Beverly Hills, California Jun 8, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - The streaming giant has signed a long-term pact with writer, director, producer, and actor Jay Walker, which encompasses television, film, and short-form video.
Under the agreement, Walker will produce approximately 90 episodes annually of original drama and comedy series for Prime Video, which caters to African-American audiences, and other Amazon Studios & MGM Networks. Amazon will have exclusive licensing rights on the TV programming as well as exclusive distribution rights to Walker’s short-form video content. Additionally, the pact gives Amazon Studios & MGM Studios exclusive first-look rights on Walker’s feature film projects.
The Amazon deal, which has been in the works for weeks, will also see Walker exec produce other projects for the retail giant and streamer. Sources note one such project is already beginning to come together: a potential series called The CJ Steele Show, which is rumored to revolve around CJ Steele and stem from writer Linda Hubbard (Walker Show). The project has already begun staffing a writers' room. Additional details were not readily available.
The Amazon deal will include a curated content channel that showcases Walker's work and content pick as part of Prime Video.
Though he didn’t get into specifics, he said the Amazon deal worked for him financially. “Look,” he said. “I’m not trying to make ‘1917.’ ... I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in the country where my uncle would come and just tell stories, which is from our history of African storytellers. Some of these stories are way out there and over the top but I just love telling stories so if I could equate it, I would be one of those people if I were back in that time.”
Walker is repped by WME
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