Just one short week after winning the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, and garnering star Jeffrey Tambor a Globe for his portrayal of Maura on Transparent, Amazon Studios announced plans to produce and acquire original movies for theaters. The best part: early access with Amazon Prime Instant Video.
What does this really mean? Amazon's original movies will still be released in theaters like other big-budget films, but instead of waiting months and months to get it at your local Redbox, you'll be able to view them on Amazon Prime Instant Video a mere four to eight weeks later.
Amazon's already green-lit four original series for 2015, plus a second season of Transparent. According to the release, Ted Hope of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Kristen Stewart indie Adventureland , and many more films are on board for creative development.
While we're already daydreaming of nights spent in with fuzzy socks and endless bowls of popcorn, we've got to wonder if Amazon will create good programming. Yes, the company has a wonderful gem in Transparent, but can they continue to compete with the big dogs? Or will they forever be known as the go-to retailer for fast shipping and cheap college textbooks?
Guess we'll just have to wait and see.