Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, encouraged his subordinates to buy a series called “12 Parties” from his fiancee, Lila Feinberg, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
“12 Parties” ultimately didn’t see the light of day. Several Amazon employees were “uncomfortable” with the situation, and Amazon Studios declined to buy the script after a review from the company’s legal department over a potential conflict of interest, the Journal said.
One character shared several traits with Price, the newspaper reported: He was a middle-aged Harvard grad with a tattoo of iconic punk-rock band Black Flag and an affinity for leather jackets. The character’s younger girlfriend, “Lita,” was a New York-based writer — just like Feinberg.
The report about Price came amid a lengthy story about Amazon’s struggle to thrive in Hollywood. It also said that Comedy Chief Joe Lewis “pressured” the producers of “The Tick” to cast his girlfriend, Yara Martinez, in the show’s pilot, and pushed for her to have an expanded role on the show. Martinez landed a recurring role, but series creator Ben Edlund told the WSJ he didn’t feel forced to cast her.
In August, The Information reported that Amazon Studios hired a firm in 2015 to investigate a report that Price made unwanted sexual remarks to “The Man in the High Castle” producer Isa Hackett at Comic-Con. Amazon said it took all such allegations seriously. It did not release the findings of the investigation, but Price has remained on the job and Hackett stayed on the show.
The WSJ report also said that Comedy Chief Joe Lewis “pressured” the producers of “The Tick” to cast his girlfriend, Yara Martinez, in the show’s pilot, and pushed for her to have an expanded role on the show. Martinez landed a recurring role, but series creator Ben Edlund told the WSJ he didn’t feel forced to cast her.