Amazon has confirmed today that The Man in the High Castle has been picked up as part of the five new projects that will be hitting our screens this year. The new Frank Spotnitz show has been deemed the "most watched pilot ever" in the history of Amazon Originals, which speaks of the great reception that the it got amongst the viewers. The ratings and reviews received not only at Amazon itself but in other places such as Rotten Tomatoes and trade publications such as Variety, praised the quality and innovative character of the story.
We at XFN cannot be more excited.
Based on Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Almost 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot starred Alexa Davalos (Mob City)as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans (The Village) as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat Legacy) as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente (Hemlock Grove) as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour) as John Smith and DJ Qualls (Z Nation) as Ed McCarthy. The pilot was directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and David W. Zucker (The Good Wife), with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions (The Good Wife, The Andromeda Strain), and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures (The Invisible Woman). In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd (The Adjustment Bureau). Christopher Tricarico (May in the Summer) is also Executive Producer.
Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios, praised the high quality of the upcoming projects, which he deems as some of the most ambitious to date. Amazon Original Series are available for Prime members for no additional cost and you can also sign up for a free trial.
Congratulations, Frank Spotnitz et all. We look forward to thrilling episodes to come.