David Farnor | On 22, Sep 2018

Amazon has inked an overall deal with The Handmaid’s Tale director Reed Morano.

Morano, who has impressed at the helm of episodes of Halt and Catch Fire and Billions, became the first woman to bag the Emmy and DGA prize for directing drama last year, with a double win for Offred, the pilot episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. She went on to direct and exec-produce the first three episodes of Hulu’s groundbreaking, powerful drama.

Now, she’s signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios to create original series for Amazon Prime Video.

“Reed is a creative powerhouse whose distinct point of view shines through her immersive, emotional storytelling and commanding cinematic style,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, in a statement announcing the agreement. “We’re honored to partner with her to exclusively create originals for the global Prime Video audience.”

It marks the latest in a concerted push by Amazon to support female filmmakers, something that has come to define Salke’s impressive career. Before becoming the head of Amazon Studios, she launched the Female Forward initiative at NBC to achieve gender parity among scripted series directors across the directors. Amazon Studios, meanwhile, have inked a first look deal with Picnic at Hanging Rock’s Larysa Kondracki, and overall agreements with Gilmore Girls creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan, and Transparent’s Jill Soloway.

“Jen Salke is known for elevating content and her unwavering support for the filmmaker’s vision,” commented Morano. “We share the same passionate enthusiasm for breaking the mold with provocative storytelling, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve been planning to create together.”

Add to Watchlist