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Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

Friday, February 23, 2018

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks Being Adpated for TV by Amazon Studios


Amazon Studios to Adapt Consider Phlebas, First Novel of the Culture Series, for Television

Dennis Kelly set to write the series, Plan B to produce

The Culture, a fictional interstellar utopian society
from author Iain M. Banks is being adapted for television for the first
time, to come to life exclusively on Prime Video

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 21, 2018-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)--Amazon Studios today announced it has acquired the global television rights to the Culture's first novel Consider Phlebas. The famed space opera by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks features Banks' fictional interstellar utopian society, the Culture. The series will be adapted by Dennis Kelly (Utopia, Matilda) with Plan B Entertainment (World War Z, 12 Years a Slave, The Big Short, Moonlight, Feud) slated to produce and the Estate of Iain Banks attached as Executive Producer.

Iain M. Banks (Photo: Business Wire)
A kinetic, action-packed adventure on a huge canvas, Consider Phlebas draws upon the extraordinary world and mythology Banks created in the Culture, in which a highly advanced and progressive society ends up at war with the Idirans, a deeply religious, warlike race intent on dominating the entire galaxy.

The story centers on Horza, a rogue agent tasked by the Idirans with the impossible mission of recovering a missing Culture 'Mind,' an artificial intelligence many thousands of times smarter than any human--something that could hold the key to wiping out the Culture altogether. What unfolds, with Banks' trademark irreverent humor, ultimately asks the poignant question of how we can use technology to preserve our humanity, not surrender it.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Amazon's Second Annual Digital Day on December 29



Amazon Announces Second Annual Digital Day--Thousands of Digital-Only Deals on December 29

Save up to 80% on over 5,000 apps, games, movies, eBooks, and more

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2017--NASDAQ:AMZN) - The second annual Digital Day will take place on Friday, December 29, offering the biggest savings of the year on digital content across Amazon. Customers will be able to access more than 5,000 deals over eight categories including movies, TV shows, mobile games, apps, eBooks, and more at amazon.com/digitalday.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Thunderbirds Are Go for Season Three


Thunderbirds Are Go for a 3rd Season premiering on April 21st on Amazon Prime.
Whenever disaster strikes, International Rescue answers the call! From their hidden island base in the south Pacific, the five Tracy Brothers pilot remarkable, cutting-edge Thunderbird vehicles from the depths of the oceans to the highest reaches of space - all for one purpose: to help others in need. International Rescue’s identities may be a closely guarded secret, but their heroism is legendary.


Friday, January 20, 2017

Amazon Studios Greenlights Comedic Apocalyptic Limited Series Good Omens


Press Release

Amazon Studios Greenlights Comedic Apocalyptic Limited Series
Good Omens

The six-part adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s and Terry Pratchett’s novel about a battle to stop the apocalypse will debut in 2018 on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2017-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios today announced it has greenlit Good Omens, an hour-long limited comedy series based on Neil Gaiman’s (American Gods) and Terry Pratchett’s (Colour of Magic) acclaimed novel of the same name. Set to debut in 2018 on Prime Video, Good Omens is a six-part series that has been entirely written by Gaiman, who will also serve as Showrunner. BBC Studios is co-producing the series with Narrativia and The Blank Corporation and in association with BBC Worldwide for Amazon Prime Video and the BBC.

Good Omens will be a global release and available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. The show will also be available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories. The show will also broadcast on the BBC in the UK, following its premiere on Prime Video.

Good Omens takes place in 2018 when the Apocalypse is near and Final Judgment is set to descend upon humanity. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, and tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming war. And…someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

“Spanning not only the universe but also the entirety of time, Neil Gaiman has created a story that may be the largest ever told on television,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy and Drama, Amazon Studios. “We’re excited to be working with BBC Studios to bring Neil’s and Terry Pratchett’s incredible book to life and to Prime members everywhere.”

Neil Gaiman, writer, said: “Almost thirty years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world, populated with angels and demons, not to mention an eleven-year-old Antichrist, witchfinders and the four horsepeople of the Apocalypse. It became many people’s favourite book. Three decades later, it’s going to make it to the screen. I can’t think of anyone we’d rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it.”

Chris Sussman, Head of Comedy, BBC Studios, said: “Good Omens has always been one of my favourite books, and it’s hugely exciting not just to be able to bring it to life, but to do so with scripts from Neil Gaiman himself. It feels like a good time to be making a comedy about an impending global apocalypse.”

Executive Producers of the series are Neil Gaiman, Caroline Skinner (Doctor Who), and Chris Sussman (Fleabag) for BBC Studios, Rob Wilkins (Choosing to Die) and Rod Brown (Going Postal) for Narrativia. Gaiman will adapt the novel for the screen.

