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The con is on at Amazon.

The streaming service has given a series order to Sneaky Pete, a drama from EPs Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and David Shore (House) that stars Giovanni Ribisi as a man who hides from his debtors once he leaves prison — by assuming the identity of a cellmate. Our sister site Deadline broke the news.

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Sneaky Pete was originally developed by CBS, but when the Eye network passed on it, Amazon stepped in and aired the pilot last month,...

It may have taken four months longer, but Bryan Cranston and David Shore’s hourlong pilot Sneaky Pete got where it was looking to get last spring — with a series order. I hear Amazon is picking up to series the Giovanni Ribisi-starring pilot, from Sony Pictures TV. It was one of two pilots Amazon put on its Instant Video platform for viewing on August 7, along with Casanova, starring Diego Luna as the famous playboy. I hear Casanova remains in contention with an order…...

An object is never just an object in a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film, every artifact visible in his frames represents a piece of his wondrous imagination transmuted into its tangible form. Assertively, Jeunet refers to the collection of elements that compose a film not as a toolbox, but as a toy box in which every vibrant component serves a purpose to create a greater treasure. The auteur revels in the enchanting playfulness of his craft and propels it to new inventive heights with painstaking artistry. Each magical thought populates his worlds like unexpected gifts waiting to be continuously discovered with every viewing.

Such meticulously devotion for detail is as prevalent in the physical elements that construct his narrative as in the characters that emanate from his boundless ingenuity. Delightfully offbeat and adorned with endearingly eccentric qualities, they are all idiosyncratic children of his dark preoccupations and uplifting fantasies. From Amélie Poulain and her mission to spread joy, to Louison’s quirky quest for love in “Delicatessen,” or Mathilde’s unbreakable hope in “A Very Long Engagement," and even T.S. Spivet’s desire to use his genius for practical purposes to bond with his family. Each one struggling to achieve a triumph much bigger than themselves, while roaming Jeunet’s sublimely beautiful spaces.

Jeunet is magician who channels his visionary powers into stylistic marvels and poignant storytelling. Therefore, when after several years of arduous work he releases a new feature, it becomes a major event for cinema lovers around the world. Unsurprisingly, when I found out his most recent film was finally being in released stateside an overwhelming feeling of excitement took over me. However, it was strange that I had not heard anything about this release until the week of. It was only when searching that week’s releases that “The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet” appeared – two years after its original release in most countries.

On The Weinstein Company’s official site there was no mention of the film, neither on their Facebook page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. It was as if they had no association with Jeunet’s film, yet it was well known that the company had acquired the rights early on. The director had been verbal about the uncertainty of the film’s U.S. release due to Harvey Weinstein’s desire to create his own cut of the film. Still, I refused to believe that a film by such an important filmmaker could simply be quietly dumped into theaters without any effort to promote it.

TWC never replied to any of my emails, and every PR person and fellow journalist I asked had no idea the film was even scheduled to open that week on Friday July 31st. After tracking down Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s French representatives, they pointed me to Gaumont, the French distributor and sales agent that handled the film. Both mentioned that neither they nor Mr. Jeunet were even aware of the U.S. release. “As you know, the worst or the best can happen with TWC. For this release we definitely face the worst,” added one them.

It’s outrageous and insulting to think that a filmmaker of Jeunet’s caliber still has to endure a distributor’s pressures to reedit a film or face retribution that directly affects the release of his work in a major market. Unfortunately, in the spectrum of Harvey Weinstein’s vengeful antics this has not been the worst. Regardless of whether or not critics dislike Olivier Dahan's “Grace of Monaco,” it’s ludicrous to think that the film that opened the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, starring Nicole Kidman, and bought by one of the U.S. most important distributors, could end up premiering on Lifetime. This paints a scary picture for filmmakers, as it seems that in order to receive a successful release from certain distributors they must compromise their artistic integrity.

To discuss this terrible occurrence and the film itself, Mr. Jeunet graciously agreed to speak with me via Skype from Europe. Despite the circumstances, it was a dreamlike experience to have the opportunity to chat with one of cinema’s greatest directors, whose films have filled so many with mesmerizing wonder.

Once I had introduced myself and thanked him for his time, Mr. Jeunet began the interview inquiring about the release of his latest film "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet," which is ironically his most American work to date and has been blatantly disowned by its U.S. distributor.

