Jennifer Salke out as head of Amazon MGM Studios

by Thinus Ferreira

Jennifer Salke is out as head of Amazon MGM Studios 7 years after she joined, with Mike Hopkins, head of Amazon MGM Studios announcing that Jen Salke is being given a so-called "first-look" TV and film production deal with Amazon.

Amazon MGM Studios notoriously jettisoned all African and South African production, as well as development deals, at the beginning of last year, leaving South African and Nigerian producers aghast.

Talk is however swirling within the South Africa industry that Amazon MGM Studios is working on "re-entering" the South African space, where Amazon Prime Videe remains available as a streamer alongside MultiChoice's Showmax, Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, VIU and some others.

Amazon MGM Studios apparently wanted back by April 2025 but this has been pushed later, according to industry insiders.

In a memo, Mike Hopkins writes that Jen Salke's position is being eliminated and won't be filled, with Courtenay Valenti as head of film and Vernon Sanders as head of TV who will now report directly to Mike Hopkins, with Sue Kroll who will continue with her position of global marketing across film and TV. 

"We've decided to flatten our leadership structure a bit and not fill the head of studios role. In line with Amazon's recent work to streamline reporting lines and accelerate decision making, we felt this was the best direction for our studio, which will now operate as distinct film and television studios."

More Amazon MGM Studios reorganisation is coming.

"We will be taking a couple of weeks to have thoughtful conversations with Jen's directs and others to finalise the ideal long-term structure for the Amazon MGM Studios organisation as a whole, and we'll have more to share on that work soon," Mike Hopkins wrote.

He noted that "Jen will step down from her role as head of Amazon MGM Studios in order to start a new production entity, and we’re so pleased that she'll continue to make her home right here on our lot via an overall first-look deal across both film and TV".

In a prepared statement, Jen Salke says "As I've been considering my next chapter, I've always been searching for that moment where I was positive that our work had set up Amazon MGM Studios for even more success in the long term."

"When I look at the teams we've put in place, our amazing leaders, and the incredible slate of films and shows we've got in the pipeline, I realised now is that moment.  I'm looking forward to continuing doing what I love, cultivating talent, supporting their vision, and bringing compelling stories to audiences around the world."

Amazon cutting hundreds of staff at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.

by Thinus Ferreira

Amazon is cutting hundreds of staffers worldwide, starting in North America, at its Amazon Prime Video streaming service as well as its Amazon MGM Studios American trade publications and Reuters report.

In 2023 Amazon got rid of over 27 000 workers and confirmed it will let several hundred more go.

"We've identified opportunities to reduce or discontinue investments in certain areas while increasing our investment and focus on content and product initiatives that deliver the most impact," Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, emailed staffers on Wednesday.

Jennifer Salke, Amazon MGM Studios head, in an email told staffers that "like any organization, we continue to look deeply at our business, self-reflect on our strategies, and be insightful about our investments across Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Freevee".

"While we will continue to make significant content investments and deliver a robust slate, it’s also important that we continue to focus on becoming more operationally efficient and coordinated in driving success across our business. As Mike shared this morning, we have made difficult decisions to eliminate some roles across Amazon MGM Studios."

She added "we have taken a deep look at our Local Originals business and are focusing our resources in the places where we believe they can have the largest impact for customers".

"All impacted employees in the Americas have been notified this morning (PST), and most other regions will be notified on these headcount reductions and changes in strategy by the end of the week."

"We are following local processes, which may include time for consultation with employee representative bodies, possibly resulting in longer timelines to communicate in some countries. I know this news is difficult and impacts you all in different ways."

"Change is always hard and decisions to lose valued employees are not ones we take lightly," Jennifer Salke wrote.

"As shared this morning, we remain very optimistic about the long-term future of Amazon MGM Studios and continue to make significant investments towards making Prime the most loved entertainment hub for customers globally."