About Amazon Video

Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:
  • Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
  • Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike-the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
  • Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
  • Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
  • Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content
In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About the authors

Neil Gaiman is the award-winning author of books, graphic novels, short stories, and films for all ages, including the Oscar-nominated Coraline. Some of his most notable titles include the groundbreaking Sandman comics series, The Graveyard Book (the only book ever to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals), and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the UK’s National Book Award 2013 Book of the Year. The film adaptation of his short story How to Talk to Girls at Parties and the television adaptation of his novel American Gods will be released in 2017. Born in the UK, he now lives in the United States.

Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which—The Colour of Magic—was published in 1983. As a young journalist, Neil Gaiman was the first person ever to interview him. Terry’s books have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal, as well as being awarded a knighthood for literature. He died in March 2015.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios is the BBC’s main TV production arm, producing bold, British, creative content for audiences in the UK and around the world, across drama, comedy, entertainment, music, events and factual, as well as radio and digital output. From Strictly Come Dancing, Planet Earth II and Doctor Who, to War and Peace, Top Gear and David Bowie: The Last Five Years, their programmes are renowned for their quality and loved by viewers. With bases across the nations and regions of the UK, BBC Studios reflects and represents diverse voices and creative talent from all around the country. BBC Studios is set to launch as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2017.

About Narrativia

Narrativia is an independent production company, launched in 2012 by Sir Terry Pratchett. The company owns and controls the exclusive multimedia and merchandising rights to all of Sir Terry’s works, including his Discworld characters and creations. With more than 85 million books sold worldwide, Pratchett’s writing has created a literary phenomenon across the globe and Narrativia protects and unites the management and development of this brand. The Executive Team, headed by Managing Director and BAFTA winning producer Rod Brown, is based in London, where he works closely with co-directors, celebrated writer Rhianna Pratchett and Terry Pratchett’s Business Manager, Rob Wilkins, who all jointly own and control Narrativia. www.Narrativia.com

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide will distribute first-run rights to Good Omens in territories where there is no Prime Video and second-run rights internationally.

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.

bbcworldwide.com
twitter.com/bbcwpress





If you'd like to read the novel (though I suspect there will be a tie-in edition for the Amazon series):

Good Omens
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Harper Torch, November, 28, 2006
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 432 pages
Hardcover, February 28, 2006

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Wednesday, December 07, 2016

Amazon Announces Best-Selling Books of 2016


Press Release


Amazon Announces Best-Selling Books of 2016

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the best-selling book of 2016 overall and in the Kids &; Teens category

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is also this year's Most Wished For and Most Gifted book

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 2016-- (NASDAQ:AMZN) - Amazon today announced its best-selling books of 2016, best-selling Kids & Teens books of 2016, as well as the Most Gifted and Most Wished For books of the year--just in time for holiday gifting. The best-selling book of the year is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2, Special Rehearsal Edition Script by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany followed by When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is also the best-selling book in the Kids & Teens category and Diary of a Wimpy Kid # 11: Double Down by Jeff Kinney is number two. Rowling's bestseller also tops the lists for both the Most Gifted and Most Wished For book of the year, confirming that Harry Potter continues to be a favorite for readers across genres. The best-selling book lists are first editions published in 2016 comprising both print and Kindle purchases. To see the full top 100 list of Amazon's best-selling print and Kindle books of 2016, visit www.amazon.com/bestsellingbooks2016.

"This year's best-selling list showcases the variety of Amazon readers' tastes, from literary fiction to thrillers to memoirs," said Chris Schluep, Amazon Senior Book Editor. "The power of Potter is still strong, and readers of all ages can't get enough of Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was the most anticipated book of the year, breaking pre-order records months before its release."

The top 20 best-selling books of 2016 overall are:

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2, Special Rehearsal Edition Script by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
  2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
  3. The Whistler by John Grisham
  4. The Last Mile (Amos Decker series) by David Baldacci
  5. Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  6. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
  7. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
  8. Night School: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
  9. The Black Widow: Book 16 of Gabriel Allon Series by Daniel Silva
  10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid # 11: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
  11. 15th Affair (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
  12. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
  13. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
  14. Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate by Gary J. Byrne
  15. The Wrong Side of Goodbye: A Harry Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly
  16. The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines
  17. The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
  18. One with You: Book 5 of A Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day
  19. The Obsession by Nora Roberts
  20. Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

More about Amazon's best-selling books of 2016:

  • A lot of adults are kids at heart. The number one best-selling book is the same in both the overall and kids categories: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is actually a script; this is the first time a play has made the top 20 best-sellers list
  • When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalathini and Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, both debut memoirs, are serious, eye-opening and a sign of our times
  • The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is the best-selling debut novel of 2016
  • Mysteries and thrillers reign supreme in 2016; nine of the of the top 20 are from that category (ten, if you count romantic suspense)

The top 20 best-selling Kids & Teens books of 2016 overall are:

