In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios chief, Jennifer Salke, revealed Amazon’s intention to release 30 films year. The news comes on the tails of Salke and her team making considerable waves after their aggressive acquisition strategy displayed during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The studio broke a Sundance record this January for most money spent by a single company. After all was said and done, Amazon Studios acquired five of the festival’s films – including Late Night, Brittany Runs Marathon, and The Report – for $47 million. Amazon Studios’ feverish content acquisitions further legitimize the steaming platform at a time when digital media looks to solidify itself as the dominant mode of distribution for the future of the film industry.
Salke revealed her strategy when pursuing desirable content at Sundance, “In that environment, money talks, but [filmmakers] also want to feel like you are their partner in it, and they have a connection to you, and they can pick up the phone, and they can trust how the ball’s gonna be carried forward. We had a bit of an edge there, because we were so present, and in it, and passionate about it.”
Salke also touched upon some of the exciting projects currently in progress at Amazon. Prime holders will be happy to hear that Amazon Studios’ Lord of the Rings series is deep into its writing process. Additionally, members can expect to see steady output of Nicole Kidman–led “sexy date night movies” in the near future. While it may sound ridiculous, Amazon Studios seems to be competing with Netflix to become ‘best romantic streaming platform’. In these releases, Salke and her team demonstrate their remarkable ability to identify and satisfy the needs of modern digital consumers.
Even with Amazon’s brilliantly attentive strategies, it may be worth pointing out that pouring a glass of wine and turning on a movie to Amazon and Chill doesn’t have quite the same phonetic appeal as the studio’s competitor.
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