"For those teams who have been impacted by these strategic changes and headcount reductions, I want to thank you all for the hard work and results you have driven for our business."

It's not yet clear how Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Prime Video staffers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa might be affected.

Amazon Prime Video plans to introduce and roll out its ad tier on 29 January to all Amazon Prime Video subscribers with advertisements which will appear in scripted programming for the first time. Subscribers who don't want to see ads will have to pay more for a higher subscription tier.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power lures 25 million viewers for its debut to Amazon Prime Video.

by Thinus Ferreira

In a first-ever for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video announced viewership figures, saying that its new fantasy drama series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power which made its debut on Friday, attracted 25 million global viewers on its first day.

It is the first time Amazon Prime Video has ever revealed viewership data for its content, with the first season, set during the Second Age, costing $465 million - a price production price tag that makes it the world's most expensive TV show ever.

The 25 million viewers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power across 240 countries and territories worldwide, breaks all previous viewership records for Amazon Prime Video and marks its biggest premiere in the history of this streaming service.

"It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories - among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre - have led us to this proud moment," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement.

"I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate – and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew - for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy.  And it is the tens of millions of fans watching – clearly as passionate about Middle-earth as we are – who are our true measure of success."

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power made its debut with two episodes on Friday with the first season which will have its season finale on 14 October. 

After the first season was filmed in New Zealand, the second season of an envisioned five season series is currently in production in the United Kingdom.

FIRST LOOK. Lord of the Rings drama series unveils first image, fantasy series will start on Amazon Prime Video on 2 September 2022.

by Thinus Ferreira

The most expensive TV series yet, the as-yet-untitled Lord of the Rings drama series, has unveiled a first look image of the production with Amazon Prime Video that revealed that the first season will start on 2 September 2022 on the video streaming service.

According to Amazon Studios, filming on the first season of the multi-season Lord of the Rings series wrapped on Monday 2 August in Auckland, New Zealand.

According to Amazon Prime Video, the Lord of the Rings series takes place during the so-called Second Age of J.R.R. Tolkien's book series, placing it a thousand years before the events of the Third Age in the Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit which were turned into films.

Since several of the fantasy creatures within his fantasy universe have very long lifespans, the series will follow an ensemble of characters that will include new faces but some who are also "familiar" and likely younger than what they were in the films. 

While there is peace in the land and mankind lives in on Númenor, "the kingdom of Men", that has been established on an island brought up out of the sea by the Valar in the early Second Age, the multi-season series filmed in New Zealand will build towards the "long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-Earth".

Previously Amazon Studios said that the series "will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness" - a clear allusion that viewers might get to experience the origin story of the Dark Lord Sauron. 

Amazon Prime Video is available in South Africa at R79.99 monthly and offers a free 7-day trial.

 It can also be accessed through the app on MultiChoice's DStv Explora decoder although DStv subscribers will have to pay Amazon directly and not through their DStv bill, while Vodacom offers its subscribers 6 months of Amazon Prime Video for free and thereafter R79.99 monthly.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings series that would have started this year before the global coronavirus pandemic delayed TV and film productions worldwide, will now start on Friday 2 September 2022 and be available in 240 countries and territories, with new episodes that will be released weekly.

It means that the TV series will start 85 years after J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937.

A first look still image from the first episode - of which Amazon is deliberately not identifying the character dressed in white in a field or the pastoral setting - depicts a utopian-like city built on a hill with white stone, waterfalls and lush vegetation. 

"The journey begins 2 September 2022 with the premiere of our original The Lord of the Rings series on Prime Video," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement.

"I can't express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth. Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life."

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are the showrunners on the series that is produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.

"As Bilbo says, 'Now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey'. Living and breathing Middle-earth these many months has been the adventure of a lifetime. We cannot wait for fans to have the chance to do so as well," said J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay in the statement.

The ensemble cast of the Lord of the Rings series includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman and Sara Zwangobani.

