Category: 5. Entertainment

The Summer I Turned Pretty is back with a force on Prime Video.

The third and final season made a splash with its July 16 debut, raking in 25M viewers globally on the streamer in its first seven days of availability, per data shared by Amazon.

Season 3 viewership was up 40% in the first seven days compared to Season 2’s performance. Even more impressive, series viewership has tripled from Season 1 to Season 3 in the seven-day window.

(Editor’s Note: As we’ve previously mentioned, it’s unclear how Amazon is able to measure exactly how many people were viewing at the time an account was streaming the content — a capability that Nielsen has due to its own data on how many people live in the households the company measures. Amazon tends to report “viewers” for successful titles, but has declined to offer clarification on this point.)

The Summer I Turned Pretty has pierced the cultural zeitgeist in a way that few young adult series have managed in recent years. Season 3 is the No. 1 most-watched season of television among women 18-34 right now, and it’s the fifth most-watched returning season on Prime Video.

The No. 1 title on the streamer globally in its first seven days, it truly has traveled the globe, with outsize performance in the UK, Germany, and Brazil.

So, what’s the secret sauce?

“I think it’s really Jenny and this incredible cast and the incredible team they’ve assembled,” Vernon Sanders, Head of Global Television, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, tells Deadline. “If you think about it, this was a book series that was published a fair while ago, and so I think there have been a number of people who’ve come into this over the years. What Jenny has been able to do, and hopefully we’ve been able to help, is build this community that has just been incredibly passionate and committed and interested.”

The series returned this summer after a lengthier-than-expected hiatus. Season 3 was greenlit before the 2023 writers and actors strikes, but production did not begin until the work stoppage was resolved, which is the primary reason for the delay. It doesn’t appear to have deterred audiences though and, if anything, gave Prime Video a runway to really rev fans up for the third installment.

That said, Sanders admits the numbers they’ve seen so far have exceeded their expectations: “To see these kinds of numbers after a two-year absence is what’s really blown us away. So it’s the right show at the right time and executed in the right way by an incredible team.”

In a statement of her own, Han adds: “Seeing how The Summer I Turned Pretty has resonated with millions — how the story has sparked so many fan conversations, sent the books back on the bestseller lists, and inspired so many viewers’ reactions across social media — it’s everything I could have hoped for and more. As creator and co-showrunner, I’m incredibly proud of what we made. I’m grateful we got to make all three seasons, one for each book, and grateful that audiences have been so passionately embracing the story I wanted to tell.”

New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 hit Prime Video on Wednesdays through September September 17.

Prime Video is slowly but surely cementing its authority in the young adult genre.

The streamer’s incredibly popular adaptation of Jenny Han‘s The Summer I Turned Pretty returned for its third and final season earlier this month to stellar viewership. From Season 1 to Season 3, the premiere week audience has tripled.

TSITP is no doubt a juggernaut for Prime Video that, unfortunately, has to come to an end. But make no mistake, YA will continue to be alive and well over at Amazon. In fact, the series returns in the middle of what feels like a huge moment for Prime Video’s YA slate, which has been growing slowly but surely over the last few years.

The streamer is currently the home for titles including We Were Liars, Motorheads, Maxton Hall, and Overcompensating with more on the horizon including Legally Blonde prequel Elle, series adaptations of Elle Kennedy’s popular Off Campus college romance novels and Rebecca Yarros’ fantasy epic Fourth Wing. There are also some titles in the works that aren’t specifically YA but target a similar demo including The Better Sister, which launched in May, and upcoming works like The Girlfriend and Mike Flanagan’s Carrie adaptation.

Prime Video’s Head of TV Vernon Sanders tells Deadline it’s all part of their plan to build an ecosystem of content that keeps the fans top of mind.

There’s a “sense of community we’re trying to build at Prime Video that it’s not just the destination to watch content, but it’s a chance to connect with storytellers, creators and for audiences to build relationships with one another. So that’s our ultimate goal, and we’re seeing this summer the real fruits of those labors start to pay off,” he said.

