Amazon renews 'Man in the High Castle': Another triumph for company with 'Manchester by the Sea'?
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Amazon has renewed its hit drama 鈥淭he Man in the High Castle鈥� for a third season, in another apparent win for the content provider, which was is also聽behind the leading awards season contender film聽鈥淢anchester by the Sea.鈥�
鈥淐astle,鈥� which is based on a Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, takes place in an America which lost World War II and is now ruled over by the Nazis and forces from Japan. It stars Rupert Evans, Alexa Davalos, and Rufus Sewell.
According to Amazon,聽the pilot for the show was the most-viewed since the company had started creating new series. (It also airs shows such as 鈥淭ransparent鈥� and 鈥淢ozart in the Jungle.鈥�) When a second season of the show premiered last month, the company said that the new episodes drew the highest amount of viewers ever for the debut weekend of a scripted Amazon show.聽
(While Amazon is presumably comparing the 鈥淐astle鈥� numbers to its other original shows, we don鈥檛 know how the ratings for 鈥淐astle鈥� would compare to, for example, a broadcast show or a Netflix program.)聽
As Amazon Studios moves forward with 鈥淐astle,鈥� it鈥檚 also involved with another high-profile project. Amazon made a deal for the drama 鈥淢anchester by the Sea鈥� after 鈥淢anchester鈥� screened at the Sundance Film Festival last year. Now the movie is viewed as a leading Oscars contender and has already been nominated for prizes such as the Golden Globe for best drama and the best cast Screen Actors Guild Award (the equivalent of a best picture prize at the SAG Awards.)聽
As providers like Amazon and Netflix have begun to produce original content, they鈥檝e become presences at TV awards shows, with programs like Amazon鈥檚 鈥淭ransparent鈥� and Netflix鈥檚 鈥淗ouse of Cards鈥� winning Emmy Awards. But they鈥檙e still working on breaking into award-winning film. (Netflix鈥檚 鈥淏easts of No Nation,鈥� for example, missed out on Oscar nods despite being viewed as a possible contender.) If 鈥淢anchester鈥� scores Oscars nominations 鈥� and many are predicting it will 鈥� it will be a big step forward for Amazon in the movie realm.
