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The TV adaptation of “Fallout” and Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” were both nominated for Emmys in drama categories on Wednesday. Amazon MGM Studios CEO Jennifer Salke TV station manager Vernon Sanders It’s a celebration of Amazon’s unprecedented position with two shows up for the top award this year.
Salke and Sanders variety The 62 total nominations for Amazon and MGM Studios have been announced, including other nominees from the studio, such as Fallout with 17 nods, Mr. & Mrs. Smith with 16 nods, and the LGBTQ romantic comedy Red, White and Royal Blue in the TV movie category.
Immediately after Emmy Awards As a big fan of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” did you expect “Fallout” to do similarly, or were you still cautious about awards reactions to video game film adaptations and genre TV shows?
Vernon Sanders: I have to give credit to the producer, Jonah. [Nolan] Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner, Todd Howard. From the moment the material started coming in, we knew this was something really special, irreverent, and unique. It’s nothing like The Last of Us, so we didn’t know how it was going to turn out. But we knew it was something really special. One of the reasons we’re so proud of this show is that it’s been so well-received by video game fans. It’s all part of the story. [“Fallout” video game studio] Thank you to Bethesda and the producers for making this truly a love letter to the original, which is really hard to do, so it’s just the happiest thing for the show to be received this way by critics and across the industry.
Jennifer Salke: It’s really exciting to see genre TV shows being recognized like this, and it’s also exciting to see how focused we are on shaping the future of large-scale global programming with originality, excellence and execution that’s based on beloved IP from both the gaming and book worlds. It’s very encouraging. It’s gratifying to see these shows and movies become hits around the world, and that’s our greatest joy – to see them captivate audiences around the world and be recognized like this.
Will Fallout Season 2 continue with the same cast, or will it switch to an anthology format and feature a variety of Bethesda/Microsoft The “Fallout” video game series?
Salke: We are committed to the journey with our beloved characters and we have a fantastic season 2 coming up.
Sanders: Luckily, this has been the vision from the beginning. I think we’re ahead of schedule in terms of being able to pick up season 2 again. We don’t have an exact start date yet, but we already have the scripts in hand. I think fans of season 1 are really going to love the direction we’re taking season 2.
Salke: We’ve heard some talk about whether this is an anthology, and certainly there are a lot of doors in this that we can walk through, and that’s the beauty of this IP, but we’re committed and on this journey with the characters that we met and loved in Season 1.
Does the Emmy nomination for Fallout inspire you to do more video game film adaptations in the future?
Sanders: It takes the right combination of feeling like the work is special and unique in its field, a true partnership with an IP creator who knows how to express it, and a visionary voice, both a visionary writer and creator. Luckily, we feel like we’ve found some really deserving ones in this space. We’ve already announced Tomb Raider, which we’re very excited about, and there are a few other things that are definitely making inroads. Sooner or later, you may hear about new ones, but we always act carefully and wisely. That’s the model, so we’re not in a rush, and each one needs its own reason.
Latest information PlayStation’s God of War TV series?
Salke: Stay tuned! We love God of War.
What do you think about “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” being nominated in multiple categories?
SalkeThis is another example of a very creator-driven project for us.
Sanders: Donald came with Francesca. [Sloane]Atlanta crime buddies, had a clear vision that they wanted the “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” brand to be an avenue for relationship investigations.
Salke: And marriage. Donald talked a lot about marriage, and the realities of marriage. So it just felt very character-driven overall. It’s not coming from a “hot couple of spies and assassins” that comes across easily. It was a character-driven relationship study. And the tone is just fantastic. And the writing, and [director] Hiro Murai did an amazing job and I’m so happy he was nominated in addition to the amazing guest cast.
There have been rumors as to whether Donald and Maya will reprise their roles in Season 2. Will that happen?
Sanders: That’s interesting to hear!
Salke: Seems like it’s everyone’s biggest concern!
Sanders: All we can tell you is that Donald and Maya shared their vision for Season 2, and we’re super excited about it. It’s imaginative and really unpredictable.
Salke: I think it gives the audience everything they want.
With “Red, White and Royal Blue” being nominated, what are the plans for a sequel? Have you seen the script yet?
Salke: We’re really excited. We’re obsessed with the second movie and can’t wait. The creative is amazing and we’re so proud of the first movie and the nominations. This morning, I [producers] “We’re all so proud of Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Matt Lopez, and of course we love this movie so much that we’re committed to the sequel and can’t wait to share it with the world.”
What does this nomination mean for the future of Amazon’s romantic comedies?
Salke: I think that’s very meaningful. If you look at the viewership numbers for us and for Anne Hathaway and for this film, “The Idea of You,” it’s clear that audiences are craving romantic comedies, and really well-made romantic comedies. They’re not looking for the bare minimum. We’re very proud of those two films because we feel that the quality stands out on its own and that’s creating word of mouth and a cultural moment. It’s been a really successful strategy for us, so I think you’re going to see more of them.
That won’t be the case this season, but next year will see the broadcast of “The Boys” season 4. With the show coming to an end with season 5, what plans do you have for the franchise as a whole, including “Gen V” season 2 and the Mexico-set spinoff that’s in development?
Sanders: This is all Eric Kripke’s vision and one that he shares with his incredible fellow producers. We’ve worked really hard and he’s exceeded our expectations at every turn. It’s no surprise that we’ve had the opportunity to see dailies and material from “Gen V” season two. Obviously, that crew really struggled with that unfortunate thing. Chance Perdomo passes awayBut I think fans of the series as a whole will be surprised with “Gen V” Season 2. As for the future, that’s really up to Eric. We have a lot of ideas and thoughts, and he has a lot of ideas and thoughts, but we want to be able to bring it all to fruition. So when we announce our next installment, if we announce our next installment, it’s because we really know that we’re getting signals from our audience that this is the story they want to hear.
Salke: We are very excited about this show, and Eric has had some great creative ideas for the series from the very beginning.
Speaking of the future, what are the plans for “Citadel” Season 2? Will the Russo Brothers still be involved? I heard they’re in negotiations. Will he direct two more Avengers movies?
Salke: They are definitely involved in the second season and will be directing and producing. We are excited about that and moving forward. It’s in production now. I think “Citadel: Diana” from Italy really lives up to the hype in so many ways. It’s a really cool character. It’s very thrilling in the espionage genre, but it’s also down to earth, well-made and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The lead is fantastic. We also have a show coming out of India called “Honey Bunny.” Raj and DK, who are our biggest producers and the most successful Amazon creators, are also working with us. [Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.]delivers this show as a prequel that takes viewers further into the world of “Citadel.”
Sanders: “Diana” from Italy, “Honey Bunny” from India, each with a regional feel but still with a global storyline. Also, the second season of “The Citadel” is about to start production and we have some casting news for this franchise that we are very excited about, so we should expect to hear it in the not too distant future.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