In the interview below, Sanders talks more about the YA strategy at Prime Video and shares updates on several anticipated titles, including many listed above.

DEADLINE: We knew TSITP was popular, but the numbers shared today truly are impressive. How have you used the success of that show and everything you’ve learned along the way to build the larger blueprint for YA television at Prime Video?

VERNON SANDERS: We knew that we had what we hoped was going to be a giant hit coming in Season 3. Credit to our PR and marketing teams who teamed up on a women-led campaign that started in spring and has spread through the entire summer. We were extremely excited to see the results on The Better Sister, which was a big hit for us. We’ve been really pleased with the build up, whether it’s We Were Liars or Overcompensating or Motorheads. We have The Runarounds coming later this year. We have The Girlfriend. All of these were really strategically placed throughout the year. This women-led campaign has really sort of brought it all together. There was a giant event in New York where we brought the cast of not only our US-led series and movies, but we also brought our international cast. So we had the cast of Culpa. We has Maxton Hall, which is another hit. We’ve really created what we think is this fan-led community, which is really sort of humming along. So I think smart scheduling, and also this fan/customer-led campaign has really ignited us here. We’re very, very excited by the results.

DEADLINE: YA has always been a very enduring genre, but in the streaming era it struggled to find its footing. For a while, there no longer seemed to be a true “home” for YA content. Outside of just finding and bidding on good material, how do you build a library of titles in that space that feels cohesive and plants a flag establishing Prime Video as a streaming home for YA?

SANDERS: I think we’re unique in that Prime Video has, obviously, all the roots of that Amazon helped build. The company got started by selling books. Our relationships with readers and authors, I think, is quite unique. I think we may have stumbled upon a little bit of a recipe that’s really worked for us. Great adaptations lead to more book sales. More book sales lead to more conversation. That leads to success for all of us. I think it’s about the voice, and so it doesn’t have to just be an author who is adapting or a writer who’s adapting or a showrunner who’s adapting. We’re also leaning into creators. We’re trying to find those folks who just have something to say and and have had some success really resonating with that audience. So whether it’s Megan Park or Benito Skinner — we’re super excited by the results we’ve seen by from Overcompensating. Josh [Schwarz] and Stephanie [Savage] have had incredible success, and they’re bringing that success to us. Julie Plec…Mike Flanagan is doing an incredible adaptation of Carrie. We love working with Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter on Elle, which we think is going to be something that’s going to surprise everyone. So it’s really about the voice and building community, and that’s what we’re focused on for this part of our strategy.

DEADLINE: I really enjoyed Overcompensating. I hope to see more from that show.

SANDERS: We are hopeful. We’ve got some Season 2 writers rooms happening on several of our spring and early summer launches. We were always proud of Overcompensating, [and] just the reception of it has really, really given us even more encouragement. So stay tuned.

DEADLINE: When Season 2 of TSITP debuted, you mentioned Jenny Han was excited by the possibility of expanding the universe beyond the books. What’s the temperature now? Might we expect spinoffs in the future?

SANDERS: That was probably wishful thinking for me at the time, and Jenny has stayed really focused to getting these seasons right. We’re pursuing new and different things with Jenny right now. She’s presented some some other things that are related to this. So once the full season is launched, we’ll get into conversations, and we’ll ask her to pick from the many things that she’s surfaced. But we’ve moved away from those conversations.

DEADLINE: What about We Were Liars? Should we expect more?

SANDERS: Well, that’s one of the shows where the writers are hard at work, working on what a season 2 would be. We’ve been really excited by the results we’ve seen there, and it’s one of the shows that I hope will have some positive news to report soon. They’re hard at work in presenting us with material on a Season 2, and there’s been quite a clamor from fans of that show to keep the story going. So we’ll see.

DEADLINE: I also wanted to ask about Motorheads. That felt like a very new and different offering from Prime Video in the YA space, and I’m curious what drew you to it and what void it’s helping fill in your content strategy?

