After debuting quite a few disappointing original pilots to kick off their attempt at running a video streaming site, it looks like Amazon is trying one more time to make their Prime Instant Video as great as Netflix is with David Fincher and House of Cards—this time by hiring some seriously acclaimed writers to pen new shows.
According to the LA Times, Amazon has picked up three new pilots from the likes of Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Jill Soloway, and Jeremy Garelick. They're also rumored to be in talks with The X-Files creator Chris Carter, but this is not confirmed.
The new shows are reportedly all comedy pilots. The first, which hails from Coppola and Schwartzman (who are cousins, for the record) along with Tony-nominated writer/director Alex Timbers, is titled Mozart in the Jungle, and is "based on oboist Blair Tindall's memoir, which explores the world of sex, drugs and classical music behind the curtains at a symphony."
The second, from Garelick and 30 for 30's Jon Weinbach, is titled The Outlaws, and will follow "the ins and outs of a professional football team from the perspectives of the players and coaches."
The third is from Soloway, titled Transparent, and will follow a man (Jeffrey Tambor) who reveals a huge secret to his family. "Coming from Six Feet Under and watching a series start off with a father dying, the patriarch dying, how cool would it be to start off a series where a new family member is being born?" Soloway told the LA Times. "Where the patriarch is actually being reborn as a matriarch."
No word on when to expect the shows to be available on Amazon's Prime Instant Video, but, like with the last batch of new shows, customers will be invited to review the pilots before they go to series.
[via LA Times]
