This afternoon, The Hollywood Reporter shared that THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman plans to shamble from his deal with AMC to an overall partnership with Amazon. What this means is that Kirkman and his Skybound Entertainment label will exit their longtime deal with AMC in the interest of forging a substantial two-year deal with Amazon Studios.
As per the new deal, Kirkman will develop TV projects for the Amazon Prime Video streaming platform, in addition to a first-look deal with Skybound. Bryan and Sean Furst of Skybound will oversee the projects brought to the Amazon front, along with Kirkman and David Alpert. This new situation will find Kirkman joining forces with Sharon Tal Yguado, the former head of Fox International Channels who organized the worldwide onslaught of THE WALKING DEAD and helped to bring the creator's OUTCAST to the screen as well.
Recently, Tal Yguado had stated that she believes, "Robert is a gifted storyteller who shares our passion for elevated genre storytelling that pushes boundaries,” said Tal Yguado. "Robert and the team at Skybound are some of the most innovative and fearless creatives in the business. Together, we plan to explore immersive worlds and bold ideas for Prime Video.”
In commenting on the deal, Robert Kirkman provided the following statement, "At Skybound Entertainment we strive to tell the best stories in the most unique and creative ways in an effort to always break new ground,” Kirkman said. "A forward-thinking company like Amazon is the perfect home for us. Their new foray into genre fiction has us at peak optimism for what can be accomplished during this unprecedented partnership. Sharon Tal Yguado has been an instrumental force in the success of Walking Dead and Outcast from Day 1. Being able to not only continue that relationship, but also expand it into new territory with the vast resources of Amazon, means great things are ahead for myself, David Alpert, Skybound and fans of awesome entertainment. Look out world, here we come!"
Woof! I would imagine that this came as quite the shock to AMC, the network that has been behind the televised global zombie phenomenon from patient zero. Not that it's any of my business, but I'd like to know of just how much money Amazon dumped onto Kirkman's lawn to make this deal happen. Perhaps that information is out there somewhere, though it remains inconsequential when all is said and done.
If AMC wants other properties with major comic-to screen potential, might I suggest having a chat with comic book creator Jonathan Hickman, in an effort to snag the rights to his MAHATTAN PROJECTS or EAST OF WEST series.
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