ALSO READ: My precious! Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series will be the world’s most expensive ever at over R6.68 billion - for just the first season.

ALSO READ: Amazon Studios' Lord of the Rings fantasy drama series will be set during the Second Age and include the island of Númenor.

ALSO READ: Yes my precious, new Lord of the Rings map starts to provide tantalising clues to not just where - but when - Amazon Prime Video's fantasy drama series will be set.

Amazon Prime Video cancels The Man in the High Castle, upcoming 4th season will be its last.

Amazon Prime Video has cancelled its historical science fiction drama series, The Man in the High Castle, with the upcoming fourth season that will be its last.

The final season is currently being filmed in Vancouver and will wrap next month. 

The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick's 1962 novel, depicted an alternate Earth history where Germany and the Nazis won the Second World War and ruled the larger part of what used to be the United States.

"We are incredibly proud of all of the hard work from the massively talented executive producers, cast, crew, and everyone who has worked on The Man in the High Castle over the years," says Jennifer Salke, Amazon Studios boss, in a statement.

"With production ongoing on our fourth and final season, we can't wait for fans to see how this final chapter in the story unfolds."

"The Man in the High Castle helped define Amazon Prime Video in the genre space and we are grateful and excited that we’ll continue to be in business with Isa and Electric Shepherd Productions for future Philip K. Dick adaptations."

Isa Dick Hackett, executive producer, says "It has been a great privilege to work alongside our extraordinary High Castle team, in partnership with David Zucker and Scott Free, to bring my father's classic novel to life, particularly during this tumultuous period in our real world".

"I believe fans will be thrilled and satisfied by the epic conclusion we have in store for them. I am very grateful for the ongoing support from Amazon as we produce this final season, and look forward to building on this extremely successful partnership."

David Zucker, executive producer, says "The undertaking of High Castle has been simply extraordinary from the start: the seven years it took to land an ideal home at Amazon - the behind-the-scenes artistry which has been as awe-inspiring to experience as hopefully the work on-screen so powerfully delivered - and an audience whose high standard to meet was our unyielding goal".

In the fourth and final season, The Man in the High Castle will be rocked by war and revolution.

The Resistance becomes a full-blown rebellion, driven by Juliana Crain's (Alexa Davalos) visions of a better world. A new Black insurgent movement emerges to fight the forces of Nazism and imperialism.

As empires teeter, Chief Inspector Takeshi Kido (Joel De La Fuente) will find himself torn between his duty to his country and the bonds of family. Meanwhile, Reichsmarschall John Smith (Rufus Sewell) will be drawn towards the portal the Nazis have built to another universe, and the tantalizing possibility of stepping through a gateway to the path not taken.

Amazon Studios renews its Jack Ryan spy thriller series on Amazon Prime Video with John Krasinksi for a third season.

Amazon Studios has renewed its spy thriller series, Jack Ryan, on Amazon Prime Video for a third season.

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, says the first season that became available in August 2018 worldwide on the global streaming service, has been successful.

Jack Ryan is produced by Carlton Cuse and writer Graham Roland and produced by Platinum Dunes, Skydance Media and Paramount TV, based on the Tom Clancy hero with John Krasinski in the lead role as a CIA analyst.

The upcoming second season will follow Ryan as he confronts "the forces in power in a dangerous, declining democratic regime in South America".

Amazon Studios commissions 20 returning and new international scripted and non-scripted series: 'We know that customers want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries'.

Amazon Prime Video has announced that it has commissioned 20 further returning and new international scripted and non-scripted series, saying that the global video streaming service "knows that customers want tos ee authentic stories set in their own countries".

Amazon's new slate that will be produced around the world, include series in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico as the global video streaming ramps up production while it competes with rivals like Netflix.

Amazon Prime Video is currently available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, including South Africa, where it competes with the likes of streaming services like Netflix South Africa, MultiChoice's Showmax, Acorn TV, TV2GO and others.

