The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman now batting for Amazon Studios to develop new shows
Amazon has teamed up with Robert Kirkman, the comic book creator who has seen his Walking Dead property adapted into a leading TV show on AMC.
Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman now batting for Amazon Studios with new content partnership
Amazon hopes to develop science fiction, fantasy and horror programming for Prime Video with the help of Kirkman and his company Skybound Entertainment. It also gets first look at his upcoming adaptions and TV projects.
Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series at Amazon Studios, said: “Robert is a gifted storyteller who shares our passion for elevated genre storytelling that pushes boundaries.
“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.”
Kirkman added: “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.
“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 one. 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.”
Kirkman's move to an online-first medium brings into question the future of TV as we know it, especially in the context of numerous other moves. It comes a mere seven days after Netflix snapped up another leading independent comic book house, Mark Millar’s Millarworld, the studio behind Kingsman, Kick-Ass and Wanted.
Just today, Netflix showed how it was getting past Disney’s decision to remove its content from the platform and go it alone in the subscription space instead of being wholly reliant on third-party distribution. The streaming service snapped up long-time ABC showrunner Shonda Rhimes, the mind behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.