Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green team for Amazon comedy pilot
Retired moviemaker Steven Soderbergh continues his quest to take over the small screen. Amazon announced Monday that it has added a comedy pilot, “Red Oaks,†executive produced by Soderbergh and directed by fellow indie auteur David Gordon Green, to its third annual pilot season.
Written by Soderbergh’s producing partner Gregory Jacobs and screenwriter Joe Gangemi, “Red Oaks†is a coming-of-age comedy set in 1985. It stars Craig Roberts, best known for his lead role in the British film “Submarine,†as David, a college student working a summer job as an assistant tennis pro at a suburban New Jersey country club. It co-stars Paul Reiser, Richard Kind and Jennifer Grey. Green, Gangemi and Jacobs are also attached as executive producers.
“To be able to collaborate with Steven, David and Greg, three of the most highly regarded creators in Hollywood, is an absolute pleasure,†said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios. “‘Red Oaks’ brings together not only top-notch talent, but also a hilarious and wonderfully written script that we think our customers will enjoy seeing come to life later this year.â€
In the unique Amazon model, customers get to play the role of development executive, voting on which pilots should ultimately receive a full-series order. Previous winners include the political satire “Alpha House†and the Silicon Valley comedy “Betas,†both of which are available to stream via Amazon Prime.
The Amazon pilot is but the latest small-screen project for the busy Soderbergh, who recently announced an anthology series based on his 2009 film “The Girlfriend Experience†for Starz and whose 10-episode series “The Knick†premieres next month on Cinemax. Green, who made his name with earnest low-budget dramas like “George Washington†and “All the Real Girls†before venturing into stoner comedies “Pineapple Express†and “Your Highness,†has lately focused his energies on television, directing numerous episodes of the HBO series “Eastbound & Down.â€
Previously announced projects for this Amazon pilot season include the Whit Stillman dramedy “The Cosmopolitans,†“Hand of God†with Ron Perlman, “Really,†created by and starring Jay Chandrasekhar, and the Mena Suvari thriller “Hysteria.â€
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