"We're delighted to announce the commissioning of more than 20 new and returning series, to be produced in 7 countries across three continents around the world," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement.

"We know that customers watching Prime Video everywhere want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries, and to invest in characters that can reflect their own experiences and diversity. We're excited and committed to amplifying the voices of storytellers from all over the world and to bring their visions to life for our viewers worldwide."

James Farrell, head of international originals at Amazon Studios, says "We know our worldwide audience is thirsty for local shows from the best local voices, and we've already seen a great customer reaction from Prime Original international series such as the UK's The Grand Tour and All or Nothing: Manchester City, Germany's You Are Wanted, India's Breathe and Mirzapur, Mexico's Un extraño enemigo and LOL: Last One Laughing and Japan's Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental".

"As well as delighting local audiences, we're excited to showcase the work of these talented local writers, directors, producers and actors to be enjoyed by an international audience of more than 100 million Prime members worldwide."

New Amazon Prime Original series include:

The Power (United Kingdom)

A contemporary global 1o-episode thriller written and created by British author Naomi Alderman, and based on Alderman’s international best-selling and award winning novel. 

The Power will be produced by Sister Pictures and is executive produced by Jane Featherstone. It will be shot on-location around the world and will launch worldwide.

La Templanza (Spain)

The new Spanish Prime Original drama La Templanza is a dramatic love story set in the 1860's spanning Mexico, Cuba, London and Spain. 

The series is based on the eponymous bestselling novel by María Dueñas produced by Atresmedia Studios. La Templanza will go into production in 2019 and launch worldwide.

El Cid (Spain)

Created and produced by Zebra Producciones and written by Luis Arranz and Adolfo Martinez, the new Spanish Prime Original series, El Cid, retells from a contemporary perspective the story of the most famous Spaniard in history, a man trapped between two worlds and two cultures. 

A nobleman, a hero, a mercenary, a vassal, but also a man who could have been king. El Cid was centuries ahead of his time and became transcended by his own legend. Production will start in 2019 and it will launch worldwide.

Untitled drama series (Italy)

Written by Italian writers Nicola Guaglianone and Menotti, the first ever Italian Prime Original drama series is a crime drama set in Milan in the late eighties which tells the story of a shy, insecure teenager who becomes the youngest member of the mafia, not for money, ambition or the desire of power, but to win the love of her father. 

Produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani's Wildside for Amazon Studios, the show will begin filming in 2019 and launch worldwide.

Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (Germany)

A new German Prime Original series, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, is based on the controversial 1978 autobiographical book of the same name [We Children of Bahnhof Zoo]. 

Adapted for television under head writer Annette Hess, this new series tells the story of Christiane F. and her dysfunctional friends, who as teenagers descend into the gritty drug scene of 1970’s West-Berlin.

Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo is a modern re-telling of a shocking but compelling story. The series will go into production in 2019 and will only be released in Germany.

Bandish Bandits (India)

A new Indian Prime Original, Bandish Bandits is a romantic musical created by Still and Still Media Collective. 

Directed by Anand Tiwari and written by Amritpal Singh Bindra, Bandish Bandits is a young, dynamic love story between Radhe, a skilled Indian classical singer shackled by centuries of tradition and Tamanna, a free-spirited pop star who makes up for her mediocre talent with her skills as a seasoned performer. It will launch in 2019 worldwide..

The Last Hour (India)

Created and directed by Amit Kumar with Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia as executive producer, The Last Hour is a crime thriller with a supernatural twist set in a small picturesque hill station in the Himalayas. 

The Last Hour will go into production in January 2019 and will launch worldwide.

Untitled drama thriller series (India)

Created by Sudip Sharma and produced by Clean Slate Films, this new series is an investigative thriller that also acts as a scathing commentary of modern day Indian society and politics. 

The series will go into production in February 2019 and launch worldwide.

Untitled drama series (India)

This youth-focused political drama from writer/producer/director Ali Abbas Zafar explores the dark corners of Indian politics. 

