Luna’s Drama Pilot “Casanova” Headed to Amazon Instant Video

Diego Luna is ready to play(boy) on Amazon

The 35-year-old Mexican actor’s drama pilot Casanova will be made available for viewing on Amazon Instant Video in the U.S., UK and Germany on August 7.

Diego Luna

Casanova, which stars Luna as the famous playboy, was greenlighted by Amazon. Casanova chronicles a little-known period in the life of one of 18th century’s most famous playboys. Exiled from his beloved Venice, Giacomo Casanova (Luna) flees to Paris at the dawn of the Enlightenment in hopes of putting his reputation behind him. But old habits die hard, and temptation is everywhere as Casanova finds a wealth of new opportunity…and trouble.

Shot on-location in three European countries, the drama was directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet (Amelie) and written by Stuart Zicherman (The Americans).

It stars Luna, Bojana Novakovic, Miranda Richardson and Ben Daniels.

“We’re delighted to bring one of history’s most fascinating periods to life in Casanova,” said Roy Price, VP, Amazon Studios.

As usual, Amazon will take in consideration feedback from viewers, along with other data, in determining which pilots go to series.

Casanova is the first of a slew of pilots Amazon has in the pipeline, including The Good Girl Revolt, also from Sony, Trial, starring Billy Bob Thornton, EdgeThe Patriot and Zelda.

Amazon to Debut Canto’s Pilot “Hysteria” Online for Customer Feedback

Adan Canto will be bringing a little hysteria to Amazon

The electronic ecommerce site will debut its third pilot season on August 28 on Amazon Instant Video in the U.S. and the United Kingdom as well as Amazon’s instant video app.

Adan Canto

And it appears Canto’s latest project Hysteria is one of the five pilots to make the grade, with Amazon posting the pilot episodes online and inviting its customers to give their feedback.

Hysteria takes viewers to Austin, Texas, where social connection has become contagious. In the pilot, members of a girls’ competitive dance team are stricken with a strange, psycho-physiological illness that manifests itself in violent fits and spasms and then begins spreading in the community through technology.

Neurologist Logan Harlen (portrayed by Mena Suvari) returns to her hometown to investigate the cause. Fighting her own demons and the growing manipulation of a brother on death row, Logan develops an uneasy suspicion that the hysteria surrounding the girls might actually be linked to social media and her own tragic past.

The 32-year-old Mexican actor portrays Matt Sanchez in the pilot.

Written by Shaun Cassidy, known for genre thrillers like Invasion and American Gothic, and directed by Otto Bathurst, the show also stars James McDaniel, Josh Stewart, Laura San Giacomo and T.R. Knight.

 

Amazon Studios is collaborating with Universal Television and Alcon Television Group on the production of Hysteria.

Consuelos’ “Alpha House” Pilot Streaming Online

The fate of Mark Consuelospolitical-themed comedy pilot lies in your hands…

Amazon Studios has unveiled its slate of 14 pilots, including the 41-year-old half-Mexican American actor’s Alpha House project.

Mark Consuelos

The pilots have been made available for free viewing on Amazon Instant Video, LoveFilm UK and LoveFilm Germany. Viewers are invited to watch and review them on the site.

There will be “a lot of data points” in Amazon’s decision-making process as to which pilots will be picked up to series,” said Amazon Studios director Roy Price. Amazon will count how many people watched each pilot, how many watched each pilot from start to finish and how many shared it on social media. Additionally, the company will evaluate feedback from an online panel recruited on Amazon preview as well as traditional offline focus groups.

Here’s a look at the description for Amazon’s Consuelos-starrer, as well as Zombieland, starring Maiara Walsh.

Alpha House

Alpha House:

Alpha House was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Garry Trudeau. It follows four senators, including Consuelos, who live together in a rented house in Washington D.C.

Zombieland:

Based on the hit Columbia Pictures film of the same name, Zombieland finds four survivors outwitting zombies and searching for a place to call home. The pilot comes from the feature film’s original creative team, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The part of Tallahassee is played by Kirk Ward, Walsh as Wichita, Tyler Ross will play Columbus, and Izabela Vidovic has the role of Little Rock.

Click here to watch and review the pilots.