Amazon puts fright into rivals with Jason Blum deal

NEW YORK (Bloomberg) – Amazon, which has been building a television and film business to feed its growing streaming service, has signed an eight-picture deal with one of Hollywood’s hottest producers.

Jason Blum, whose highly profitable horror movies include Get Out, will make a series of “elevated thriller/darkly themed” films via Blumhouse Television.

The deal marks a big win for new Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke, who has reeled in the horror genre’s top producer with her first movie accord.

She was hired in February from NBC after harassment allegations led to the ouster of her male predecessor. She shepherded such network hits as This Is Us and The Blacklist.

“Jason Blum has built an empire based on fear, shock and all things spine-tingling,” she said. “He has redefined the horror genre for fans who are hungry for high-concept scares.”

Under the agreement, Blum’s films for Amazon will only be for streaming.

While Amazon has released critically lauded shows like The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, its list of hit TV offerings has been slim despite a big production budget.

Earlier this year, Ms Salke signed a deal with the production company of Jordan Peele, director and Oscar-winning writer of Get Out, as well as Nicole Kidman.

Blumhouse Television developed The Purge for the USA Network this year and Sharp Objects for HBO.

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