Read More: Jeunet's Disarmingly Imaginative 'The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet' Analyzes American Duality with Dark Undertones and Awe-Inspiring 3D Cinematography

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Have you seen the film?

Aguilar: Yes, I've seen it twice now.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Did you see it in 3D?

Aguilar: Yes, I was lucky enough to be able to see it on the big screen and in 3D

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Where did you see it?

Aguilar: I went to the only theater in L.A. playing the film in 3D, the Downtown Independent.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: How many theaters in L.A. are playing "T.S. Spivet"? Is it only playing in one theater?

Aguilar: I think about 4 or 5 theaters in total, but only one of those played it in 3D.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: But there was no advertisement, no commercials, no promotion, no nothing, right? So I suppose the theaters were empty.

Aguilar: Yes, sadly there were only a few people there. I'm not sure if you are aware but the U.S trailer for the film came out on Thursday July 30th, just a day before the release. Nobody knew about the release as there were no press screening, a press release, or even any mention of the film in The Weinstein Company’s website. I found out the film was opening by chance. TWC was not replying to any press inquiries related to your film. Were you aware of any of this?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Absolutely not. We learned about this by chance because they have a contract with Netflix. The contract says that you have to release the film in 100 theaters, no more and no less. This is the only reason they released the film, to keep that contract and keep a good relationship with Netflix. It's also probably because Harvey Weinstein is still pissed off because I refused to reedit my film. "T.S. Spivet" is a fake American movie because it's a movie produced in Europe and Canada, so I have the final cut. I always choose this specifically to avoid this kind of problem, but with Mr. Weinstein you never avoid this kind of problem, of course [Laughs]. You know, we had exactly the same story with "Delicatessen," a long time a go. With "Amelie" he wanted me to reedit it, but because it was a success he decided to release the film in the same version as Europe. He wanted Caro and me to reedit "Delicatessen" but we said, "Ok. We have another idea for a modification, you cut our names out of the credits," so they never cut "Delicatessen" either. However, "Delicatessen" only became a success on video because it had a very bad theatrical release. But this release of "T.S. Spivet" is just a caricature. [Laughs].

Aguilar: This is your most American film, which could have had a better chance with audiences here in the U.S. It's in English and you have big names like Helena Bonham Carter and Judy Davis. It's a shame the release took so long and was handled like this.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: It was an American movie. Kyle Catlett, the kid, is from New Jersey. He is an American kid. It's a pity because this is my only American movie and it was not distributed in the U.S. Now it's being distributed but not under good conditions. It's also a pity because when Harvey Weinstein signed the deal he said, "We will do something even better than with 'Amelie'" and when he learned I didn't want to modify the film he gave up because he wanted to reedit the film. He needs that to survive. He is like a dog who needs to pee on a tree.

Aguilar: What did he want you to cut or modify? Was it about the darker undertones in the film?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: We don't know! It's a question of principle. He doesn't even know it himself probably. He needs to give the film to an American editor and say, "Do something!" There is not a specific problem, he just needs to reedit the film. He does that with every movie except "The Artist." You know why? Michel Hazanavicius told me it was because the score was part of the entire film and matched the entire film. If Harvey Weinstein had reedited the film he would have had to rerecord the whole score one more time and it would have been very expensive. So he didn't reedit the film [Laughs]. It was very clever of Hazanavicius in fact.

Aguilar: Were you angry that the film wasn't getting released in the U.S. for so long?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: I was very sad, not angry, but very sad. Now it's been two years and I accept it. You can never deal with Mr. Weinstein. Of course I didn't do that, it was Gaumont the French distributor. Other U.S. distributors wanted "T.S. Spivet" and when they told me that Weinstein wanted it I told them, "Be careful, because we know him and he will want to reedit." They said, "No, no, he will respect your film. He knows that. He won't touch a frame." Of course, he cheats all the time.

Aguilar: Now tell me about the film. I know it's been two years, so hopefully you remember the details. But since you never got the chance to do any U.S. press for the films, I'm sure people want to know more. How did you become aware of the book? It feels like a perfect match. It's like if the book was written exactly for your sensibilities.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: I have a reader. He read the book and said it was for me. I was in Australia shooting some commercials and he send me the book and told me, "Read as soon as as possible because it's a book for you." Maybe it was a book too much for me because it's very close to my own preoccupations. I knew it wasn't going to be too easy because the main character is a kid and it's not a film for kids. That's probably the reason it wasn't a huge success everywhere. It's always the same story with films with kids, like the Stephen Daldry movie,"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," or the Terry Gilliam's movie, "Time Bandits." Every time that you have the main character be a kid it's not so easy.

