Apple’s original content production reportedly marred by ‘intrusive’ execs, including Tim Cook

“Apple’s push into Hollywood is off to a rough start — thanks in part to ‘intrusive’ tech executives, including Tim Cook, The Post has learned,” Alexandra Steigrad and Nicolas Vega report for The New York Post. “As the company’s streaming project gets ready for launch, agents and producers can’t stop griping about how ‘difficult’ Apple is to deal with — citing a ‘lack of transparency,’ ‘lack of clarity’ and ‘intrusive’ executives, including CEO Cook.”
“One of the biggest complaints involves the many ‘notes’ from Apple executives seeking family-friendly shows, sources said,” Steigrad and Vega report. “‘Tim Cook is giving notes and getting involved,’ said a producer who has worked with Apple. One of the CEO’s most repeated notes is ‘don’t be so mean!,’ the source said… Apple’s nitpicking over content and technology has led to delays, sources said.”
“The streaming service is widely expected to be unveiled this month, but the final product won’t likely be available to consumers before the end of the year — and it will offer just a handful of the several dozen shows it has in the works, sources said,” Steigrad and Vega report. “Cook, 58, has been public about wanting family-friendly content, but insiders say the tech giant has also passed on storylines because they are about potentially controversial topics, like religion or the negative consequences of technology. ‘They want a positive view of technology,’ the producer noted.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There will be a clash of cultures between Silicon Valley and Hollywood and, guaranteed, not every project will be a hit. Some won’t even work at all.
There will be many growing pains. Complaints will be aired through the gossip channels as per usual with Hollywood.
Directors, writers, etc. generally prefer to be left alone to work, so getting notes from a tech CEO will naturally be grating. He is, of course, also approving the issuance of their checks. The balance between Apple and content producers will have to be found – seemingly via public leaks, unfortunately.
One hit, certainly not guaranteed, is really all Apple needs to start the service off right.
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