It isn’t all kids shows and comedies over at Amazon Prime. The online store’s streaming video service is branching out in their original programming, and that includes developing a pilot from Paul Weitz (About a Boy) called Mozart in the Jungle, which is said to be about sex, drugs and classical music. Today Amazon announced that The Motorcycle Diaries’ Gael Garcia Bernal and A Clockwork Orange star Malcolm McDowell have joined the cast of the project.
Amazon says Mozart in the Jungle is about what happens behind the curtains at the symphony and how it's just as captivating as what happens on stage. Gael Garcia Bernal will star as Rodrigo, a hotshot new conductor of the New York Symphony. McDowell, meanwhile, will play the more seasoned conductor being forced into retirement by Rodrigo. Also among the cast is Lola Kirke, who’s playing the impressionable oboist Hailey. And the great Bernadette Peters will play Gloria, the Chairwoman of the Board of the symphony. Saffron Burrows is on board to play Cynthia as a cellist in the middle of an affair with Thomas. Peter Vack is set to play Joshua, a talented dancer out of Julliard who ends up being Hailey’s love interest. Finally, there’s Hannah Dunne, who will play Hailey’s best friend and roommate, Lizzie.
The pilot is among eleven new pilots set to debut next year. Just as they did with their comedies and children’s programs, Amazon will make the finished pilots available for their customers to view (for free!) and they’ll take feed back into account when deciding which ones they’re going to order to series.
In addition to Malcolm McDowell’s casting is big news for the project, as he’s a pretty fantastic actor with a long list of credits to his name. In addition to starring in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, McDowell’s recent credits include The Artist, Easy A and Halloween. He’s focused much of his attention on the small screen in recent years, with roles in Franklin & Bash, The Mentalist and Community. He’s also done voice work for Phibeas and Ferb. McDowell also shares a credit with Gael Garcia Bernal, having appeared in Amy Herckling’s fangy comedy Vamps, in which Bernal has an uncredited part. Bernal’s actual credited credits include the part of Julio Zapata in Y Tu Mama Tambien, as well as parts in Letters to Juliet and Casa de mi Padre.
In early 2014 customers will be invited to watch, provide feedback and help determine which pilots should be produced as series to air exclusively on Prime Instant Video and Amazon’s LOVEFiLM in the UK. Pilots include The After from Emmy-nominee Chris Carter (The X-Files), Bosch, based on the best-selling Harry Bosch book series by Michael Connelly, The Rebels from Matt Alvarez andMichael Strahan – the former New York Giants football player and host of Live with Kelly and Michael, and Transparent from Emmy-nominee Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under).
