Amazon Studios has signed a first-look TV deal with 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams. Williams will work with Amazon Studios to create scripted and unscripted television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, beginning with an untitled docuseries that follows her in both her professional and personal life. The untitled docuseries production from Plum Pictures, Goalhanger Films and Amazon Studios is executive produced by Williams, Patrick Mouratoglou, Stuart Cabb, and Tony Pastor.
“I’m very excited to be partnering with Amazon Studios–they are developing some of the most inspiring and important content for a global audience. I have a lot of stories I’m eager to tell, including a continuation of my own, and I look forward to sharing those with the world,” said Williams.
“Serena has transformed her sport and become one of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs and women of her generation, admired not only for her unmatched prowess on the court but for her dedication to advocacy as well,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “We’re incredibly excited to share her journey in this new series, and to work with her to create new original content for our Prime Video customers worldwide.”
The greatest athlete and tennis player of the Open Era and most prized WTA player of all time, Williams has overcome insurmountable odds to win a title in all four grand slam tournaments, 73 singles and 23 doubles championships, and Gold-Medals at the 2000 (doubles), 2008 (doubles), and 2012 (singles and doubles) Olympics.
Off the court, Williams has become well-recognized in the business, entertainment and fashion space, adding S by Serena clothing line and Serena Ventures to her brand. Williams is also deeply committed to philanthropic causes, supporting organizations such as the Yetunde Price Resource Center, launching in 2018 in Compton, Calif., honoring the life and memory of her oldest sister, by ensuring those affected by trauma have the necessary resources to persevere. Her greatness on and off the court solidifies her as one of the most iconic names and faces in the world.
Stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” are auctioned for $28 million
A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction Saturday.
Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more, but the fast-paced bidding far outpaced that amount within seconds and tripled it within minutes. A few bidders making offers by phone volleyed back and forth for 15 minutes as the price climbed to the final, eye-popping sum.
Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.
Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began late Saturday afternoon.
The sparkly red heels were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the glass of the museum's door and display case.
Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018. Martin, now 77, who lives near Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota, wasn't publicly exposed as the thief until he was indicted in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023. He was in a wheelchair and on supplementary oxygen when he was sentenced last January to time served because of his poor health.
His attorney, Dane DeKrey, explained ahead of sentencing that Martin, who had a long history of burglary and receiving stolen property, was attempting to pull off "one last score" after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value. But a fence — a person who buys stolen goods — later told him the rubies were just glass, DeKrey said. So Martin got rid... Read More