It appears to be a decision day at Amazon Studios as options on the casts of the company’s third batch of pilots expire today. I’ve learned that the actors on drama Hand of God have been picked up, with the project fully expected to go to series. Two other pilots — David Gordon Green and Steven Soderbergh’s country club comedy Red Oaks, and Whit Stillman’s expat comedy The Cosmopolitans — are in serious contention. Both have a real shot at a pickup, with an order for Red Oaks considered likely. Not going forward are drama Hysteria and comedy Really. The five pilots debuted on Amazon on Aug. 28. As usual, Amazon is keeping mum and is expected to make a formal pickup announcements, possibly early next week.
Marking the television debut of filmmaker Marc Forster and written by Ben Watkins, Hand of God stars Sons of Anarchy alum Ron Perlman as the powerful Judge Pernell Harris, a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side, who suffers a mental breakdown and goes on a vigilante quest to find the rapist who tore his family apart. With no real evidence to go on, Pernell begins to rely on “visions” and “messages” he believes are being sent by God through Pernell’s ventilator-bound son. Dana Delany co-stars as the Judge’s protective wife Crystal Harris. Garret Dillahunt, Andre Royo, Alona Tal, Julian Morris, Elizabeth McLaughlin and Emayatzy Corinealdi also co-star. Forster, Watkins, Perlman, Brian Wilkins and Jeff King executive produce, with Jillian Kugler co-executive producing.
Amazon Studios is garnering critical attention with its latest original series, comedy Transparent, which debuted last week.
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