SANDERS: We were just really wowed by the idea of the show. We were launching NASCAR this summer, and so having a show that actually spoke to fans of that genre [was an asset]. It was really just the characters. We feel like we lucked out getting into business with those showrunners as well. We are conscious of not wanting to repeat ourselves. So there’s a real breadth to what we’re trying to do. We’re always trying to make sure that we’ve got some shows that are earnest. We’ve got shows that have some darkness to them, [like] We Were Liars. And Motorheads has just really sort of resonated with us and struck us. What I’ve been excited to see on that show in particular is we’ve got such great completion rates. So folks who start that show tend to watch it all the way through, and that’s a great sign. So thanks for asking about that show. We’re quite proud of it.

DEADLINE: I know it’s film, but I feel obligated to ask about Red, White & Royal Blue. Anything you can tease on the sequel?

SANDERS: The film team would kill me if I revealed anything, so I’m gonna leave that to them, but that movie was an inspiration for all of us on the series side. It was so well done, and we took a lot of lessons and cues from that in terms of what we were doing.

DEADLINE: You also have Off Campus, another very popular series. What can you say about where you are in that process?

SANDERS: I will share that we’ve been obsessively watching dailies, and we’re really excited by what we’re seeing. We should be getting our first cuts in the not-too-distant future, and that show is definitely going to be launching in 2026. So it won’t be this year, but it will definitely be next year.

DEADLINE: As we are discussing the current state of YA at Prime Video, what does the future look like? What should we expect in the next five or so years?

SANDERS: As I said, this is a part of our strategy. We’re also focused on young men, and we’ve had a lot of success with animation and some of our big tentpoles [have been] a real beacon for young male audiences. But for young women, I think it’s not only wanting to build a great library that if someone comes in for a show, they are sort of brought into a whole world of options and great stories that has all the elements. So, romance, horror, surprise. We’re excited about our adaptation of Fourth Wing, which we’re really working hard at. If you look at that, it has so many elements to it. It’s got a more smorgasbord of genres inside that. But I think the thing I’m most focused on, thanks to the teamwork between our marketing teams and our PR team, is this sense of community we’re trying to build at Prime Video that it’s not just the destination to watch content, but it’s a chance to connect with storytellers, creators and for audiences to build relationships with one another. So that’s our ultimate goal, and we’re seeing this summer the real fruits of those labors start to pay off.

DEADLINE: I know this one is probably early stages, but since you mentioned it, how are things on Fourth Wing?

SANDERS: We don’t have news to report yet, so I won’t be breaking anything here, but we’re hard at work. We love our relationship with Rebecca Yarros, who has been incredible, and we’re going to get this one right. So that would be my promise to the fans.

Prime Video is celebrating the massive success for the launch of the third and final season of Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” by asserting this is just the beginning of its long-term strategy for YA dominance.

“I have to really credit this show in particular for helping us really understand what’s possible with these kind of hits,” Amazon MGM Studios TV boss Vernon Sanders told Variety in an interview Monday. And what’s possible is reaching beyond a YA audience for a YA-centric story, with plenty of older adults now invested in the end of the love triangle between Belly and Fisher brothers Conrad and Jeremiah.

“I think in general, when we talk about series for young women, we are talking about shows that center characters of a certain age range,” Sanders said. “But as we see with ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ there’s a whole storyline and rich characters in the parents of the characters. It’s an intergenerational story, so people can find themselves throughout. One of the things that was interesting about this show was, given how long ago it was originally printed, people might have started reading this when they were teens, then our adaptation came along, and by that point, they were in their early 20s. So people actually are growing and evolving with the property as it’s continued to evolve.”

READ MORE: ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Premiere Jumps 40% From Season 2 With 25 Million Viewers, Amazon Says

See more from Variety‘s interview with Sanders about Amazon Prime Video’s YA strategy, including second season plans for “We Were Liars,” “Overcompensating” and “Motorheads.”

