EXCLUSIVE: Following the large success of Michael Showalter‘s Prime Video rom-com The Concept of You, Showalter and Jordana Mollick‘s Semi-Formal Productions has entered right into a multi-year first-look movie cope with Amazon MGM Studios, Deadline can completely reveal.
Underneath the pact, Amazon MGM could have a primary have a look at narrative options Semi-Formal Productions intends to supply for each theatrical and streaming.
Showalter and Mollick have an current relationship with Amazon MGM Studios by means of which they most lately launched The Concept of You, an adaptation of the bestseller from Robinne Lee, directed, co-written and produced by Showalter, produced by Mollick, and starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Tailored for the display screen by Showalter and Westfeldt, the movie facilities on Solène (Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mother who begins an sudden romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) — the lead singer of August Moon, the most well liked boy band on the planet — whereas at Coachella along with her daughter.
Launched on Prime Video after premiering at SXSW, the movie had warmth on it from the beginning, on the premise of the reception of its first trailer alone, which grew to become the most-watched trailer of any unique streaming function from Amazon, with greater than 125 million views. Upon its first two weeks on Prime Video, the movie attracted almost 50 million viewers, touchdown Amazon MGM Studios’ No. 1 romantic-comedy debut of all time.
On the heels of that movie, Semi-Formal has reteamed with the studio on Oh. What. Enjoyable., a vacation comedy to star Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer. We have been first to report on the venture, which is presently in manufacturing. Showalter first labored with Amazon MGM on the business and significant hit The Massive Sick, co-written by and starring Kumail Nanjiani, which received the Critics’ Selection Award for Greatest Comedy in 2018.
Said Julie Rapaport, Head of Movie, Manufacturing and Growth at Amazon MGM Studios, “Working with Michael and Jordana on a number of movies now has been a really great expertise. They’re unimaginable companions who convey coronary heart, ardour and humor to every part they do, and we are able to’t wait to proceed the collaboration.”
Added Showalter and Mollick in a joint assertion, “Working with the unimaginable and sensible Amazon crew has been an absolute dream come true and we couldn’t be extra grateful for his or her unwavering assist and deep understanding of our sensibility and the initiatives we wish to make. We couldn’t be extra thrilled to take our ‘semi-formal’ relationship to the following degree and make it formally formal.”
Based in 2018, Semi-Formal’s mission is to inform distinctive and heartfelt tales which might be edgy, modern, and socially conscious, with a give attention to unconventional lead characters. The management crew additionally consists of Head of Growth, Vice President Emily Criminal and Director of Growth Sam Newman.
On the function aspect, previous Semi-Formal initiatives embody 2x Oscar winner The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Jessica Chastain, in addition to Spoiler Alert, Focus Options’ adaptation of journalist Michael Ausiello’s bestselling 2017 memoir, starring Sally Discipline and Jim Parsons. Each of these titles have been directed by Showalter.
Emmy-nominated for his or her work on Hulu’s The Dropout, Showalter and Mollick’s Semi-Formal has additionally beforehand produced collection together with The Shrink Subsequent Door for Apple TV+ and I Love That for You for Showtime. Upcoming initiatives embody the Paramount+ serial killer drama Pleased Face, A24’s adaptation of No. 1 true crime podcasts The Girlfriends, and comedy The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh for Amazon Freevee.
Semi-Formal is represented by UTA, Artists First, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
