James R | On 17, Dec 2015

Amazon isn’t wasting any time at the start of 2017, kicking off its new year with the premiere of its new original series, Sneaky Pete.

Starring Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar), Marin Ireland (Side Effects), Margo Martindale (The Americans) and Michael Drayer (Mr. Robot), Sneaky Pete revolves around a con man, Marius (Ribisi), who gets out of prison only to find himself hunted by the vicious gangster he once robbed. With nowhere else to turn, he takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete, and then “reunites” with Pete’s estranged family, who don’t realise he’s not their long-lost loved one. But they have secrets and lies of their own that threaten to drag Marius into a world every bit as dangerous as the one he’s trying to escape.

Sneaky Pete was part of Amazon’s pilot season last year, before the streaming service ordered a full series. A co-production with Sony Pictures Television, it comes from Executive Producers Graham Yost (The Americans), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Michael Dinner and Fred Golan (Justified) James Degus (All The Way) and Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses).

“We’re excited that 2017 will be starting with Sneaky Pete, an inside look at the world of con artists,” says Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy and Drama, Amazon Studios. “The remarkable cast, led by Giovanni Ribisi, and innovative producers Bryan Cranston and Graham Yost have made a fantastic series that we’re excited to bring to customers.”

All episodes of the show will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 13th January in the UK, US Germany and Austria.

 

Bones and True Blood alumni join Amazon’s Sneaky Pete

4th September 2016

It’s been a while since Amazon commissioned a full series from its pilot of Sneaky Pete, but the show is quietly building the cast around its lead.

The drama, you may recall, began life as a CBS project, produced by Bryan Cranston, but was passed by the network, prompting Amazon to snap it up, subject to some reshoots.

A co-production with Sony Pictures Television, it stars Giovanni Ribisi as Marius, a con man, who, after leaving prison, takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete. He moves in with Pete’s unsuspecting family and is roped into the family’s bail bond business. In order to keep the charade up, he plays the part of a skip tracer, taking down criminals worse than himself and discovering a family life he’s never had.

Now, Ribisi has got some new company, with True Blood’s Karolina Wydra and Bones’ Pej Vahdat both booking recurring roles.

Wydra will play “an exotic, smart and strong woman who used to work with Marius pulling cons”, reports Deadline. Vahdat will play Raj Kumar Mukherjee, “an educated worldly man who likes to gamble and play cards”.

The series currently has no confirmed release date, but will arrive later this year. You can still watch the pilot on Amazon for free here.

Amazon orders full series for Sneaky Pete

4th September 2015

Update (November 2015): Amazon has now officially confirmed the full series order for Sneaky Pete.

“We are excited to bring to Amazon’s customers a new compelling series headlined by Giovanni Ribisi from the minds of David Shore and Bryan Cranston,” comments Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “Sneaky Pete is an incredible addition to Amazon’s expanding drama slate and we are eager for its premiere in 2016.”

The original news story appears below.

Amazon has ordered a full series for Sneaky Pete, following positive response to the show’s pilot episode.

The drama began life as a CBS project, produced by Bryan Cranston, but was passed by the network earlier this year, prompting a dash from rivals and streaming companies to snap it up. Amazon emerged at the front of the pack, funding reshoots and launching the show as an Amazon Original alongside another pilot, Casanova.

As is Amazon’s now-standard procedure, the hour-long episodes were released for anyone to view for free, inviting feedback and ratings from audiences to help determine whether either or both would get made.

Sneaky Pete, a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, stars Giovanni Ribisi as a con man, who, after leaving prison, takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete. He moves in with Pete’s unsuspecting family and is roped into the family’s bail bond business. In order to keep the charade up, he plays the part of a skip tracer, taking down criminals worse than himself and discovering a family life he’s never had.

Directed by Seth Gordon and written by House’s David Shore, the show also stars Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety, Libe Barer and Shane McRae.

Response was clearly promising enough, because Amazon has commissioned a whole season of the drama, according to Deadline. The site also reports that Casanova is not out of the running yet either: there has been an order for more scripts before a firm decision is made. That pilot stars Diego Luna as the 18th century playboy and is set during the time when, exiled from Venice, Casanova flees to Paris. It is directed by Oscar nominee Jean Pierre Jeunet in his first ever TV gig.

You can read our reviews of both pilots here.

Add to Watchlist