Amazon moves into the movie business

Amazon is getting into the movie business. The online retail giant announced the launch on Tuesday of Amazon Studios, inviting filmmakers and screenwriters to submit full-length movies and scripts.

Amazon said it will offer a total of US$2.7 million dollars to the top submissions received by December 31, 2011 and will seek to develop the best projects into feature films as part of a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.

Seattle, Washington-based Amazon said that test movies must be more than 70 minutes long and include “imaginative stories with great acting and sound,” if not “theatrical-quality production values.”

“We are excited to introduce writers, filmmakers and movie lovers to Amazon Studios,” said Roy Price, Amazon’s director of digital product development.

“We hope that Amazon Studios will help filmmakers experiment and collaborate and we look forward to developing hit movies,” Price said in a press release.

Amazon said a filmmaker or screenwriter whose project is released by Amazon Studios as a theatrical feature film will receive a rights payment of US$200,000 dollars.

If the movie makes over US$60-million dollars at the US box office the maker will receive a US$400 000 dollar bonus.

Amazon Studios has produced five test movie samples which can be found at studios.amazon.com/getting-started. – AFP