Amazon Prime Picks Up Teenage Survival Drama The Wilds to Series
Amazon Prime has picked up the drama pilot The Wilds for a full series order. The series marks one of the first aimed at a teenage audience for the streamer. The Wilds pilot was among two other contenders vying for a chance to be Amazon's success story in the young adult entertainment market.
Created by Sarah Streicher (Daredevil), the series follows a group of teenage girls who are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Far from home, each young woman comes from a drastically different background - and each is unaware they are part of an elaborate social experiment. The castaways in The Wilds pilot were played by Mia Healey, Helena Howard, Reign Edwards, and Shannon Berry. Last year, Jennifer Salke took over the head seat of Amazon Studios and declared the young adult genre was at the top of the priorities list. Three young adult pilots were ordered for the streamer, including The Wilds, Panic, and College. Of the three, only Panic and The Wilds are moving forward.
According to Deadline, The Wilds is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Disney’s ABC signature studios. Touching on the trials and tribulations of navigating teenage years as a female, the series is written and executive produced by Streicher. Producer of Sex And The City and The Carrie Diaries, Amy B. Harris, is slated to be The Wilds' showrunner. Imbued with the creative talents of a predominantly female cast and crew, the pilot was directed by The Spy Who Dumped Me’s Susanna Fogel. Streicher has expressed her intention to create a compelling platform for young adults on Amazon:
“Coming of age is not for the faint of heart. It can take as much grit and fire to survive our teenage years as it would to survive, say, on a deserted island. The Wilds grew from that notion, and it’s afforded me an opportunity to explore teenage-hood in all of its perils, joys, and heartbreak. I’m beyond thrilled that it’s found a home at Amazon.”
The Wilds is in the creative hands of Streicher, Harris, Jamie Tarses via Fanfare, Dylan Clark, and Brian Williams. As of this writing, it's unclear if the actors who played the group of girls on the island will be recast. The series is expected to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries. The second series joining Amazon’s young adult roster is Panic, from author and showrunner Lauren Oliver. Panic and The Wilds are in the same vein of suspense, as Panic follows a group of graduating seniors in a rural town who risk their lives in a high-stakes game.
Amid the growing streaming wars between Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and others, Amazon Studios constantly finds new ways to become a top competitor. Staking a claim on the young adult audience is a wise choice on Salke’s part. Netflix and Hulu have reigned in top ratings and buzz with their hit series 13 Reasons Why, The Society, and Runaways. Bestowing a seasoned creative team, captivating plotline and relatable undertones, The Wilds will no doubt open up the young adult market for Amazon Prime.
