that could become international hits.
- Cancellations: “I Love Dick,” “One Mississippi,” and “Jean-Claude Van Johnson.”
- The niche programming model was pushed by former Amazon Studios head Roy Price, who was forced out last year after a sexual harassment investigation. CEO Jeff Bezos had previously told Price to steer towards finding the streaming service’s answer to “Game of Thrones.”
- Projects currently in development include an overall deal with “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman and a series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”
- Amazon also plans to cut back on indie films, according to Reuters, in favor of bigger-budget projects that could lure more users to the Prime service.
- Sources say Amazon wants films with budgets in the $50M range but won’t completely abandon the indie model.
- Amazon shares are up 0.5%.
- Previously: Amazon announces 20 HQ2 finalists (Jan. 18)
- Now read: 9 Reasons Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Trumps Amazon In Every Way
Original article