Aguilar: I feel there's a connection between T.S. Spivet and Amelie Poulain. They both have this broken relationship with their parents after a tragic event and they are both incredibly creative. Is that something that drew you into the book?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Yeah. You know, when I met Reif Larsen, the author of the novel, he told me, "When I saw 'Amelie' I had the feeling that someone had scratched my head." We have he same feelings, we use the same references, and we are now very close. He is kind of like a son to me.

Aguilar: Do you feel like you gravitate to these type of characters and stories whether you are writing them or adapting them?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: It's very difficult to find a story for a feature because you are going to spend 3 or 4 years of your life on it. In some ways the story of T.S is always the same story of all my films. It's a story of a kid fighting against a monster. That's the theme of all my films. But this one was an opportunity to make something different for me because it was in English and with big American landscapes. It was also the opportunity to shoot in 3D because T.S. Spivet's objects or creations were an opportunity to create something original in 3D, so I was very happy to make this adaptation.

Aguilar: Tell me about working in 3D. It feels like today films use it in a gratuitous way or simply for commercial purposes, but in "T.S. Spivet" there is a specific reason for its use and it's always motivated by the story.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Absolutely, it was part of the concept from the beginning. During the writing and during the storyboard process I was thinking about 3D. It wasn't just a commercial reason because it's complicated, especially when you are picky. You spend a lot of time on it and you lose some time on set, you lose some time during the post-production to fix every detail to avoid, for example, anything that could cause headaches. We made something, I would say, almost perfect technically, although it's never perfect but it's not bad. We had the stereographer Demetri Portelli, he worked on "Hugo," the Scorsese movie.

Aguilar: So you got the best of the best in terms of 3D

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Yes, and we got every award related to 3D. We got three or four awards. One from the Advance Imaging Society, one from Camerimage, one Lumiere Award, and we got the French César for the Cinematography. We got a lot of awards for both the cinematography and the use of 3D.

Aguilar: For me the film is about a certain American duality, the one driven by intellectual pursuits, modernity, and invention, and the other that's more traditional, rural, and almost mythical. T.S.'s father is a cowboy and his mother is a scientist, but he is in between these two realities. .

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Yes. In someways I am T.S. Spivet because, like him, I love to draw sketches and to create some inventions. Sometimes I win an award like he does. I don't take the train - I'm afraid of trains - but I take an airplane to get my award and, like T.S., I like to go back to my ranch to draw sketches because I love doing that. I'm a lot like T.S. Spivet, but I'm not a genius.

Aguilar: It's also a film about American culture and some of its negative aspects. There is evidently a certain commentary about the culture of guns in this country, but there is also the talk show sequence, which is very much about how the media seeks conflict and exploits emotions as an spectacle.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: The guns especially are very American, but I didn't think about that when I made the film. But then, when you have an accident or a event involving guns happening in the U.S. almost every week, I realized I was speaking about that. The TV aspect is not only in the U.S., it's everywhere, even in France now. They are interested in controversy, scandal, polemic. That's everywhere now.

Aguilar: Tell about the production design, which is always perfect in your films. Every frame in every film you make is packed with so many whimsical details.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: I love that. I love to spend a lot of time to prepare and to create some objects just for the film. Now all these things are in my office in Paris. I have a collection of objects from all my films. I love details and I love to invent and be picky with everything. It's a kind of toy box. Orson Welles spoke about his electric train. It's kind of like a Meccano set in which everything is about making the most beautiful film you can. In this box you have the costumes, the dialogue, the music, the production design, you have everything, and the game is to use everything to build this toy.

Aguilar: Regarding "T.S. Spivet," were you concerned about the fact that one of the main plot points in the story is a young boy's death? Did you worry about how this would be perceived by the audience?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: That was something in the book that I knew from the beginning wouldn't be easy. Of course, when you speak about the death of a kid it's not easy, especially for kids. But I accepted that because I was very moved by the speech at the end of the novel. That was a big moment to shoot with Kyle Catlett.

