In a move that Tywin Lannister would approve of, Deadline reports that e-commerce giant and burgeoning television mogul Amazon Studios has inked a first-look deal with Game of Thrones co-executive producer Vince Gerardis, a high-powered television middle man who specializes in packaging shows and movies based on the work of prominent sci-fi and fantasy authors. He’s the guy who packaged Game of Thrones as a TV show way back when, has received Emmys both times the show won Best Series, and is also serving as executive producer on the upcoming prequel show.
At the moment, Gerardis has a pretty full portfolio of intellectual property, including the work of high-powered authors like Robert Silverberg, David Brin, Greg Bear and Jack Vance, Larry Niven, Kim Stanley Robinson and Robert Heinlein. The Amazon deal would give the company the first shot at adapting this work for TV. “Vince has his fingertips on a ‘library of worlds,’” said Amazon Head of Scripted Genre Programming Sharon Yguado, “and I’m excited about the prospects of building multiple series with him.” Gerardis himself is pretty buzzed, too:
"Amazon is the perfect home for my author clients given the strong relationship between its television and book business. With scientifically-informed imaginations shaping the future, I am excited to see Amazon’s increasing commitment to high-end genre world-building."
That “increasing commitment” includes Amazon’s spending a reported $1 billion of a Lord of the Rings show, and another cool $1 billion on an adaptation of the Three Body-Problem novels by Liu Cixin. And the fact that the company even has a “Head of Scripted Genre Programming” should tell you how serious they are about moving and shaking the world of fantasy and sci-fi TV. Basically, if you have an idea for a genre show, now’s the time to pitch it.
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