Where powerful politicians, and those who aspire to be, sow chaos and manipulate others to control the country, ruthless pragmatism contrasts with the frustrations and aspirations of contemporary India and the ideals of the country’s youth. The series will go into production in March 2019 and launch worldwide.

Untitled Reality series (India)

Produced by OML, the reality series is a comedy talk-show hybrid where celebrities try their hand at stand-up comedy for the first time. The show is created and hosted by comedian Sapan Verma. India only.

Comicstaan (Tamil) (India)

A reality show looking for the next big Tamil stand-up comedian. India only.

El Presidente (Mexico)

Produced by director Pablo Larrain's production company Fabula, a true-crime series inspired by the real-life characters and events behind the 2015 “FIFA Gate” corruption scandal.  The series explores the scandal from the angle of a small‐time Chilean football club president who rises from obscurity to become a key player in a multi-million dollar bribery conspiracy. El Presidente will go into production in 2020 and launch worldwide.

Untitled sci-fi/horror comedy (Mexico)

This new series takes viewers through a rollercoaster horror story with high doses of suspense and dark humour throughout an apocalyptic battle of epic proportions. 

With production set for 2019 from Dynamo and Red Creek Productions it will launch worldwide.

El Juego de las Llaves (Mexico)

A comedy about long-term monogamy, self-realization and desire, set in modern-day Mexico City. The series follows four long-lasting couples who are friends that one day decides to swing. In the comedic aftermath, each character must face the impact of the decision they've made on their relationship and personal outlook on sexuality. Will launch worldwide.

Untitled Political Thriller series (Mexico)

Mexico City plays the backdrop to an intense and intertwining story comprised of politicians, assassins, government spies and drug cartels all clashing in a struggle to seize control of the leadership of both Mexico’s government and its underworld. The series is currently in production and will launch in 2019 worldwide.

Como Sobrevivir Soltero (Mexico)

A one-hour dramedy series is a fictionalized take on the life of Mexican actor Sebastian Zurita and a group of his millennial friends who are all unlucky in love. Rich with dramatic comedy, this Spanish language series set in Mexico City explores the highs and lows of what it's like to be single and searching for love in a macho Mexican culture that is rapidly evolving. The series enters the world of Sebastian, an actor whose life seems perfect until one day he discovers his fiancé is cheating on him.

Will begin production in 2019 and launch worldwide.

Untitled Social Issue series (Japan)
A new social issue documentary series for Japan only.

  

The Bachelorette  (Japan)

A local version of the American reality dating competition for Japan only.

  

Mirzapur Season Two (India)

This drama series tells the journey of two brothers lured by the idea of power only to be consumed by it. Mirzapur is an amped-up portrayal of India’s heartland and youth - a world replete with drugs, guns, and lawlessness, where caste, power, egos and tempers intersect and violence is the only way of life. The show will go into production in 2019 and launch worldwide.

Hitoshi Matsumoto presents Documental Season Seven (Japan)

Variety game show for Japan only. 10 people enter a room and anyone who laughs gets evicted.

LOL: Last One Laughing Season Two (Mexico)

A version of the variety game show for Mexico only. 

Diablo Guardian Season Two (Mexico)

Adapted from Xavier Velasco’s award-winning novel of the same name, Diablo Guardian will return for season two, following the troubling story of Violetta, an adolescent from Mexico who is frustrated with her life and in a moment of desperation steals $100 000 from her parents and crosses the border to reach New York City, where she has fantasized about starting a new life.

Instead of a living a dream, Violetta is awoken to a harsh reality when she runs out of money, sending her into the arms of the villainous Nefastófeles. The second season will launch worldwide in 2020.

The Grand Tour Season Four (United Kingdom)

The lifestyle magazine car show's fourth season will see Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May ditch the tent and take on big adventure road trips.

Amazon Studios promotes James Farrell to head of international originals.