Aguilar: Dominique Pinon is in this film as in every one of your films. You always find a great role to include him.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: He can speak like an American because he was a student in the U.S, so I didn't see any reason not to include Dominique Pinon because he surprises me every time. This time it was very difficult because he only had two days and he came from Paris to do it. We shot for two nights and he came back for the premiere of the film in Paris tight before his theater play. Just in case Ron Perlman was ready to replace Dominique Pinon.

Aguilar: Kyle Catlett is incredibly charming in the film. How did you find the ideal young actor to play T.S. Spivet?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: It's always the same story. You see thousands of kids and suddenly you have a surprise in front of you, by Skype now of course. My first reaction was, "He is too small, too little, too young. He is not T.S. Spivet" But when you have a kid who is a world champion in martial arts, he speaks five languages, and who is able to cry on command, you think, " Oh my God, this is an interesting kid. I have to meet him!" Little by little he became T.S. Spivet

Aguilar: Can you tell me about shooting the Amazon TV pilot, "Casanova."? I can't wait to see what you did with this story.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Yes. It's finished. They are be close to releasing it on Amazon. If I understand the rules of the game, if the spectators are happy with it they vote on the internet and say, "We want to see the first season of the series." If they don't say that it will be dead [Laughs]. Those are the rules of the game with Amazon, they are used to doing that. It's strange because they spent $10 million dollars to make something beautiful, and it's a project that makes me think about "Barry Lyndon" or "Dangerous Liaisons." I shot it like if it was a feature, thinking about the details, the costumes, and it was with my usual crew, almost everybody, and we made something beautiful. The director of photography is Pierre Gill, who was in charge of Second Unit in "T.S Spivet."

Aguilar: Diego Luna is the protagonist of "Casanova," and this is your first time working with him. How did that go?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: I had a great relationship with him. We became friends. Every night we were watching soccer together - the Champions League. He is a great actor and a good guy.

Aguilar: Are you working on a new feature film at all or are you waiting for the right project?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: I was expecting an idea from you [Laughs].

Aguilar: You've worked in French and English, now you need to make a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film in Spanish.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Sure [Laughs]. I'm looking for something but it's very difficult because I would like to surprise myself. I always try to find something new and it's not so easy.

Aguilar: What's your take on the current state of cinema? TV is becoming more important and cinema is changing rapidly.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: There are so many movies now. When you want to watch a movie on VOD you have some many films to chose from, it's crazy. Now it's so difficult to make something that will endure like "Delicatessen" or "Amelie." Now it's very difficult because you have so many films. But I continue to think that I have to work just for my pleasure, which is very selfish in fact.

Aguilar: After so many years making films and facing all the struggles it involves, why are you still in love with cinema?

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: It's a pleasure to make. I also make something else just for the pleasure of it, and you can find it on my official site, which is English as well. In the news section you will find some pictures of animals I make with stuff found in nature. My wife finds some sticks, wood, or leaves, and I make animals out of them and it's the same process. It's a pleasure to make. Except with my animals I don't need financiers, I don't need money, I don't need a producer, and I don't need Harvey Weinstein to kill it. It's just a pleasure to make.

Aguilar: It's so unfortunate that the "T.S. Spivet" didn't get the released it deserved becasue of someone's control issues

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: It's a question of honor for him. He wants to reedit. He needs to reedit.

Aguilar: At least those lucky enough to see it will see your version. You've kept your creative integrity.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Exactly. People will see it on Netflix maybe, in 2D unfortunately, but it will be my film. It won't be Harvey Weinstein's movie.

"The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet" is still playing in select theaters around the country.

As it has built up its library of original programming, Amazon Studios has used “pilot seasons,” in which multiple potential shows premiere at the same time, to its advantage. After debuting its fifth pilot season earlier this year, Amazon is following up with a mini-season that includes two pilots. It has shared the first episodes of Casanova and Sneaky Pete and has welcomed viewer feedback on both of them.

Both of Amazon’s new dramas come with big names attached. Casanova, which was first attached to Amazon in January, will follow the life of the titular 18th century Venetian libertine, with particular attention paid to his time in “exile” in Paris. It comes from veteran TV producer Ben Silverman, features Amelie’s Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the director’s chair, and stars Diego Luna of Y Tu Mama Tambien fame.

Sneaky Pete, on the other hand, follows a con man who...

