Apple auditions for Hollywood: The making of a streaming service

“Last fall, Howard Gordon, showrunner for the hit TV show ’24’ and co-creator of ‘Homeland,’ was in the middle of negotiating a deal with a newcomer to Hollywood: Apple,” Reed Albergotti and Sarah Ellison report for The Washington Post. “In a meeting with film executives from the iPhone maker, which had set aside an enormous budget to develop TV shows and movies, Gordon brought up rumors that Apple wanted sanitized projects — a potential problem for his show about a pair of disillusioned military veterans who go on a killing spree.”
“Would Apple buy the project, an adaptation of an Israeli show called ‘Nevelot,’ which translates directly to ‘Bastards,’ only to strip it of any violence and adult themes?” Albergotti and Ellison report. “‘They were fairly adamant that it would not be a problem,’ Gordon said in an interview. ‘I said, ‘Can you say that again into the microphone,” Gordon said. He sold the show, which stars Richard Gere, to Apple in the fall and it is in early development.”
MacDailyNews Take:
There’s nothing like two vets going on a millennial killing spree to nuke the idea that Apple is only pursuing milquetoast family fare. — MacDailyNews, December 6, 2018
“Apple plans to launch its much-anticipated streaming service Monday, which includes big-name actors such as Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon,” Albergotti and Ellison report. “It’s using its deep pockets to buy itself a name in Hollywood. Apple is paying Witherspoon and Aniston about $1.1 million an episode each, according to a Hollywood executive with knowledge of Apple’s plans.
“‘Apple is the only company in the world that can drop a couple million dollars in entertainment and get Reese Witherspoon and M. Night Shyamalan on board without any articulation of a plan in terms of marketing or distribution,’ said one well-connected Hollywood executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to upset Apple,” Albergotti and Ellison report. “‘Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be interesting and I guess it was worth the uncertainty,’ said Gordon.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Looks like everyone outside of Apple brass will learn what this streaming service will look like on Monday!
Watch Apple’s “It’s Show Time” event webcast from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino – and comment along with us in real time – on Monday, March 25th at 10 am PDT /1 pm EDT.