What defines a YA series for Amazon at this point? For example, Amazon’s upcoming “Fourth Wing” TV series — that romantasy novel series centers on characters at a military college, but is targeted at adult vs. YA readership. So would that show fall under YA?

For us, we look at the protagonists, and are the protagonists telling stories about becoming adults, or the trials and tribulations of being a young adult? But we also look at the readership or the fanbase for these properties, and if they are being driven by younger audiences at their core. That’s an incredibly compelling piece of the puzzle to it. It’s a broad category, but as we look at trying to be a service that’s not only global, but that appeals to all audiences — we’re focused on young men, we’re focused on young women, and we’re focused on adults who are 35-plus, as well — we’ve got different strategies for each of them. But this strategy has led our momentum with young women, and we’re very excited by the results we’ve seen so far.

Has the YA strategy changed since the exit of former Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke?

It’s been interesting. We’ve started really leaning into adaptations. We have “Off Campus” coming next year and “Every Year After,” which is based on the book “Every Summer After.” So we’ve been really focused on adaptations and authors and really leaning into each author’s relationship with their fans. But the other thing that we’ve really broadened is [looking at] creators of all types. So whether that’s Benito Skinner on “Overcompensating,” or Julie Plec, she’s had incredible success, and her “We Were Liars” has been fantastic. We love Megan Park, and we’re excited to be doing “Sterling Point” with her. And we’ve got such a great collection of people who have proven that they’ve got incredible skill at speaking to these audiences. So I could keep going, but the list is long, and we’re really excited. We have Mike Flanagan, who’s doing an adaptation of “Carrie” that I think is going to blow people away.

Where are you on plans for second seasons of these shows, like “We Were Liars”? There was a big nod to the second book’s plot at the end of Season 1.

You noticed! Yes, there was a tease. We are working with the writers of “We Were Liars” on a second season writers room right now. We haven’t announced the renewal quite yet, but we’re excited by the results we’ve seen of that show, and we’ve been excited by what we’ve seen with “Motorheads” and “Overcompensating,” as well. Each show has a really passionate fanbase, and we’ve been really pleased by the completion rates of “Motorheads” and “Overcompensating” — so we’re going to be in conversations with all three. All three shows are working on Season 2 writers rooms, and we’ll hope to have renewal announcements soon on some, if not all, of those shows.

What about “The Summer I Turned Pretty” — is there potential for more there after this final season? Author and series creator Jenny Han has a spinoff of “To All the Boys I Loved Before,” “XO, Kitty,” at Netflix that goes beyond the original film series — are you looking at something similar?

You know, all plans lead with Jenny Han, and she’s known from the beginning, how she’s wanted to do this, so we’ve been focused on this, getting the season right and ending it the right way. And I think once the full thing is released, we’ll be able to have more conversations with her. She’s got new ideas that she’s been dying to tackle. So whatever Jenny wants to do, we want to do it with her.

When it comes to these YA series, how do you handle trigger warnings and preparing younger viewers for sensitive content. When “We Were Liars” came out, fans who didn’t read the books didn’t know what they were in for by the end and it came as a shock to some without certain warnings up front.

That’s a really great question and a responsibility that really weighs on us. In general, we try to be conscious of taking care of our customers, and there are a lot of sensitivities that we’ve got to be conscious of. So each show is handled differently, each episode is handled differently. And we do try to give warnings to customers, even though it may give hints as to what’s in the episode. We’d rather bias towards making sure people feel safe and feel informed.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Brad Pitt’s girlfriend Ines de Ramon has reportedly decided to get cosmetic makeover to look more like his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

Sources have confirmed to RadarOnline that Ines feels intense pressure as the girlfriend of the “sexiest man alive.”

The source said, “Brad has allowed Ines complete access to his style team, and she’s now seriously thinking about enhancing her lips and changing her appearance to look more like a younger Angelina.”