Amazon Studios wants you to decide the fate of its new shows, per its usual crowdsourcing development process. Will these get a full series order? That's up to audiences. This weekend, you can stream Jean-Pierre Jeunet's pilot "Casanova," starring Diego Luna as the 18th-century playboy as he flees to Paris. Exiled from Venice at the dawn of the Enlightenment, he hopes to put his past behind him. Co-stars are Bojana Novakovic, Miranda Richardson and Ben Daniels. Stuart Zicherman of "The Americans" penned the script. Executive producers Bryan Cranston and David Shore's "Sneaky Pete," a drama pilot rejected by CBS, stars Giovanni Ribisi as a con man fresh out of prison who assumes the identity of his cellmate and moves in with his family. Co-stars are Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety, Libe Barer and Shane McRae, and it's directed by Seth Gordon, who helmed "Horrible Bosses." "House" writer David Shore penned the.

It's that time of year again: time to vote for which Amazon pilots get picked up to series and which ones are never heard from again. Remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Your vote could decide whether some writer, director or star's dream is realized or crushed. So take some time to think it over. Read our reviews below, from both TV Editor Liz Shannon Miller and TV Critic Ben Travers, and then watch the pilots yourselves right here. "Casanova" Indiewire TV Critic Ben Travers: Agonizingly slow and far too reliant on nonexistent sexual chemistry to sustain interest, "Casanova" feels like a show that's trying to borrow from every genre because it lacks a clear identity of its own. At times a playful jaunt through 18th century Paris, as well as an erotic soap where backstabbing abounds, Stuart Zicherman's take on the iconic Lothario leaves viewers...

Well, if you're not going to see "Fantastic Four" this weekend, there's something else you can do to whittle away a few hours. Amazon is dropping a handful of new pilots on their service today, and as usual, it's up to viewers to vote and share feedback in order to help determine which one will get green-lit. Among those hoping to connect with potential viewers is Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Casanova." Diego Luna leads the erotic drama about the famed master of seduction who can't help but put his moves on the opposite sex. This trailer and clip from the show reveals that "Casanova" promises to be uh, busty.... Here's the official synopsis: Casanova chronicles a little-known period in the life of one of 18th century’s most famous playboys. Exiled from his beloved Venice, renowned playboy Giacomo Casanova (Luna) flees to Paris at the dawn of the Enlightenment in hopes...

Amazon Studios has released a new batch of pilots on its service today, with one of the most high-profile being the bawdy erotic drama "Casanova". "Amelie" helmer Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs and produces the period effort starring Diego Luna as the famed master of seduction. Like all Amazon pilots, it's up to viewers to vote and share feedback in order to help determine if the show will go to series.

Diego Luna embodies the renowned 18th-century Italian playboy for Amazon original pilot “Casanova,” which the company will debut Friday along with the pilot for “Sneaky Pete,” starring Giovanni Ribisi. Amazon released a new trailer Thursday, which underscores Luna’s allure, as he woos the lovely ladies of the Enlightenment. The series is an account of the historical figure’s exile from Venice, Italy. Casanova flees to Paris and finds himself seduced by the same temptations and opportunities for trouble. Also Read: Bryan Cranston Wants His Money Back in Amazon's 'Sneaky Pete' Trailer (Video) Oscar-nominated director Jean Pierre Jeunet...

Amazon Studios has set the release dates for two of its original series’ pilots. The debut episodes of Sneaky Pete and Casanova will drop on the Instant Video streaming platform on August 7, 2015.

On that date, both the Sneaky Pete and Casanova pilots will be available to all Amazon Prime Instant Video subscribers in the U.S., UK, and Germany. Soon afterwards, the pilots will be joined by others in Amazon’s recent round of its pilot program. Prime users will then be able to vote on their favorite pilots, which Amazon will greenlight as full series orders.

Sneaky Pete, which Amazon was reportedly courting back in June 2015, comes from executive producers Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and David Shore (House M.D.). The Amazon original series’ story centers around a released-from-prison conman, played by Giovanni Ribisi, who takes his old cellmate Pete’s identity and gets sucked into his family’s bail bond business.

Drama pilots Casanova and Sneaky Pete will be made available for viewing on Amazon Instant Video in the U.S., UK and Germany on August 7. The first, which stars Diego Luna as the famous playboy, was greenlighted by Amazon, while the second, from Bryan Cranston and David Shore, was originally ordered by CBS from Sony TV this past season. Amazon took it in after CBS passed on the Giovanni Ribisi-starring project in May and commissioned some reshoots. Casanova, shot…...

