After “Being the Ricardos” “The Tender Bar”On Wednesday morning, three Screen Actors Guild nominations were made. Jennifer Salke, chief of Amazon Studios, revealed that the two films are also tops in the streaming service’s viewership charts.
“As we’ve built our film strategy over the last few years, you can see that our curated approach of choosing these particular films…[works] so well for our service, for Amazon, but also to be celebrated by critics and by peers, I think is beyond exciting,”Salke said VarietyIn a phone conversation, she reacted to the SAG Awards nominations. “The Tender Bar”Star Ben Affleck “Being the Ricardos”Stars Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman
“For the actors…I know [the SAG Awards are] so important,”She continued. “They’re being honored by their peers, and it’s something that is incredibly special to them. I’ve already been in touch with Nicole and Javier this morning, who are both just over the moon.”
Bardem shared his joyous reaction to the same event with Variety,Openly discussing how Kidman helped to make Desi Arnaz and Lucille ball a reality. “Lucy wouldn’t exist without Desi and vice versa,”Bardem stated. “They really were playing ball with each other so beautifully, personally and professionally. And that is what we both, Nicole and I, focused on creating together. And I’m very happy that that has been recognized.”
The pair’s SAG Award nominations also come on the heels of Kidman’s best actress win at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday, an acknowledgement Salke described as an “honor,” despite Hollywood’s continued tepid relationship with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
“I know we are in a particular crossroads with the HFPA, but having the film and the body of work acknowledged by anybody really is an honor. So we view it as such,”Salke stated.
The film’s critical acclaim has been accompanied by awards buzz. However, an Amazon Studios executive revealed that the films have received no awards. “Being the Ricardos” “The Tender Bar,”They are among the top ten Amazon Prime Video movies ever released. “Being the Ricardos”Dec. 21 – Listed in the number 1 position for that week. “The Tender Bar”The streaming platform’s top spot was also occupied by the film, which launched Jan. 7. Salke stated that both films exceeded their 28 days viewing goals in the first weekend after release.
“It’s been a pretty amazing response,”She spoke. “They’ve over performed in every category.”
In addition to their popularity in the U.S., Salke noted that both films have been successful worldwide — with “Being the Ricardos” clocking particularly high numbers in Bardem and Kidman’s home countries of Spain and Australia and “The Tender Bar”Connecting with audiences in Brazil, Italy and the U.K.
Wednesday’s nominations also marked Affleck’s first solo SAG Awards nod, with the milestone recognition coming for a role that Salke emphasizes “was crafted”The star.
“Thankfully, George [Clooney, who directed the film] reached out to him and he said ‘Yes,’ because it’s been incredible every step of the way,”She spoke. “He brings such heart and soul and complexity to this character and to this film.”
She explains why audiences are so attracted to her. “The Tender Bar,”Salke added, “We think this movie is just what people really want to see right now. It’s diving into a complicated family story; it’s an “it takes a village story”; it’s about love, commitment and reinvention. To have Ben at the center of it gives it such weight — and his performance is really undeniable.”
Salke described it as an original production. “Being the Ricardos”Was “one of those projects that had a huge heartbeat around it the entire time.”
“We’re not putting a lot of movies out all at the same time, so this is such an important effort for the studio,”Salke stated. “[‘Being the Ricardos’ is] an incredible story about women owning their voices in the workplace and about this complicated marriage that is relatable in so many ways, though their lives were so against this extraordinary backdrop. And the way Aaron [Sorkin, the film’s writer and director,] and the cast brought it to life exceeded all our very high expectations.”
Amazon will keep in the “I Love Lucy” business, as the studio announced Tuesday that Amy Poehler’s “Lucy & Desi”Prime Video will debut documentary in March 4
“I’ve worked in the past with Amy Poehler and the team over at NBC Universal and to have Amy and Imagine come to us with this documentary was perfect,”Salke shared the teaser about the upcoming project.
“It’s a revelation; all these personal recordings for Lucy Arnaz is really, really compelling,”She continued. “So, for us, it’s a big celebration of Lucy, of Desi, of their incredible marriage and the incredible body of work, and what she stood for as a pioneer of strong professional women forging their own destiny.”