Amazon Studios Orders Original Dramatic Series Fortitude from Sky Vision Ten episodes of the Arctic thriller, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Richard Dormer and Dennis Quaid, will debut later this year on Prime Video in the US
Amazon Studios and Sky Vision today announced the addition of Fortitude to Amazon's lineup of dramatic original series for Prime Video in the US. The first season of Fortitude premiered on Sky Atlantic in 2015 and became the network's most successful original drama commission to date, with the first episode watched by an accumulative audience of more than 3.2 million. The first season has also been available on Prime Video in the US since January 2016, with more than 2,000 four and five star reviews from customers. Season two of the series will become an Amazon Original Series and features an ensemble cast, including Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones), Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point), Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing), Luke Treadaway (Clash of the Titans), Darren Boyd (Stan Lee's Lucky Man), Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Jar 2pm City), Mia Jexen (Happiness), Alexandra Moen (Strike Back), Verónica Echegui (The Cold Light of Day), Sienna Guillory (Stan Lee's Lucky Man), Ramon Tikaram (Jupiter Ascending), Parminder Nagra (ER), Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones), Robert Sheehan (Misfits) and Ken Stott (The Missing). The series is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in the US later this year.
Fortitude follows Sheriff Dan Anderssen (Dormer) of Fortitude, a small isolated community with a captive population in an environment that is undergoing change and upheaval due to parasite and pathogen activity. After shooting the woman he loved, Dan becomes consumed with guilt, disappears into the wilderness and was presumed dead. Without a sheriff, the people of Fortitude begin to wonder whether Deputy Eric Odegard (Haraldsson), who has spent the last few weeks desperately searching for Dan, can fill his shoes. A new body is discovered on the other side of town and Eric must step up and lead this horrific investigation. As his own police team is trying to figure out who would have killed a man for no apparent reason, Dan suddenly reappears--a violent broken ruin of a man and wild to the point of feral. Quaid stars as Michael Lennox, a fisherman and patriarch of a family living in Fortitude, who is struggling to come to terms with his terminally ill wife, and will try anything to find a cure.
"In Fortitude, our customers will experience Dennis Quaid in a remarkably compassionate role, joined by an ensemble cast that has resonated with audiences globally," said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama and VR, Amazon Studios. "We're excited to add such a beautiful and captivating series to our originals slate."
"Amazon is the perfect home for Fortitude in the US," said Jane Millichip, Managing Director, Sky Vision. "Fortitude is high-end, addictive viewing and perfectly suits Amazon'sscripted portfolio. Amazon has been a keen supporter of the series from the outset, having taken an SVOD window on season one. We're delighted to now extend the relationship and make Amazon the home of our most successful returning Sky Atlantic original drama series."
Fortitude is an Amazon Original Series in the US and Sky Original Production in the UK, produced by Fifty Fathoms, the makers of BAFTA-winning Marvellous, for BBC Two. The series is created and written by Simon Donald, and executive produced by Donald, Faye Dorn (Inspector George Gently) and Patrick Spence (The A Word). Trevor Hopkins (Strike Back) and Susie Liggat (Doctor Who) serve as producers.
Fortitude will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online, along with other Amazon Original Series at Amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
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About Sky Vision
Sky Vision is the production and distribution arm of Sky. The distribution arm represents around 5,000 hours of quality primetime programming from Sky Originals and independent third-party production, across all key primetime genres (drama, entertainment, factual entertainment and factual). The business also has equity investments in seven production businesses in the UK and US; Love Productions, Blast! Films, Sugar Films and Sky Vision Productions in the UK; and in the US, Jupiter Entertainment, Talos Films and Znak & Co.
In addition to its equity investments, Sky Vision works extensively within dependent producers in the UK and US and has development deals with a number of production companies; including Asylum Entertainment and Peacock Alley in North America; and Avanti Media, Bohemia, Chalkboard, LittleRock Pictures, Merman Films and Spring Films in the UK.
About Fifty Fathoms
Fifty Fathoms was set up by Patrick Spence under Endemol Shine Group in 2010. Patrick now runs the company with Katie Swinden (Peaky Blinders, Marvellous). Filming recently completed on Guerrilla, a 6 x 60' series for Sky Atlantic and Showtime, written and directed by Academy Award winner John Ridley, starring Freida Pinto, Babou Ceesay, Rory Kinnear, Denise Gough, Danny Mays, Zawe Ashton and Idris Elba, about two political activists fighting against a racist police force in 1970s London.
Fifty Fathoms' 2014 debut production, Marvellous, a 90' single film written by Peter Bowker, told the incredible true story of Neil Baldwin, a man who refused to accept the label of learning difficulties. Directed by Julian Farino (Entourage, The Office (US) ) and starring Toby Jones and Gemma Jones, it went on to win BAFTAs for Best Single Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress; Best Writer and Director, RTS; Best Film and Best Actor, BPG and Best Film, Writers Guild Awards and FIPA. And they have been picked up for a second season of The A Word, Pete Bowker's 6 x 60' series for BBC1 and Sundance, directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Christopher Eccleston, Lee Ingleby and Morven Christie, a co-production with Keshet.
Source: Amazon.com, Inc.
