Amazon, which has already spent piles of money on rights to build Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider franchises, is expanding its Bosch world with two more shows in the works.
The retail giant’s in-house studio has put spinoffs revolving around star Jamie Hector’s Detective Jerry Edgar and the yet-to-be cast LAPD Detective Renee Ballard, the latter of whom is a prominent character in exec producer/author Michael Connelly’s novels.
The untitled J. Edgar and Renee Ballard shows are the third and fourth projects in Amazon’s larger Bosch franchise. The flagship series ran for seven seasons on Amazon proper and starred Titus Welliver as the titular cop. A spinoff featuring Welliver and Hector, Bosch: Legacy, will launch its second season on Amazon’s free ad-supported television platform, Freevee.
It’s unclear if the two new projects, both of which are currently in the development stages, will be for Amazon proper or Freevee (or both). Details on both projects are below.
The push for franchises has never been hotter than it is now, as the streaming wars continue to intensify and both new and established streamers look to expand proven hits in an economic climate that has seen many look to reduce larger financial risks. This week, for example, Showtime is leaning into a larger franchise strategy with multiple spinoffs in the works for hits Dexter and Billions. Amazon last week also revealed that first-year series The Terminal List would be growing with a renewal for the flagship series as well as a spinoff. The Jen Salke-led streamer has already spent millions on rights alone to Lord of the Rings, with that deal including a five-season run for what has become Rings of Power as well as multiple spinoffs. Only two seasons of the flagship have been announced thus far.
Here are details on both spinoffs:
Untitled J. Edgar show
Logline: A police drama following Harry Bosch’s former partner, Detective Jerry Edgar, who is tapped for an undercover FBI mission in Little Haiti, Miami. In this glamorous city, he is forced to balance his new life with the gritty underbelly of the city, while being chased by his mysterious past. EPs: Michael Connelly, Larry Andries. The producing team on behalf of Fabel Entertainment will include executive producers Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate, and co-executive producer Jasmine Russ.
Untitled Renee Ballard show
Logline: Detective Renee Ballard is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold case division. Beyond simply investigating unsolved crimes, Renee is dedicated to bringing credibility to the department and justice to the community. Having learned from retired ally and mentor Harry Bosch, Renee does things her way – solving cases in unconventional ways while navigating the politics of being a woman on the rise in the LAPD. EPs: Michael Connelly, Michael Alaimo, Kendall Sherwood. The producing team on behalf of Fabel Entertainment will include executive producers Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate, and co-executive producer Jasmine Russl.