Amazon Studios has promoted James Farrell who was the head of content for international expansion to the newly-created position of head of international originals, effective immediately.

James Farrell in his newly-created position will lead all of Amazon's international original production divisions in Japan, India, Europe, Mexico, Brazil, as well as in all future Amazon hubs.

"We've had significant success in this area to date and, by streamlining our International Originals Team under one creative leader, we can strategically carry out our ambitious global vision and ensure our future growth,"says Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, who James Farrell will now report to.

"Breakout ideas can come from creators all over the world and, by ramping up global production and making Amazon Studios the home for creators worldwide, the possibilities are endless in terms of what we can bring our Prime Video audience," Jennifer Salke says in a statement.

James Farrell in the statement says "The opportunity around the world to find top quality original content and deliver it to Amazon's global customer base is absolutely huge".

"Our goal is to search out the most unique voices throughout the world and then move quickly to help bring their visions to life."

"We're committed to finding the best stories, no matter their country of origin, and will be casting a wide net and moving very fast in the months and years ahead. There's nothing I enjoy more than talking with creators in their offices and homes around the world, and it's very exciting to be taking on this new role at Amazon Studios."

Current Amazon Studios international originals include Breathe and Inside Edge in India, Documental in Japan, Extrano Enemigo in Mexico and You Are Wanted in Germany.

Amazon Prime Video revives the survival-adventure race reality series Eco-Challenge, this time with Bear Grylls and MGM's Mark Burnett producing.

Amazon Studios has decided to revive the survival-adventure race reality series Eco-Challenge, picking up the show that this time will feature survivalist Bear Grylls and MGM's Mark Burnett producing.

The new Eco-Challenge that originally ran on the Discovery Channel since 1995 for 8 years, will now roll out on Amazon Prime Video worldwide.

The location for Eco-Challenge 2019 that will be filmed in September 2019 hasn't been revealed but the producers will choose 50 to 60 teams from 20 to 25 different countries, who have to consist out of 4 people each and with every team including men and women.

If someone from a team quits in what is billed as "the toughest global outdoor multi-sport endurance race on Earth", the whole team gets eliminated.

In the 10-episode season, contestants will take part in whitewater rafting, mountaineering, horseback riding, scuba diving, mountain biking and more across 563 kilometres.

"[Eco-Challenge] started my entire TV career and afforded me my first Emmy. I’ve been asked one question over and over. When is it coming back? Now it is," says Mark Burnett who is also MGM Worldwide Television Group chairperson," in a statement.

"With Bear Grylls at the helm and the Amazon Prime Video team delivering it to a worldwide audience, we will make an amazing team, and the audience will see that this little race eats Ironmen for breakfast."

"Mark Burnett and Bear Grylls are a dream pairing when it comes to the world of ultimate survival.  The stakes and the emotions will run high for the teams on Eco-Challenge 2019," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.

"Our Prime Video audience is in for a high-octane edge-of-your-seat experience as these fierce competitors find their limits and are asked to push beyond them in an adventure unlike any other."

Bear Grylls says "Eco-Challenge is the ultimate survival-adventure race, against the elements, against the clock, and against some of the greatest extreme athletes the world has ever seen".

Eco-Challenge 2019 is produced by MGM Television with Mark Burnett and Lisa Hennessy executive producing. Bear Grylls is also an executive producer.

Amazon order fantasy series, The Wheel of Time based on Robert Jordan's books for Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon has given a series order to an adaptation of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, making it the second big TV series that will be coming to Amazon Prime Video following the already announced The Lord of the Rings series.

The Wheel of Time series first published in 1990 has sold over 90 million books worldwide and is set in a sprawling fantasy world where magic exists although only women are capable of using it.

The hour-long action-fantasy episodes of The Wheel of Time will be produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios with Rafe Judkins as executive producer, and roll out on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories.

The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organisation called the Aes Sedai as she starts a dangerous journey with five young men and women.

