Amazon Studios has signed a first-look deal with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine entertainment.
The multi-year pact gives the streamer a look at narrative features and documentaries Imagine plans to produce following past projects they’ve collaborated on, including Lucy and Desi, Thirteen Lives And Judy Blume forever, which Prime Video will release on April 21.
Imagine, which previously had a deal with Apple also has the spy action comedy The USPS in development at Amazon Studios.
“Whether it’s a compelling drama Thirteen lives or a poignant documentary like Lucy and Desi, the Imagine Entertainment team has an incredible gift for storytelling,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said in a statement.
Grazer and Howard’s Imagine has long been one of the biggest names in Hollywood, holding one of the richest deals in town at Universal for decades before transitioning to streamer ties.
“Brian, Ron and I, along with our entire team at Imagine, including Karen Lunder, President of Imagine Features, and Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries, couldn’t be happier to have a home with Amazon and our shared desire continue to create tentpole films that inspire, uplift and entertain audiences,” Justin Wilkes, president of Imagine Entertainment, said in a statement.
As for Amazon, Imagine strikes a deal with the tech company after acquiring the MGM movie and TV studio. with its massive library of content, as part of an $8.5 billion deal and recently marked a major move into the feature film space.
MGM is home to big screen franchises including the James Bond series, which is part of the studio’s 4,000 movie title library. Amazon plans to release 12 to 15 films in theaters, with the push to the local multiplex starting this year.