By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
EXCLUSIVE: The Power, Prime Video’s global thriller drama based on Naomi Alderman’s feminist sci-fi book, continues to undergo personnel changes. Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale director Reed Morano, who had been with the project since its early stages, has exited as both a director and an executive producer.
Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders
Morano directed the first two episodes with Leslie Mann and Tim Robbins. After she wrapped the episodes in March 2022, Morano opted not to continue on with the series due to creative differences as the series headed to reshoots with Mann and Robbins both exiting. Toni Collette and Josh Charles eventually were cast in the roles, and Raelle Tucker came on board as showrunner. Upon her exit, Morano also requested to be removed from the credits, which I hear Amazon has agreed to, so she will no longer be listed as a director or executive producer.
The series has been in production, with other directors filming the reshoots of the new first and second episodes featuring Collette, Charles as well as the rest of the cast that didn’t change, including Auli’I Cravalho, John Leguizamo, Eddie Marsan, Ria Zmitrowicz, Toheeb Jimoh, Zrinka Cvitesic, Ana Ularu and Edwina Findley.
In The Power, whose first season will consist of nine episodes — one fewer than the originally ordered 10 — suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The series features a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.
Featherstone’s Sister Pictures originally optioned Alderman’s book in 2016. Amazon gave the project a series order in early 2019 with Morano on board. The Power was among the series most seriously impacted by the pandemic. Mann was originally cast in October 2019, followed by Rainn Wilson at the start of 2020. Production started in February 2020 but was shut down the following month at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. With filming delayed for months, Wilson became unavailable and Robbins took over the role in January 2021. The series returned to production in early 2022 until Morano, and then Mann and Robbins, exited.
The Power comes from Amazon Studios and Sister, with Tucker, Featherstone, Naomi de Pear, Alderman, and Claire Wilson executive producing and Tim Bricknell and Sarah Quintrell co-executive producing.
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