Riz Ahmed Returns to TV in Prime Video Comedy About a Struggling Actor Who Winds Up in a Trippy Conspiracy
Oscar and Emmy winner Riz Ahmed is heading back to television, via a new half-hour comedy series at Amazon’s Prime Video. The untitled project will star Ahmed, who will also produce and write. Also attached is Emmy winner Ben Karlin (“Modern Family,” ”The Daily Show”), who is set to serve as showrunner with Ahmed and will executive produce.
In the show, Ahmed will play Shah Latif, “a struggling actor on the cusp of landing the role of a lifetime, only to find himself thrust into a full blown existential crisis and trippy conspiracy thriller all at the same time.”
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Ahmed created the series, which was developed via his Left Handed production company (which has a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios).
“I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time. It’s personal, bold, and a lot of fun. It feels so good to be writing and creating it now with this incredible team,” Ahmed said in a statement.
Jax Media and Amazon MGM Studios are behind the show, which is is executive produced by Ahmed and Allie Moore for Left Handed; Jake Fuller for Jax Media; Karlin; and Roopesh Parekh (“Willow,” “His Dark Materials”).
“Riz Ahmed is a gifted writer, actor, and producer, and we have been energized by his passion,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Led by Riz and the hilarious Ben Karlin, and guided by Rola Bauer’s Pan-English team, this series is sure to delight our global Prime Video customers and make them laugh.”
Beyond Ahmed and Karlin, the show has staffed a writers room including playwright and TV writer Dipika Guha (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Black Monday”); “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” co-creator Prashanth Venkataramanujam; Karen Joseph Adcock (“The Bear,” “Atlanta”); Azam Mahmood (“Industry,” “Ramy”); and novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza (“A Place for Us”).
The new show reps Ahmed’s return to TV, having won the lead actor in a limited series Emmy in 2017 for HBO’s “The Night Of.” That same year, he was nominated as a comedy guest star for HBO’s “Girls.”
Ahmed was Oscar nominated as best actor in 2021 for “Sound of Metal,” and won the Oscar for best live action short in 2022, for “The Long Goodbye” (which Left Handed produced). Most recently, Left Handed executive produced Saim Sadiq’s film “Joyland,” the first Pakistani film at Cannes, which won both the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm, as well as the Independent Spirit Award for best international feature in 2023.
As for Karlin, he has won 11 Emmys over the years for his work on “Modern Family” (best comedy in 2014 and 2013) and “The Daily Show” (best variety, music or comedy series in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, as well as best writing for a variety, music or comedy program in 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003). His credits also include “The Colbert Report.”
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