Sam Levinson Signs Overall TV Deal with Amazon MGM Studios

Sam Levinson, creator of the Zendaya-led drama "Euphoria," has signed an overall television deal with Amazon MGM Studios, the studio announced. The agreement moves one of HBO's most recognizable showrunners to a competing platform.

Under the deal, Levinson and his wife and producing partner, Ashley Levinson, will develop and produce television projects for Prime Video and other Amazon MGM platforms through their banner, Tiny Goat Productions. The studio released no figures on the deal's value or duration — standard silence, but worth noting given what the announcement promises.

"Euphoria" aired on HBO for three seasons, from 2019 to May of this year. The cast included Colman Domingo, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer and Alexa Demie alongside Zendaya. Over its run, the series earned 32 Emmy nominations, including one for outstanding drama series, and won nine — two of them for Zendaya as lead drama actress. In 2023, Levinson won a DGA Award for directing Season 2.

His other credits carry a mixed record: the films "Assassination Nation" (2018) and "Malcolm & Marie" (2021), and the 2023 HBO series "The Idol," which drew harsh critical reception. The announcement makes no mention of "The Idol." Neither does Amazon MGM's framing of the director's career.

What does the deal actually change?

For Prime Video, it adds a proven hitmaker with a young-skewing audience. Whether it yields a new series depends entirely on what the Levinsons pitch — an overall deal guarantees development, not a green light.

Peter Friedlander, head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, framed the hire in expansive terms. "Sam Levinson is one of the most daring and original voices in television today, with a fearless commitment to authentic storytelling that resonates with audiences around the world," Friedlander said in a statement. "We're thrilled to welcome Sam and Ashley and to give them the creative freedom and global platform to develop their projects."

Creative freedom is the phrase studios reach for in every such announcement. What it means in practice — budgets, episode counts, pickup commitments — remains unsaid.

Levinson answered in kind. "Peter and his team have inspired us from our very first conversation," he said. "Ashley and I are grateful for their trust, and we can't wait to get to work and deliver for audiences around the world."

No first project has been named. No premiere window exists. What exists is a relationship between a studio spending heavily on prestige television and a writer-director whose last HBO series ended its three-season run in May.

The first Tiny Goat project to reach a green light will tell us whether "creative freedom" translates into shows — or simply into a well-paid option.