One of the more unexpected rumors in the past year or so was that of a live-action TV series in the works at Netflix based on the popular Nintendo video game franchise "The Legend of Zelda". The news was quickly shot down by none other than Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata himself who said it was not based on current facts.

Today though, Season Zero reports that the project has resurfaced again - this time being developed as a potential pilot for Amazon. It adds that if the project is to go ahead, it will shoot in August in New York and Savannah, Georgia.

What the plot of such a potential series could be is unclear at this point, though will likely involve Link traveling across Hyrule to rescue Princess Zelda.

If the report is true, the project would join the batch of other high profile pilots in the works at...

Albert Serra's Catalonia in Venice: Singularity has been commissioned by the Institut Ramon Llull as a Collateral Event of the 56th Venice Biennale. More projects in the works: James Gray's Hard Apple, "an adult-skewing animated series," Brad Bird's The Incredibles 2, Robert De Niro as Enzo Ferrari, Nicole Holofcener’s Can You Ever Forgive Me with Julianne Moore, Spike Lee's Chiraq with Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Piven, Common and Kanye West, Guillermo del Toro's Haunted Mansion with Ryan Gosling, Carl Franklin's Tupac biopic, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's take on Casanova with Diego Luna, Ben Daniels and Miranda Richardson and Italian television series based on Django and Dario Argento's Suspiria. » - David Hudson...

Albert Serra's Catalonia in Venice: Singularity has been commissioned by the Institut Ramon Llull as a Collateral Event of the 56th Venice Biennale. More projects in the works: James Gray's Hard Apple, "an adult-skewing animated series," Brad Bird's The Incredibles 2, Robert De Niro as Enzo Ferrari, Nicole Holofcener’s Can You Ever Forgive Me with Julianne Moore, Spike Lee's Chiraq with Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Piven, Common and Kanye West, Guillermo del Toro's Haunted Mansion with Ryan Gosling, Carl Franklin's Tupac biopic, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's take on Casanova with Diego Luna, Ben Daniels and Miranda Richardson and Italian television series based on Django and Dario Argento's Suspiria. » - David Hudson...

Amazon is pushing ahead with another show in its drive to add more original content via its pilot system. The company has an untitled series about 18th century lover Giacomo Casanova in the works with Diego Luna set to play the romantic scoundrel and Jean-Pierre Jeunet on to direct the initial episode. With Ben Daniels, Miranda Richardson, Bojana Novakovic and Amelia Clarkson also aboard to star, the Casanova series – assuming it makes it past the pilot selection process – will chronicle the life of the renaissance man best known for his philandering ways but who also served as a spy for the French government. The pilot kicks off with him escaping Venice’s most impenetrable prison and moves to Paris with just the shirt on his back, determined to change his ways.Stu Zicherman has written the first script and Jeunet plans to shoot it soon in Paris, Venice and Hungary.

An untitled series about the life of the legendary ladies' man Giacomo Casanova is shaping up to be one of Amazon Studios' biggest titles yet. The online video producer has named Jean-Pierre Jeunet as the series' director, with Diego Luna nabbing the lead role.

The series, executive produced by Electus Entertainment, will star Luna as the titular character, who leaves Venice in order to pursue a new life in France. Two-time Academy Award nominee Miranda Richardson will play alongside him as Marquise d’Urfé, Casanova's Parisian client.

Jeunet, whose filmography spans nearly 25 years, will provide an experienced hand behind the camera. The Frenchman is best known for directing Amélie, which was nominated for five Academy Awards back in 2001.

Luna's most famous role also came in 2001, in the road movie Y Tu Mama Tambien. His co-star in that film, Gael Garcia Bernal, has also taken the lead role in an Amazon series.

Amazon’s “Casanova” project has found its leading man in Diego Luna, and Academy Award nominee Jean-Pierre Jeunet will direct the pilot, the streaming company announced on Wednesday. The as-yet untitled Giacamo Casanova project is executive produced by “The Tudors'” Ben Silverman and “The Americans'” Stu Zicherman, who also wrote the pilot. Jeunet was nominated for an Original Screenplay Oscar in 2001 for “Amelie,” and Luna, who co-starred in “Milk” and “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” most recently produced the 2014 biopic “Cesar Chavez.” Also Read: Amazon Renews First Original Hour-Long Drama Series ‘Bosch’ for Season 2 Also joining the cast are...