Prime Video killed one of its biggest summer hits, and now the race is on to save it
Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer's spy comedy 'Ride or Die' got axed after one season despite strong numbers. Paramount Television is already shopping it around.
In brief
Prime Video killed one of its biggest summer hits, and now the race is on to save it
The show cracked the global Top 10. It got critical praise. Fans binged it in days. And Prime Video canceled it anyway.
Ride or Die, the eight-episode spy action comedy starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer, is done at Amazon after just one season. Deadline broke the news on September 19, calling it an exclusive and, in reporter Nellie Andreeva's own framing, "a shocker" given that the show had been one of the streaming hits of the summer. The trade had the story first. By September 20 every major outlet had picked it up, and Octavia Spencer was already posting about it on Instagram.
The setup is the kind of high-concept logline that writes itself: best friends Debbie Claybourne (Spencer) and Judith Burton (Waddingham) think they know everything about each other, until Debbie discovers Judith is an international assassin. When a hit goes horribly wrong, both of their worlds are upended as they're forced to go on the run together. Created by comedian and writer Tessa Coates, directed by Peyton Reed, and executive produced by the stars themselves alongside Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the show debuted on Prime Video on July 15, with all eight episodes dropping at once.
The numbers, by most available measures, were good. It was number one on Prime Video's global streaming chart for three consecutive weeks and, after just two days, received 927,000 views. The decision came despite positive reviews and appearances on both the streamer's and Nielsen's top 10 rankings. The A.V. Club's coverage described it bluntly: the series "has received critical plaudits and solid ratings," making Andreeva's use of the word "shocking" hard to argue with.
So what happened? Neither Prime Video nor Amazon MGM Studios has offered a public explanation. The lack of a quick renewal should have been a sign, yet the cancellation took everyone involved in Ride or Die by surprise, because the action comedy had been well received and performed well according to available data. The show sat inside what Deadline described as the current wave of "white wine thrillers," series featuring adult female leads, a lane that includes several Prime Video shows renewed for more seasons. Meanwhile, every youth-oriented title from Amazon's summer rollout got picked up. Ride or Die did not.
Spencer went to Instagram the weekend the news broke. She responded to the cancellation by first joking that it was an ideal time to get sick given the news, then expressing gratitude for the experience and thanking numerous individuals involved, including series creator Tessa Coates. Waddingham, best known for her Emmy-winning run as Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso, has not yet made a public statement, though TVLine noted that the show gave her a genuine shot at proving she can carry action material.
The story is not necessarily over. The lead studio behind the buddy spy comedy, Paramount Television Studios, is shopping the series to other buyers. There is an interesting wrinkle in the production history: the show was initially developed by Skydance Television before being transferred to Paramount Television, which occurred after Skydance Media was absorbed into Paramount Global. That ownership trail could complicate any rescue deal, but it has not stopped Paramount TV from making calls. As of September 20, no new platform or renewal has been announced.
The broader context stings a little. Prime Video's big promotional campaign this summer, labeled "Obsession Is In Session," was aimed squarely at its YA lineup, including Elle, Off Campus, Every Year After, and Sterling Point, all of which have been renewed. Ride or Die launched with a quieter rollout by comparison, and whether that hurt its visibility with the algorithm is now a question the streaming industry is asking out loud. The cancellation fits a pattern critics have been documenting for years: streaming services greenlight prestige adult dramas, undermarket them relative to their youth content, then use opaque internal metrics to justify pulling the plug on shows with real audiences.
While the story of Ride or Die season one was mostly wrapped up, there was a clear setup and several unresolved storylines poised to carry over into a second season. The cliffhangers are sitting there. The cast, which includes Ed Skrein, Bill Nighy, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, and Sylvia Hoeks, is still attached. All eight episodes of season one remain on Prime Video. Whether anything comes next depends entirely on whether another buyer bites in the next few weeks.
Waddingham's people have not confirmed any offers. Paramount Television's people are not talking publicly. The streamer that canceled the thing has said nothing at all.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