Moiraine believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful person, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism.

"The Wheel of Time is endlessly fascinating and resonates hugely with fans as one of the best-selling global properties, and we were drawn to its timely narrative featuring powerful women at the core," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios in a statement and who spoke in London at the Amazon Prime Video Presents showcase.

"We're thrilled to extend our relationship with devotees who've found the book series transformative and welcome new ones by bringing it to life on Prime Video for viewers worldwide."

"Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved 14 books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don't take it lightly," says Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series at Amazon Originals.

"We believe that Rafe's personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans."

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to produce The Wheel of Time with our friends at Amazon," says Chris Parnell, Sony Pictures Television co-president.

"In Rafe Judkins, we've found a brilliant visionary that is a true fan of the books and ready to bring Robert Jordan’s world to life."

Rafe Judkins says "for so many people, including me, this book series has served as a world to escape to, to lose yourself in, to devour and inhabit completely. And I couldn't be more honoured to be the one finally bringing that world to life on screen, for old fans to lose themselves in all over again and new fans to discover for the very first time".

A GREAT DAY IN SALEM. Days of Our Lives on SABC3 renewed for a 52nd season in America.

The American weekday soap Days of Our Lives broadcast in South Africa on the SABC's SABC3 at late night has been renewed for a 52nd season.

In January this year Days of Our Lives passed 13 000 episodes and is produced by Corday Productions Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television.

"It's a great day in Salem!," says Ken Corday, Days of Our Lives executive producer in a statement, announcing the renewal.

"We're pleased to announce that after more than 51 years in the hearts and homes of our amazing fans, Days of our Lives will continue".

We are grateful to our incredible network and longstanding partner Sony for their continued support, and we look forward to what the future will bring under the new creative direction of the show. I'm especially proud to be able to shepherd Days of Our Lives into the new season, continuing my parents dream and the show's legacy."

Jennifer Salke, NBC Entertainment president says "We feel so privileged to be able to continue the remarkable legacy of Days of our Lives. We thank Ken Corday and his team for their incredible accomplishments and look forward to all the stories from Salem that will continue to unfold".

Steve Kent, Sony Pictures Television senior executive vice president for programming says: "Days of Our Lives Lives has a legacy of rich storytelling that has traveled across generations".

"Ken Corday and the cast and crew continue to deliver dynamic storylines and unforgettable performances, and we are proud to continue to bring this award-winning series to audiences both in America and around the world."

BREAKING. Days of Our Lives renewed for another year; soap will remain on the air until September 2014.

Days of Our Lives, the American soap seen in South Africa on weekdays at 17:30 on SABC3 has been renewed for another year which means its contract from 2013 gets extended until 2014.

Days of Our Lives has the lowest viewership in America of the four last remaining soap operas on television in that country and the announcement follows the news on Monday when Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of the NBC network told TV critics that he thinks that "Days is going to stick around".

Days of Our Lives is produced for NBC by Sony Pictures Television and its contract which ended in September 2013 was extended by another year.

"The long-running soap has been renewed through September 2014," says Jennifer Salke, the president of NBC Entertainment in a just-issued press statement.

"We are thrilled to announce that Days of Our Lives is not going anywhere," says the statement calling Days of Our Lives which started in 1965 "one of the most historic brands in television".

"We commend Ken Corday and the entire creative team on continuing to keep the stories and characters fresh, exciting and relevant year after year."

''Days of our Lives has maintained a loyal and dedicated fan base for more than four decades and continues to reach a new generation of viewers," says Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures Television.

"After so many years in the homes and hearts of our loyal fans, I'm both humbled and elated to say it's 2013 and we're still going strong, says Ken Corday. "I am equally proud that the sense of family which my mom and dad established in our show 48 years ago, is still what drives it today. As we celebrate our 12 000th episode with an amazing cast and great support from our network, we look forward to what's yet to come!"