Amazon Originals "Hand of God" and "Red Oaks" Receive Greenlight for Full Seasons

New shows come from critically acclaimed and award-winning creators Marc Forster (World War Z), David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and Steven Soderbergh (Traffic); casts include Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), Dana Delany (Body of Proof), Paul Reiser (Mad About You), Jennifer Grey (It's Like, You Know) and Richard Kind (Luck)

SEATTLE -- Oct. 3, 2014 -- (NASDAQ: AMZN) - Amazon today announced two more original pilots will return to Prime Instant Video next year as full series. Dramatic thriller Hand of God, written by Ben Watkins (Burn Notice) and directed by Marc Forster (World War Z), along with Steven Soderbergh's (The Knick, Traffic) coming-of-age comedy Red Oaks, will become the next Amazon Original series following rave customer reviews of the pilot episodes.

What customers are saying:

Hand of God

"From the opening credits to the final scene, I was completely hooked and entertained. This may be Ron Perlman's best role yet."

"Perhaps the most thought provoking series since Breaking Bad."

"Brilliant pilot! It had me hooked from the first scene. I love the complexity of each of the main characters and the intensity of the storyline. Dana Delany and Ron Perlman both turn in wonderful performances. I hope we get to see more of this."

Red Oaks

"This show is like a piece of 80's gold that found its way into the 21st century."

"I am really picky when it comes to good comedy, and this show had me in stitches by the 4th minute."

"Excellent. Can't wait to see more. This show is better than anything I am seeing coming from the networks."

"We are excited to get working on full seasons of Hand of God and Red Oaks," said Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios. "These shows come from some of the most talented creators in the business. Customers loved the pilot episodes and we can't wait to hear what they think of the entire series."

As part of its unique development process, Amazon gives customers an opportunity to provide feedback on which pilots they want turned into series on Prime Instant Video. During pilot season, any Amazon customer in the US and UK can watch, rate and comment on the pilots. At the end of pilot season, that feedback helps determine the shows that become an Amazon Original Series. This past February, Amazon customers posted comments during the second pilot season, which helped Amazon decide to greenlight six series - Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch, The After, and kids series Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street and Wishenpoof! Prime members can now enjoy all ten episodes of Transparent which debuted at the end of September, and can look forward to full episodes of the other shows in the coming months.

Amazon Original series are available to Prime members through the Amazon Instant Video app on Amazon Fire TV, Fire tablets, Fire phone, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, as well as hundreds of other connected devices such as smart TVs - or online at amazonoriginals.com.

Hand of God

Created and written by Ben Watkins, and marking the television debut of renowned filmmaker Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, World War Z), Hand of God stars Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman in his first lead television role since Sons of Anarchy as the honorable justice Pernell Harris. The show centers on Judge Harris, a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side, who suffers a mental breakdown and goes on a vigilante quest to find the rapist who tore his family apart. With no real evidence to go on, Pernell begins to rely on "visions" and "messages" he believes are being sent by God through Pernell's ventilator-bound son. Hand of God also stars Dana Delany as the Judge's protective wife Crystal Harris, Garret Dillahunt as KD, the born-again sociopath whose violent tendencies are exploited by Pernell, Andre Royo as the slick, smart, gregarious, and greedy mayor Robert 'Bobo' Boston, Alona Tal as Pernell's grieving daughter-in-law Jocelyn Harris, Julian Morris as the questionable preacher Paul Curtis, Elizabeth McLaughlin as the preacher's sultry girlfriend Alicia, and Emayatzy Corinealdi as Pernell's call girl and confidante Tessie. Forster, Watkins, Perlman, Brian Wilkins and Jeff King are Executive Producers, and Jillian Kugler is co-Executive Producer.

Red Oaks

Directed by Sundance award-winner David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Eastbound and Down) and executive produced by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (Behind the Candelabra, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven), Red Oaks stars Craig Roberts (Submarine) as David Myers, an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey in 1985. David is both reeling from his father's heart attack and conflicted about what college major to declare in the fall; his father Sam Myers is played by Richard Kind (Luck). While there, David meets a colorful cast of misfit co-workers and wealthy club members including an alluring art student named Skye, played by Alexandra Socha, and her corporate raider father Getty played by Paul Reiser (Mad About You) and Ennis Esmer as Nash. A coming-of-age comedy set in the "go-go" 80s that is equal parts hijinks and heartfelt, Red Oaks is about enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end - and the future begins. Red Oaks also stars Jennifer Grey (It's Like, You Know) as Judy Myers, Oliver Cooper (Californication) as Wheeler and Gage Golightly as Karen. Red Oaks is written by Gregory Jacobs (The Knick) and Joe Gangemi (Eliza Graves). Soderbergh, Green, Jacobs, and Gangemi are Executive Producers.

About Amazon Studios

Last year Amazon Studios launched its first two prime time series, Alpha House and Betas, and recently debuted its first three children's series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment, as well as Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue's Clues, and Annedroids, from Emmy-nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment.

Just last month, Amazon Studios debuted Jill Soloway's much-anticipated dark comedy, Transparent, to rave reviews. Later this month, on October 24, season two of Garry Trudeau's Alpha House will premiere with Mozart in the Jungle from Paul Weitz, John J. Strauss, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, along with new kids series Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street from David Anaxagoras coming later this year. Early next year, Amazon will release two drama series, Chris Carter's The After and Michael Connelly's Bosch. Amazon Original Series are available to Prime members through Prime Instant Video.

Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series - one that's open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public will also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.

Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.

About Amazon

Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.