David Farnor | On 21, Jan 2019

Amazon Studios has inked an overall deal with Melanie Marnich.

The award-winning playwright, who jumped to television with HBO’s Big Love, has racked up an impressive list of shows on her CV. Marnich has been a co-executive producer on The Affair show Showtime, and held the same post on Netflix’s The OA, as well as writing The Big C for Showtime and Low Winter Sun for AMC.

Now, she’s become the latest in a long line of talents to enter into direct relationships with Amazon Studios, including Robert Kirkman, Neil Gaiman, Reed Morano, Sharon Horgan and Jordan Peele.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Amazon world and excited for what we’ll work on together,” said Marnich in a statement to Deadline, who broke the news.

That partnership will kick off with The Expatriates, Amazon’s recently ordered adaptation of the best-selling novel by Janice Y.K. Lee. Set against the backdrop of The Vertical City, the series will explore the lives of a close-knit expat community, where wealth matters, bonds are temporary and private lives are made public.

The book is being adapted to series by Alice Bell (The Beautiful Lie) and the pair will serve as co-showrunners on the project, with Nicole Kidman also on board as exec producer through her Blossom Films.

“It’s the perfect place and the ideal project for me right now, and I look forward to diving in with such a brilliant team,” added Marnich.

She will also develop new TV series for Amazon Studios to release exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

“We’re so excited to work with a producer and writer as gifted as Melanie,” commented Albert Cheng, Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios. “She is a fantastic fit with not only The Expatriates, but with the many creatively distinct and innovative voices we have at Amazon Studios. We are thrilled to have her join us.”

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