Amazon has dated exclusive Comrade Detective & Niko and the Sword of Light :
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 29, 2017– (NASDAQ: AMZN)–Amazon Studios today announced Comrade Detective, a new half-hour live action series that will premiere August 4 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A co-production with A24, Comrade Detective comes from creators and executive producers Brian Gatewood (The Sitter) and Alex Tanaka (The Sitter) with Rhys Thomas (Documentary Now!) directing and executive producing. Free Association’s Tatum, Reid Carolin (Logan Lucky), Peter Kiernan (Mad Love) and Andrew Schneider are executive producers along with A24’s Ravi Nandan (The Carmichael Show) and John Hodges (Safety Not Guaranteed).
Comrade Detective is a one-of-a-kind cop show and comedy set in 1980’s Romania. True to its nostalgic inspiration, the series is presented in Romanian and dubbed in English–as a Romanian show of that time would have been. Channing Tatum (Logan Lucky) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) provide voice over dubbing performances for the series’ two leading roles, Detectives Gregor Anghel and Iosef Baciu–both characters played on screen by leading Romanian actors, Florin Piersic Jr. (Killing Time) and Corneliu Ulici (The Devil Inside).
In addition to Tatum and Gordon-Levitt, the illustrious roster of talent dubbing other roles includes Jenny Slate (Obvious Child), Chloë Sevigny (Bloodline), Jake Johnson (New Girl), Jason Mantzoukas (The House), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), Fred Armisen (Documentary Now!), Kim Basinger (LA Confidential), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Tracey Letts(The Lovers), Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Debra Winger (The Lovers), Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed), Katie Aselton Duplass(Legion), Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show), Bo Burnham (The Big Sick) and John Early (Search Party).
“In a world of global television it was inevitable that the best comedy of the year would come from Romania. Well that day has come,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama and VR at Amazon Studios. “Comrade Detective is unbelievably compelling, visually brilliant, and Gregor and Iosef are the heroes we need. Thanks to A24, Channing Tatum, Rhys Thomas, Brian Gatewood, Alex Tanaka, as well as the incredibly creative team behind this wild new series.”
“As passionate fans of cinema and television, we have long heard about this genre defining show and are thrilled to work with Free Association and Amazon to bring it to audiences,” said A24.
About Comrade Detective
In the thick of 1980’s Cold War hysteria, the Romanian government created the country’s most popular and longest-running series, Comrade Detective, a sleek and gritty police show that not only entertained its citizens but also promoted Communist ideals and inspired a deep nationalism. The action-packed and blood-soaked first season finds Detectives Gregor Anghel (played by Piersic) and Iosef Baciu (played by Ulici) investigating the murder of fellow officer Nikita Ionesco and, in the process, unraveling a subversive plot to destroy their country that is fueled by–what else–but the greatest enemy: Capitalism. Though the beloved show was sadly forgotten about after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it has been rediscovered and digitally remastered now with its main heroes voiced by Tatum and Gordon-Levitt. Comrade Detective is a true portal into a time and place and a powerful reminder of what art can be–and it is now ready to be seen by the modern world on a larger scale than ever before.
Amazon today announced its original animated series for kids ages 6-11, Niko and the Sword of Light, is scheduled to premiere on July 21 on Prime Video. The new fantasy adventure series–the first Amazon Original to win an Emmy Award for the pilot before the series launch-features the voice talent of Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Andre Robinson (Doc McStuffins), Steve Blum (Star Wars: Rebels), Kevin Michael Richardson (The Penguins of Madagascar), Jim Cummings (Shrek), and Kari Wahlgren (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness). The pilot is now available to stream exclusively for Prime members via the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs; connected devices, including Fire TV, mobile devices; and online–Prime members can also download the pilot to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership.
“We’re excited for kids and families to enter into Niko’s unique, rich world and meaningfully connect with the series characters as they tag along on epic adventures together,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. “The series pilot was extremely popular among viewers, who were won over by the show’s quirky engaging storylines and humor, and we can’t wait to present them with many more exhilarating escapades in Season 1.”
Niko and the Sword of Light follows 10-year-old Niko, the last of his kind in a strange, fantastical world, as he embarks on an epic quest to defeat the darkness and bring the light back to his land. Armed with his magic sword, brave Niko journeys to the Cursed Volcano, making new friends and powerful foes along the way, all while uncovering secrets about his mysterious past. Based on the motion graphic comic by Imaginism Studios, Inc., the studio behind character and concept designs for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Men in Black 3, and Studio NX (The Carrot and Rabbit Show, Tree Fu Tom), Niko and the Sword of Light is animated by Titmouse (Motorcity, Metalocalpyse, Turbo FAST, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja) and executive produced by Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, League of Super Evil, Storm Hawks, Teen Titans) who also serves as showrunner.
Below are what customers have said about Niko and the Sword of Light:
- “Best new animated kids show in a long time.”
- “This show is amazing!! It provides a rare place where both my son loves it and I love it for him to watch.”
- “Watched this with my 4.5 year old daughter and we both LOVED it. She immediately asked to watch the next episode. I love the characters designs and motivations.”
- “Great characters and animation featuring young children of color. We are thirsty for this!”
- “Wonderful, imaginative, uplifting.”
The Niko and the Sword of Light pilot is currently available to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs; connected devices, including Amazon Fire TV and mobile devices; and online at www.amazon.com/originals. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream. Niko and the Sword of Light is also available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices, including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire Kids Edition.
