EXCLUSIVE: In yet another turn of events that confirms the universe is indeed upside down, Amplify Pictures—the brainchild of Amazon Studios’ former head of comedy and drama, Joe Lewis—has taken a leap into self-financing indie series. That’s right! Who needs a fancy network when you can just kickstart your own show right out of your living room?
This high-stakes gamble involves a series inspired by a YouTube pilot titled Mt. Mystic Rangers. Yes, because if viral videos taught us anything, it’s that high-quality storytelling comes second to cat videos and enigmatic park rangers.
Created by the dynamic duo, Jeremiah Dunlap and Cory Quintard, this six-part series features a pilot episode that debuted on Google’s streaming service in the glory of March, racking up an impressive 250,000 views. One can only assume that the rest were left wondering what was so mystifying about Mount Mystic.
The show takes notes from the comedy book of Reno 911!, plunging us into the chaotic lives of park rangers who are juggling budget cuts, personal dramas, and a delightful sprinkling of the supernatural. Each episode is a riotous ride through Mt. Mystic State Park, where the rangers’ attempts to maintain order typically end in, well, chaos—because who wants predictability in a show about park rangers anyway?
The cast is a veritable United Nations of quirky, including Beta Angarole, Josh Black, Tenea Intriago, Mindy Lopez, Robyn Quintard, and Moiba Mustapha. And directed by Dunlap, with Amplify Pictures teaming up with Foundry Mass, expectations are set, if not high, at least somewhere above ground level. Production is slated to begin next year—long enough to perfect the art of not taking things seriously.
Amplify Pictures seems to have the self-financing bug. Hot off the heels of their collaboration with the Duplass Brothers Productions for the comedy crime-thriller Sleep King, they’ve decided to dive even deeper into the indie waters. Who needs traditional funding when you can gamble on whimsical park rangers and still call it a career?
Lewis has voiced his excitement over Mt. Mystic, declaring it both hysterical and inventive. It seems he’s also keen on navigating the murky waters of digital distribution to make sure independent series thrive—because nothing says “we’re serious” like a blending of art and absurdity for a new generation of “hits.”
In a statement dripping with passion, Dunlap and Quintard echoed Lewis’s enthusiasm, stating they’ve been working on this wild ride for six years! They’ve finally found the right partners who understood their vision from day one. For them, it’s a dream come true—a vacation spent frolicking with park rangers instead of getting real-life jobs.
In a world where independent financing seems to be all the rage, with industry luminaries like Mark Duplass pitching in, one can’t help but wonder if we’re all better off letting our bank accounts take a hit for the sake of comedy. Here’s hoping Mt. Mystic finds a way to stack those views into actual, you know, revenue.
