Amazon to Pilot Steven Soderbergh Comedy

SEATTLE: Amazon has added the new comedy Red Oaks, from Steven Soderbergh (Behind the Candelabra) and David Gordon Green (Eastbound & Down), to its third pilot season.

The comedy stars Craig Roberts (Submarine) as an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey in 1985. The pilot also stars Paul Reiser (Mad About You), Richard Kind (Luck), Jennifer Grey (It’s Like, You Know) and Oliver Cooper (Californication). It was written by Gregory Jacobs (The Knick) and Joe Gangemi (Eliza Graves).

Amazon Instant Video will premiere the pilot later this year. Customers are invited to watch and leave feedback on the shows they want to see moved into full series. Those selected will then become available on Prime Instant Video.

“To be able to collaborate with Steven, David and Greg, three of the most highly regarded creators in Hollywood, is an absolute pleasure,” said Roy Price, the director of Amazon Studios. “Red Oaks brings together not only top-notch talent, but also a hilarious and wonderfully written script that we think our customers will enjoy seeing come to life later this year.”

“Greg Jacobs told me this idea on the set of Behind the Candelabra and I told him it was great and that he should start working on it immediately,” said Soderbergh. “Then, while we were on the set of The Knick he gave me the script he wrote with Joe Gangemi and I said, ‘This is ready to go, let's find a director.’ We very quickly agreed to approach David because the humor was sharp without being mean, and we felt he would understand and appreciate that.”