“Brad prefers fuller lips and has talked to her about getting injections. Ines has always felt insecure about her thin lips, and if this benefits their relationship, she’s willing to try it. She’s very into him at the moment, and he’s pleased as well,” they added.

The insiders revealed that the F1 actor is “fixated on perfection” therefore Ines has “high standards to meet.”

“He’s always focused on his looks – whether it’s laser treatments or advice from stylists—and Ines is now included in that vision,” they said, adding, “She has high standards to meet and is gradually transforming into a version of Angie.”

They stated, “It’s more than just the lips – Ines’ style is evolving toward sleek, sexy designers like Fendi, which Angelina prefers.”

“At the recent F1 premiere in Venice, Ines wore Fendi from top to bottom, even copying Angelina’s hairstyle and poses.”

“Being photographed from every angle millions of times is challenging for anyone. She fears she may never live up to Angelina’s legendary status,” the source noted.

Additionally, Brad’s team is said to involve Ines in their “image decision” and therefore his entire crew has “say in Ines’ appearance.”

“It’s almost like she’s constantly auditioning to be the perfect girlfriend. Many have noticed she’s increasingly resembling Angelina, who is widely seen as Brad’s ideal partner,” the tipster revealed.

However, Ines de Ramon’s pals are said to be reminding her “that she’s beautiful and that Brad is completely into her, but dating one of the biggest movie stars in the world naturally brings self-doubt.”

Being with Brad Pitt, who officially separated from Angelina Jolie in 2016, has completely changes Ines’ life for better and now “she’s determined to keep this fairytale alive – no matter what.”

Queen Mary joins King Frederik at Grasten Palace after time away from the spotlight. 

The royal couple have settled into their traditional summer residence located in South Jutland. 

This beloved retreat has served a s a summer haven for the Danish royal family since 1935. 

As per tradition, the royal couple is expected to greet and engage with local residents to mark their seasonal stay in the region. The monarchs have remained out of the public eye since early July, with Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Christian temporarily stepping in to carry out royal duties. 

King Frederik’s recent absence from public events has indicated that he has been taking time off from his official responsibilities. Part of their summer break was spent at Chateau de Cayx, the royal family’s residence in Cahors, France. 

They were joined there by their 14-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. 

The royal family returned to Denmark on July 21 but have yet to undertake any formal engagements since their return.

Earlier in July, King Frederik made two appearances at the Wimbledon tennis tournament. 

However, Queen Mary, 53, was not seen accompanying him at either event. Since July 7, King Frederik, 57, has not made any public appearances. 

Queen Mary, who hails from Hobart, Tasmania, frequently visits her family in Australia during the summer months. 

This year, however, she reunited with King Frederik in France before the couple retreated to Grasten Palace.

King Frederik X ascended to the Danish throne on January, 14, 2024, following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.

Prince Harry is apparently trying to smooth things over with the royal family.

He is supposedly going to start sharing his official schedule of engagements, appearances, and outings to avoid conflicts with the British royal family, reportedly to avoid conflicts and claims that he and Meghan Markle are trying to overshadow them, per The Mail on Sunday.

The outlet reported that Prince Harry’s recent trip to Angola took over headlines, eclipsing coverage of Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday.

They also suggest that sharing calendars is a hint towards both parties trying to find a time for Prince Harry and his father, King Charles, to meet in person.

The father and son have been distant, with their last visit being in February 2024 when Prince Harry flew to the U.K. to see King Charles after the announcement of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis. He was there briefly, leaving a day after his arrival.

In May of this year, Prince Harry said he would “love a reconciliation with my family” during an interview with the BBC.

“There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he said, adding, “I don’t know how much longer my father has,” appearing to reference King Charles’ cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

According to People Magazine, a private meeting was held on July 9 in London between aides to Prince Harry and King Charles’ communications secretary, with a source telling the outlet, “It was a good first step. It is always better to be talking.”

The royal family and Prince Harry have had a strained relationship ever since Harry wrote the memoir “Spare” where he spilled the tea on issues within the royal family and his grievances with his father and brother, Prince William.