I have to say straight away I am classing this very much in the “rumor” category and the source SciTrek got this from was very clear with us when sharing it that it is just the rumor going around the industry.
I need to be very clear on that because if true, this truly is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
So what is the rumor? Put very simply Amazon don’t have enough studio space to make all the shows it had in production before the strikes, never-mind making anything new. Several projects that were in pre-production have reportedly not been restarted since the strike and Amazon are not saying why.
Now I cannot quite understand how that could happen but that is what many in the industry are saying and it would explain quite a lot. For one thing on SciTrek we have been talking about how an announcement for a new Stargate movie was planned for SanDiego Comic Con earlier this year, this has been confirmed now by several insider sources. It was decided not to go ahead with the plan after the writers and actors unions went on strike. We have heard several rumors since about how far along pre-production this movie was and that they really were gearing up to start shooting the return of Stargate in the late summer just gone.
So why have we STILL had no announcement now the strikes have ended?
So one thing you need to understand is that Amazon don’t own many sound stages themselves, they rent a few from a company called The Hackman Group at their headquarters at Culver City. They rent several other studios normally and have partnerships with several other studios so they can produce content. For example the Boyz is produced in partnership with Sony Pictures and it is their studios that are used. However long term Amazon are working to purchase more studio space so they can produce more content themselves. Without the need for partners or expensive rented sound stage space.
Amazon now have a strong relationship with The Hackman Group, the worlds largest private owner of studio space and a company Amazon have invested heavily in over the last few years. The Hackman group built and own the headquarters and studios at Culver City and rent them to Amazon. They are also building more studios for Amazon but these wont be ready until next summer at the earliest. The group is also involved in dozens of projects all over the globe to build new studios or refurbish and upgrade older ones. This refurbishing of studio space is actually one reason why there is a shortage of studio space right now and one reason why Amazon have suddenly found themselves lacking appropriate locations to film the projects they planned to.
A shortage of studio space is of course a big reason why Amazon are struggling to get going again following the strikes ending but why aren’t they just using the studio space they had secured before the strikes? Simply put…because they chose not to secure them when the strikes started and other companies and studios secured that space for themselves, beating Amazon to the punch.
This decisions saved Amazon Studios millions of dollars, probably Tens of Millions of dollars, but is now costing them time and money.
If this rumor is true though I think there is bigger problem for Amazon… This makes them look stupid.
Amazon are still a very young studio and they have been working very hard to be seen as a proper studio, to gain the respect of Hollywood. They spent Billions of Dollars buying MGM, at least in part, for this reason. Buying one of the oldest and most respected studios with a back catalogue of some of the most loved movies and TV franchises Hollywood ever produced so they could become a more serious studio.
Not being able to restart productions that were in pre-production before the strikes as well as not being able to announce many new projects they had hoped to get into production quickly is embarrassing to say the least and there has to be a reason for it. For now Amazon seem to be keeping tight lipped and to be honest if the rumor is true and this is why they have not restarted production then I can understand why they may not wish to admit it publicly.
Additional: Since producing this video and article Deadline have reported that the WGA (Writers union) have confirmed that Amazon have not restarted several productions and opened writers rooms that their members are contracted to be working on. The reasons for this are still unknown.