Days after it was announced that Donald Glover was cast for a titular role in Amazon’s Mr & Mrs Smith remake, the Hollywood Reporter has reported, according to sources, that the comedian and rapper has entered an eight-figure overall deal with Amazon.
Glover has reportedly exited his pact with Disney owned FX for a multiple-year Amazon deal. The Atlanta star’s brother Stephen Glover, who works as a writer and producer on the show as well, has also signed on to an overall deal with the streaming giant, per the report. Amazon declined to comment.
Glover’s overall deal with Amazon will not affect the new seasons of FX’s Atlanta. FX has already renewed the Emmy Award-winning comedy show for a third and fourth season after the series last aired in 2018
The Amazon deal may include a curated content channel that showcases Glover’s work and content picks as part of Prime Video. Several potential projects have been reported on including Hive, a show revolving around a Beyoncé-type character from writer Janine Nabers. Hive’s writers’ room may also include Malia Obama who has been recruited to work for the series. Amazon has yet to comment on the series.
While the details of the deal are not all known, creators like Glover seem to be a prime candidate for an expansive deal. Glover has proved himself as a musician, stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. Glover has worked with Amazon Studios before on the original, Guava Island in 2019.
Several studios have opted for expansive, multi-year deals with creators in 2021. Netflix has signed them with Kevin Heart, Noah Baumbach and Nancy Kanter. HBO entered into an overall deal with writer-producer Jami O’Brien earlier this month and Amazon last week signed an overall deal with writer and director, Minhal Baig. Glover’s Mr & Mrs Smith co-star Pheobe Waller-Bridge similarly signed an overall deal with Amazon back in 2019 after her six-time Emmy win with the Amazon comedy-darling, Fleabag.
These types of deals are not new, but they may become more popular as streaming networks vie for top creatives. Creators like Glover and Waller-Bridge symbolize a mine of potential premium and award-winning content as writers, directors, producers and actors. Amazon entering into deals with creators with wide skill ranges and interesting artistic viewpoints is an interesting strategy to ensure the type of dynamic and high-quality content that users will login for.
Rosa Escandon
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