In the wake of the newsmaking Prime Day, it has been learned that Amazon will be embarking on its first film project with director Spike Lee.
"Amazon Original Movies, a new initiative announced in January, will kick off its slate with Spike Lee's Chi-Raq," USA Today reported. "Written by Lee and Kevin Willmott, the drama focuses on violence in inner-city Chicago. No release date has been confirmed."
It was also reported that filming has wrapped up in Chicago just last week, with rookie Teyonah Parris as the movie's lead. However, the rest of the movie's cast is an all-star roster that could add luster and buzz to the upcoming flick, such as Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, D.B. Sweeney, Harry Lennix, Steve Harris, Angela Bassett, John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.
"I'm honored to be part of the film that will launch Amazon Studios and to tell a story that is so important," the director said, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter. "Please don't be fooled by the title of 'Chi-Raq,' this new Spike Lee joint will be something very special. We have assembled a stellar cast."
"Spike Lee is one of the most distinct and visionary filmmakers of our time," declared Amazon's Ted Hope, who oversees motion picture production, as noted by Time. "It would be impossible to find a better filmmaker with whom to launch our studio."
Hope also noted that the choice of Lee at the helm of the company's first movie is down to his "unique voice, a distinct eye, and he tackles important subjects with humor and heart, pointing to solutions and not exploiting the problems. Chi-Raq may be his greatest, and definitely his boldest film yet - everything about it is distinctive."
Amazon has taken a different approach to Netflix in launching its movies by dropping its original productions in theaters first. It also had previously announced that it will churn out 12 films annually.
Even before its release, "Chi-Raq" has already generated some controversy as some elected leaders in Chicago had objected to the movie title, which reportedly "demonizes the neighborhoods Lee will be focusing on in the movie," according to The Verge.
"'Chiraq' is a slang phrase that emerged in recent years as a combination of Chicago and Iraq to underscore the violence in some city neighborhoods," The Wall Street Journal explained.
Amazon's foray into movie-making is part of its efforts to compete with Netflix Inc., which has produced original hits such as "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black."
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