British star Riz Ahmed.
Credit: X/ @rizwanahmed
Los Angeles: British star Riz Ahmed is set to headline an upcoming comedy series for streaming service Prime Video.
The series was created by Ahmed and developed under his production company, Left Handed, through their first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios.
In addition to starring in the untitled half-hour series, Ahmed will serve as a writer and co-showrunner with Ben Karlin, according to a press release.
The series follows 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.
“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.
The series will mark Ahmed's return to the television scene after he starred in critically-acclaimed show The Night Of, for which he won an Emmy award, as well as Girls.
Jax Media and Amazon MGM Studios are backing the show, which is executive produced by Ahmed and Allie Moore for Left Handed, Jake Fuller for Jax Media, Karlin and Roopesh Parekh.
“Riz Ahmed is a gifted writer, actor, and producer, and we have been energized by his passion. 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," said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios.