Amazon Studios created significant publicity when executives announced plans to create serial adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon and Therese Anne Fowler’s Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald as part of its 2017 programming. Christina Ricci, the actor who became famous as a child star in the 1993 Addams Family Values,took a keen interest in the Fowler adaptation, producing and starring as Zelda. Retitled Z: The Beginning of Everything, the 10-part series is a visually-stunning production that started to stream off the Amazon platform in January 2017. The production received a lot of media interest, especially for an almost nude scene of Ricci wearing only pearls and a unique wig. Amazon announced plans to move into a second season.
Fitzgerald’s unfinished fifth novel attracted the interest of Billy Ray, who adapted The Hunger Games for screen. Also using an episodic format, The Last Tycoon began streaming on Amazon in July 2017. With stars including Matt Bomer and Kelsey Grammar, this adaptation also received much media attention as another beautiful period piece providing an intriguing perspective on Hollywood in the thirties. The costuming, Hollywood power moves, and heated sexual interactions make the show, and the series seemed even more poignant as the “Me Too” movement pointed many fingers toward Hollywood’s power mongers. As with Z, Amazon announced plans to renew Tycoon for a second season.
But in September 2017, the top executives at Amazon changed their minds. Both second seasons were cancelled. This paper presentation examines reviews related to both productions and the cancellation news as well as the episodic content of both shows.
About the presenterNancy VanArsdale
Nancy VanArsdale is Professor of English at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, where she has taught since 1990. She earned her PhD at New York University and a graduate business certificate from the NYU College of Business. Formerly a public relations writer at Time Magazine, her research interests range from advertising, p.r. and social media communication to 20th century American literature.