Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Salke, Priyanka Chopra Jonas & More Laud Role Of Women At Prime Video Event

deadline.com:

Amazon MGM Studios boss Jennifer Salke, Octavia Spencer and Priyanka Chopra Jonas were among the big names lauding the role of women in TV and film at a Prime Video event today. “Women are at the core of our business – from our incredible actors, our inventive producers and our executive teams,” said Salke, at the Trailblazers event in Central London.

The event saw multiple stars, producers and directors touching on issues such as pay parity and production, with several trailers and first looks also unveiled.

During a conversation with Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer, Salke said the pitch for The Help star’s untitled comedy thriller series opposite Hannah Waddingham was among the best she had heard in her career. “I have heard thousands of pitches, maybe tens of thousands, and it was a top three, — the relationship of two women at the center with action, humor and heart,” she said.

The show, from Feel Good‘s Tessa Coates, was ordered at the back end of last year and will see Spencer and Ted Lasso star Waddingham playing best friends who go on the run and try to repair a broken friendship when it’s revealed Spencer’s character is secretly an assassin. “Tessa has this way of telling a story that has you on the edge of your seat,” said Spencer, noting she had bought into the idea “in the room” when brought it by Skydance, with which she has a production deal.