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2, Special Rehearsal Edition Script by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
  2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid # 11: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
  3. The Trials of Apollo, Book 1: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
  4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
  5. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 2: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
  6. The Last Star: The Final Book of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
  7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Illustrated Edition (Harry Potter, Book 2) by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay
  8. The Crown (The Selection) by Kiera Cass
  9. Empire of Storms: Book 5 of Throne Of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
  10. Lady Midnight: Book 1 of The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
  11. Take Heart, My Child: A Mother's Dream by Ainsley Earhardt and Kathryn Cristaldi
  12. Glass Sword (Red Queen) by Victoria Aveyard
  13. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
  14. A Court of Mist and Fury: Book 2 of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  15. Gravity Falls: Journal 3 by Alex Hirsch and Rob Renzetti
  16. Calamity (The Reckoners) by Brandon Sanderson
  17. Give Please a Chance by Bill O'Reilly and James Patterson
  18. Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen
  19. The Thank You Book (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
  20. Broken Prince: Book 2 of The Royals Series by Erin Watt

Fun Facts about Amazon's best-selling Kids & Teen Books of 2016:

  • Authors Jeff Kinney and Rick Riordan have made the 20 best-selling Kids & Teens list four years in a row
  • Over half of the top 20 best-sellers are part of a series
  • Three books based in the world of Harry Potter are featured on this list, 9 years since the final book in the series was released by J.K. Rowling
  • There are only two picture books in the top 20 and both are written by FOX news anchors

To learn more about the best-selling books of the year, visit www.amazon.com/bestsellingbooks2016.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

Press Release: Introducing Prime Reading - The Newest Benefit for Prime Members


Press Release

Introducing Prime Reading - The Newest Benefit for Prime Members

Prime members are now able to read as much as they like from a selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children's books and more - all at no additional cost.

Enjoy best-selling Kindle books including The Hobbit, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Man In the High Castle, The Millionaire Next Door, Half Way Home and When I'm Gone, comics such as The Complete Peanuts Vol. 1 and Transformers: Robots in Disguise Vol. 1 as well as short works including Kindle Singles from Andy Borowitz, Stephen King, Jane Hirshfield and classic works from Gloria Steinem, Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut.

Explore current issues of premium digital magazines including Bon Appétit, National Geographic Traveler, People, Sports Illustrated, HGTV, Popular Mechanics, Golf Digest, Runner's World and more.

No Kindle device required - enjoy using the free Kindle apps for iOS and Android as well as from any Kindle or Fire tablet.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2016-- (NASDAQ: AMZN) - Amazon today introduced Prime Reading, a new reading benefit for U.S. Prime members. Prime members can now enjoy unlimited reading from a rotating selection of books, magazines, comics and more - at no additional cost. Prime Reading joins the growing list of all-you-can-eat benefits for Prime members including unlimited fast, free Prime shipping, unlimited access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, Audible Channels, early access to Lightning Deals and more. Members can start reading now by downloading the Kindle app for iOS and Android or using any Kindle or Fire tablet. To learn more about Prime Reading or start a 30-day free trial of Prime, please visit amazon.com/primereading.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

“Preview Weekend" Featuring “The Man in the High Castle” from Amazon


Amazon Announces First-Ever “Preview Weekend" Featuring “The Man in the High Castle”

Amazon announces its first-ever special “Preview Weekend” of the critically-acclaimed Amazon Original Series THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. The pilot and second episode of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE will be available for no-charge at www.amazon.com/maninthehighcastle beginning at 12am PST on Friday, October 23rd and ending at 11:59pm PST on Sunday, October 25th in the US and UK. Following the Preview Weekend, the show’s second episode will available exclusively to all Amazon Prime Members, prior to the season launch of all episodes on November 20th.

Additionally, Amazon Video is making the pilot episode of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE available to stream through sites including gaming and entertainment hub IGN (from 12am PST on 10/22 to 11:50pm PST on 10/25) and leading lifestyle publisher CraveOnline (from 9:01pm PST on 10/21 to 8:59pm PST on 11/3). The pilot of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE will also be distributed through multiple Amazon partner pages on Facebook including: Amazon - https://www.facebook.com/Amazon; Amazon Video - https://www.facebook.com/AmazonVideo; Kindle - https://www.facebook.com/kindle; IMDB - https://www.facebook.com/imdb and THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE series page https://www.facebook.com/HighCastleAmazon (from 12am PST on 10/23 to 11:59pm PST on 10/25).

All of the aforementioned will stream the pilot to the public free-of-charge.

Based on Phillip K. Dick’s Hugo Award-winning alternate history novel, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE explores what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. The official trailer is being released here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzz_6dmv03I&feature=youtu.be.

The show was developed by Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz, along with Executive Producers Ridley Scott, David Zucker, Isa Dick Hackett and David Semel - who also directs the pilot episode. The series stars Alexa Davlos, Rupert Evans, Luke Kleintank, Rufus Sewell, DJ Qualls, Joel De La Fuente and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

All episodes of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE launch on Amazon Video November 20th, exclusively for Prime members. Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.