Apple might not have the public trust in the realm of streaming as Netflix. The tech company might not have the extensive library seen with competitors like HBO Max and Disney+. But you know what Apple has? Money. Lots and lots of money. And apparently, the company is willing to use that spending power and land a deal with one of the biggest names in Hollywood—Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to THR, Apple has signed a first-look deal with Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way production company for a slate of films and TV series to be released by the tech company and its new streaming service, Apple TV+. This is just yet another major name to join the long list of industry powerhouses that are doing business with the tech giant, as Apple attempts to bolster its original content library, which is pretty lackluster given the competition.
It’s unclear which projects will be coming from this new deal with Appian Way, but we’ve already seen some projects from DiCaprio’s production company land at Apple in recent months. Of course, we have the biggest project, a massive deal (rumored to be more than $160 million) to produce and distribute the upcoming Martin Scorsese film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which is produced by DiCaprio and will star the actor. Most recently, it was announced that Appian Way’s new series, “Shining Girls,” which stars Elisabeth Moss, will also land at Apple TV+.
As much as it would seem that Apple is willing to spend big money to attach itself to some massive stars and filmmakers, this is par for the course in the new streaming landscape. We jokingly call this era of numerous streaming competitors the Streaming Wars, but that isn’t altogether a wrong assessment. What we’re seeing with Apple, Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon, and the rest all trying to land deals with the production companies is akin to a content arms race where they all try to outdo each other with the flashiest projects that will entice subscribers to spend money on their product instead of the rest. Because let’s be real, most people aren’t willing to spend roughly $10 per month on 5 or 6 streaming services. Choices have to be made.
The question is whether or not DiCaprio’s Appian Way can release a bunch of projects that will attract people to Apple TV+. So far, since it’s lackluster launch in November, the tech company’s streaming effort has been the butt of jokes, and though it has received a number of award nominations, most people don’t even consider the platform a true competitor at this point.