Unlike competitors like Netflix and Amazon, who seem to be interested in building their production studios from the ground up, Apple is deciding to team up with a respected, Oscar-winning company to help with its future film slate.
Variety is reporting that Apple has partnered in a multi-year agreement with independent film studio A24, enlisting the studio in producing a slate of films for the tech company. The details of the deal are still under wraps, but with this agreement, Apple has instantly become a distributor to watch, as A24 is responsible for releasing some of The Playlist’s most-anticipated films each and every year.
Despite this new deal with Apple, it is reported that A24 will still be able to fulfill other agreements that are already in place. The indie studio currently has a deal with DirecTV, which allows the two companies to jointly acquire films for US distribution. There’s also a more minor deal with Amazon, which allows A24 films to stream on the Prime Video service after their theatrical run.
This new Apple/A24 deal happens just months after it was rumored that Apple was interested in purchasing the small film studio. However, even those rumors never officially were squashed, it would appear that this separate agreement seems to show that Apple buying out the studio is most certainly off the table, at this time.
A24 has released some incredible films in recent years including “Room,” “The Witch,” “The Lobster,” “Ex Machina,” and “Moonlight.” The latter of which earned the studio its first Best Picture award at the Oscars. Just this year, A24 is responsible for films like “Hereditary,” “Eighth Grade,” and “mid90s,” just to name a few.
As for Apple’s future in filmmaking, that’s still unknown. Up until now, the main focus that Apple has had on its upcoming streaming service has been on the TV side of things, as projects are lined up with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, M. Night Shyamalan, and Steven Spielberg, among others. It’s unclear if these films will be added to the streaming service, exclusively, or if, like Amazon, the tech company has more theatrical aspirations.
