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It was almost midnight when Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, received the text. The company had failed in its quest to acquire "Brittany Runs a Marathon," a body image drama comedy that captivated Salke when she saw her at Sundance. A commercial agent participating in the project told him that the competitor would propose a higher number and that if Amazon did not significantly increase its bid, the company would no longer be in the running. But Salke did not want to move on the price, and collapsed in the vanquished bed.
She then remembered her meeting with "Brittany" screenwriter and director Paul Downs Colaizzo, who a day earlier said his father was working in an Amazonian distribution center in Missouri. She searched for him on the company's phone book, grabbed his profile and sent him back to the sales agent asking him, "Does that count for a few million?"
A few minutes later, his phone rang. C & # 39; was the executive producer of the film, actor Tobey Maguire. Amazon was getting the movie.
"It was Tobey and he was crying. He said, "I'm really emotional. We watched you the minute you walked through the door and I knew by watching your face that you liked the movie. "We all got involved in this process and it was really rewarding," Salke said. VarietyAfter a long conversation over the past six months, she has quietly reorganized her film division and hopes for the future.
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Nestled in her West LA Culver Studios executive suite (laid out in a casual setting with gold accents and natural California fibers) with the film's top lieutenants by her side, Salke has made it clear that Amazon is always very active in the cinema world.
The former head of NBC Entertainment joined the tech giant a year ago, in a role that she inherited from Roy Price, who had been ousted for alleged sexual harassment. There were rumors that she was not as interested in the movie, rumors that rose in intensity after Amazon launched flops like "Beautiful Boy" and "Suspiria."
After 12 months of work, Salke is ready to reveal his strategy for filmmaking. It includes a mix of high-profile photographs that will continue to be guided by film director Ted Hope and distribution director Bob Berney, as well as more commercial projects overseen by Julie Rapaport, co-head of the film division. movie. They do not plan to replace former film chief Jason Ropell, who resigned last year. The studio wants to buy the finished films, but it will also continue to produce its own films. In addition, Amazon will begin to produce films that will begin exclusively on its premium subscription service and will forego a theatrical release.
"I first focused on the TV group and it took a long time to reorganize," Salke said. "I spent six months getting integrated to try to make sure we had the right teams. At the same time, we have aggressively tried to recruit talent and spread our message about who we are as a home for talent. It's an organized approach in both [film and TV]and we are not going very far, "she said.
Just a few weeks ago, Amazon's 2019 film was anemic, with only a family comedy by Viola Davis, the indie "Photograph," and a romantic re-team between Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones to offer. Salke and her team were stunned by a $ 40 million shopping spree at Sundance in January with the movie Late Night, produced by and performed by Mindy Kaling; Rewards the "The Report", "Honey Boy" and "Brittany Runs a Marathon" bait dramas. At the approach of Park City, the major independent sales agents were skeptical that Amazon was a player. After their buying frenzy, they became the star of the festival and came out of Sundance, armed with some of the most compelling independent films available.
"We did not go to Sundance to say that we had to acquire a certain number of films," said Hope, sitting next to Salke, Rapaport and his filmmaker Matt Newman. "We would have left saying we won with one movie. Each of these titles has struck us differently and we are entering a new era of filming with people who want to experience an exceptional theatrical experience while making a noisy transition to our service. "
The question of a theatrical release versus the number of premium video subscribers from Amazon is important for this simple reason: Amazon has always offered cinema owners a 90-day window to showcase their original films before Prime members show them at home. The strategy is in direct opposition to Netflix, which insists that the majority of his films make his debut on his service and will propose, for a film such as "Roma", that an exclusive theatrical window of a few weeks.
Salke said that all films purchased at Sundance would go to the movies, although "we were looking at different windows". Although no official release date is currently set, her comments indicate that Amazon is ready to shorten the theater window in the hope that offering movies to its early customers will increase the number of movies. 39, premium subscriptions.
Kaling's "Late Night", which co-stars Emma Thompson as a talk show host, will have an exit strategy similar to that of the commercial and critical hit of 2017, "The Big Sick", and will probably start in June or July. "The Report", with Annette Bening and Adam Driver, and "Honey Boy" by Shia LaBeouf will be released in the awards corridor this fall.
Salke envisions a continuous world order that is about to be called into question in a major way. Netflix dominated the space, while Amazon and, to a lesser extent, Hulu, followed him. But a number of new Goliaths are trying to disrupt things. In the coming months, Disney will launch its Disney + streaming service, while Warner Media and Comcast will unveil their own streaming challengers. Amazon must do something.
"Direct service is really important to us. We want a very solid path to that, "said Salke.
For others, this path is filled with talent. It's a time of prosperity for creators and stars who buy huge sums for global digital transactions. Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rimes and Greg Berlanti, for example, are all part of the $ 300 million pacts with Netflix.
"We are not totally focused on our competitors," Salke said. "I know what it means for these giant companies to evolve and create these products. I can imagine, and I think I'm right, how long it will take to make everything operational. I do not sit down and I am worried. If something happens and we love it and we have a big heartbeat for it and we know that Netflix wants it, we will look for it. "
Prime's original film will start coming out in 2020, thanks to a first-hand deal with Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films – a movie star bungalow is being built in a well-appointed courtyard across from Salke's office.
"When I had dinner with Nicole for the first time, she said," Where are the sexy dating movements that have a provocative effect? Like "No Way Out" and "Basic Instinct" and all those movies that nobody does anymore? These are the types of features that Kidman will develop for Prime, in addition to television content such as "Expats," an international soap opera about women of foreign descent living in an icy Hong Kong.
There is also an agreement with low-budget horror producer Jason Blum, whose mandate is to produce eight feature films for Prime. Salke said she would appeal to young viewers on service with a YA-based strategy that will stem from ongoing television projects, including a college drama by "Transparent" creator Jill Soloway and a teenager who portrays the literary classic. . "Lord of flies."
Salke pointed out that the company is not interested at the moment in the production of comic strips or special effects tents, but is open to these genres. Amazon's days that have flirted with the acquisition of a large production, such as A24, may be over, but Salke said she would not miss any acquisition opportunities in the future.
"Flexibility is our base. All we want is the right thing for the good movie, "she said.
A little help from the Amazon phone directory does not hurt either.
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