Amazon Studios cancels mini series The Banker’s Wife due to ongoing challenges of COVID-19 pandemic

Amazon Studios cancels high-profile mini series The Banker’s Wife due to ongoing challenges of COVID-19 pandemic

While some countries are easing restrictions as others experience deadly surges, COVID-19 continues to impact Hollywood productions.

The latest casualty is the Amazon Studios mini series The Banker’s Wife. 

The project, which was first announced back in 2019, has been scrapped due to the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic, THR.com reported Wednesday.

Canceled: Amazon Studios has scrapped its highly-anticipated mini series The Banker’s Wife, based on the novel by Cristina Alger, citing the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the international scope of the drama made it difficult to produce as lockdowns ebb and flow, and quarantine and other regulations remain in place around the globe.

Based on the novel by Cristina Alger, Amazon landed the rights to the story after an intense bidding war.

While no stars had been confirmed for the series, British actress Rosamund Pike had initially been attached, though she then left the project for Amazon’s Wheel of Time.

Subsequently, insiders said, offers had gone out to several A-listers.

Challenge: Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the international scope of the drama made it difficult to produce as quarantine and other regulations remain in place around the globe

Challenge: Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the international scope of the drama made it difficult to produce as quarantine and other regulations remain in place around the globe

Originally sought: While no stars had been confirmed for the series, British actress Rosamund Pike had initially been attached, though she then left the project for Amazon's Wheel of Time

Originally sought: While no stars had been confirmed for the series, British actress Rosamund Pike had initially been attached, though she then left the project for Amazon’s Wheel of Time

Eight episodes had been planned and all had been written by Homeland’s Meredith Stiehm with her Homeland collaborator Lesli Linka Glatter set to direct them.  

Published in 2018, The Banker’s Wife ‘centers on two women who race for answers when a mysterious plane crash sets them on parallel pursuits of truth,’ according to THR.com.

Their search takes them into the world of global finance and offshore accounts that are meant to remain hidden.

The plot leads the women into ‘the crosshairs of a conspiracy involving money laundering, powerful politicians and a web of terrorists and criminals.’  

Logistics and other issues related to the pandemic also led Amazon to scrap the planned series Cortes starring Javier Bardem.

Meanwhile, HBO has dropped Americanah and Showtime has canceled The President Is Missing due to the pandemic.

Due to helm: Eight episodes had been planned. All had been written by Homeland's Meredith Stiehm with her Homeland collaborator Lesli Linka Glatter (pictured) set to direct them

Due to helm: Eight episodes had been planned. All had been written by Homeland’s Meredith Stiehm with her Homeland collaborator Lesli Linka Glatter (pictured) set to direct them

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