Amazon Signs First-Look Deal With Viola Davis’ Production Company

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Amazon Studios signed an exclusive first look feature production deal with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, putting the streaming service in business with one of the most acclaimed and honored actresses of her generation.

Tennon is an actor and producer, as well as Davis’s husband. Davis has been working with on the upcoming comedy “Troupe Zero,” which co-stars Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan. The film will be released in 2019.

“Amazon Studios is passionate about building a home for both new and established filmmakers of all backgrounds, who share the same vision in telling incredible and engaging human stories,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “Viola and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions brings distinctive, fresh voices and high-quality content to our customers in both theaters and on Prime Video.”

The JuVee pact is the latest in a string of production deals. The company has already inked partnerships with the likes of Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television for eight direct-to-service movies, Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, “The Handmaid’s Tale” director Reed Morano, and “Get Out” director Jordan Peele. It also is being announced against a backdrop of a larger content land grab. As more companies enter the streaming space, it is leading to a demand for well-known filmmakers and showrunners. Netflix recently made headlines with massive deals with Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, and other players are expected to unveil their own production pacts to counter their moves.

Davis is an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner. She headlines the ABC hit “How to Get Away With Murder” and starred in “The Help,” “Fences,” and this fall’s “Widows.”