Amazon Studios has signed an overall TV deal with Emmy Award-winning director Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale). She will work exclusively with the studio to create original series for Amazon Prime Video.
Morano made her mark as director and executive producer on the first three episodes of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Her directing work on the show made TV history — she became the first woman ever to win the Emmy and DGA Award in the same year and was the first woman to win an Emmy for drama series directing in 22 years.
“Reed is a creative powerhouse whose distinct point of view shines through her immersive, emotional storytelling and commanding cinematic style,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re honored to partner with her to exclusively create originals for the global Prime Video audience.”
Salke has been a big supporter of female directors. In summer 2017, as president of entertainment at NBC, she launched a new initiative, Female Forward, to provide more opportunities for female directors with the goal to achieve gender parity among scripted series directors across the network. At NBC and before that at 20th Century Fox TV, Salke shepherded the development of such series as This Is Us, Glee and Modern Family.
“Jen Salke is known for elevating content and her unwavering support for the filmmaker’s vision,” Morano said. “We share the same passionate enthusiasm for breaking the mold with provocative storytelling, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve been planning to create together.”
The Emmy and DGA wins were not the first milestone achievement for Morano, who started as a cinematographer, earning Emmy nominations for her work. She was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers in 2013, making her the youngest member and one of only 14 women in an organization of approximately 345 active members.
Morano made her directorial debut with the feature Meadowland, starring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, which won the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it debuted in Dramatic Competition.
Her latest movie, I Think We’re Alone Now, starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning, opens this weekend. Morano is currently directing The Rhythm Section, a global espionage thriller starring Blake Lively and Jude Law — produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for Paramount Pictures.
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