Celebrity partnerships, other original content and programming decisions
In October 2017, following reports of sexual abuse allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, Apple announced that it was severing ties with The Weinstein Company (TWC) and cancelling a planned biopic series about Elvis Presley.
In April 2018, Apple signed Kerry Ehrin to a multi-year deal to produce original content. Ehrin and Apple renewed the deal in May 2020. In June 2018, Apple signed the Writers Guild of America's minimum basic agreement and Oprah Winfrey to a multi-year content partnership. The same month, Apple announced that it had given a multi-series order to Sesame Workshop to produce various live-action and animated series as well as a single puppet-based series.
In September 2018, it was reported that Apple had decided to shelve Vital Signs, a six-episode biopic television series centering on the life of hip-hop producer and performer Dr. Dre and starring Ian McShane, Sam Rockwell, and Michael K. Williams, due to concerns about the show's content being too graphic, with moments cited including characters using cocaine, instances of gun violence, and an explicit orgy scene. Reports further indicated that Apple CEO Tim Cook was taking a hands-on approach to the company's Worldwide Video Unit, with programming decisions reportedly being aligned to Cook's personal taste, with a preference for family-friendly shows. Various programs in different stages of production apparently had their content altered, including the toning down of The Morning Show and the removal of crucifixes from a scene in the M. Night Shyamalan drama series. Additionally, Apple reportedly passed on a television series from comedian Whitney Cummings about the #MeToo movement because it was "too sensitive a topic". Cummings's series was ultimately put into development by Amazon Prime Video in October 2018.
In November 2018, Apple entered into a multi-year agreement with entertainment company A24 to produce a slate of original films in partnership with its Worldwide Video Unit. The same month, Apple signed a deal with DHX Media (now WildBrain) and its subsidiary Peanuts Worldwide to develop and produce original programs, including new series, specials, and shorts based on the Peanuts characters. One of the first productions created through the deal was an original short-form, STEM-related series featuring astronaut Snoopy. Also that month, Apple signed Justin Lin and his production company, Perfect Storm Entertainment, to a multi-year overall deal to produce original television content.
In January 2019, Apple signed Jason Katims and his production company, True Jack Productions, to a multi-year overall production and development deal to produce original television content. The same month, Apple signed a first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries to develop nonfiction features and series. In February 2019, Harpo Productions hired Terry Wood as an executive vice president to oversee Harpo's production of original programming for Apple as part of the multi-year agreement between Winfrey and Apple. In March 2019, it was reported that five television series commissioned by Apple had finished filming and six series would finish in the next few months. On April 10, 2019, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced on Instagram that he was working alongside Winfrey on the mental health documentary series as a co-creator and executive producer. In October 2019, Apple signed Monica Beletsky to a multi-year deal.
In January 2020, Apple signed a five-year production deal with Richard Plepler, the former CEO and chairman of HBO. Under the production deal, Plepler's production company, Eden Productions, will create television series, documentaries and feature films exclusively for Apple TV+. Also in January 2020, Apple signed a multi-year deal with Lee Eisenberg, ahead of the premiere of his series Little America, and another multi-year deal with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Louis-Dreyfus is set to develop new projects as both executive producer and star.
In May 2020, Apple signed a two-year production deal with Annie Weisman, the creator of Almost Family. As part of her deal with Apple, Weisman will create television projects exclusively for Apple TV+. In July 2020, Apple signed a multi-year deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce new children's television series and specials based on Maurice Sendak's books and illustrations. In August 2020, Apple signed a multi-year first-look deal with Leonardo DiCaprio's film and television production company, Appian Way Productions. Also in August 2020, Apple signed a multi-year first-look deal with Martin Scorsese's film and television production company, Sikelia Productions.
In September 2020, Apple officially acquired the film Cherry, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and starring Tom Holland, for around $40 million. It was released in theaters on February 26, 2021, before streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ on March 12. In October 2020, Apple announced it had struck a deal with comedian and former anchor of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, to host a regular, hour-long series on topics of national interest, The Problem with Jon Stewart, premiered in the fall of 2021. In November 2020, Steven Lightfoot signed a multi-year overall production deal with Apple, starting off as showrunner of the upcoming drama Shantaram.
In January 2021, Apple TV+ announced a new show, WeCrashed, that follows the launch, rise, and fall of WeWork. Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway played Adam and Rebekah Neumann. In addition, Apple bought the Sundance Film Festival hit CODA, about a girl who is the only person in her family who can hear, paying a festival-record $25 million for the film's worldwide rights. In February 2021, it was reported that Apple and Skydance Animation entered into a multi-year partnership to develop animated kids and family films and television programs. A few months earlier, Apple acquired the global distribution rights to Skydance's films Luck, released in August 2022, and Spellbound, however the partnership between Skydance Animation and Apple was later canceled in October 2023, with Netflix acquiring the distribution rights to Spellbound as part of a newly formed multi-year partnership between Netflix and the studio.
In March 2021, Apple announced a multi-year programming partnership with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Apple also signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment's film division, in addition to extending its first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries. Additionally, Natalie Portman and production partner Sophie Mas signed a multi-year first-look deal with Apple for television projects developed and produced under their new production company MountainA. March also brought an overall multi-year first-look deal with Tracy Oliver, reportedly worth well into the "eight-figure range".
In June 2021, Sian Heder, the director of the Apple-acquired Sundance hit CODA, signed a multi-year overall deal to exclusively write and develop series for Apple, in addition to signing a first-look deal for any films written by Heder. In July 2021, Misha Green, the creator and showrunner of Lovecraft Country, signed a multi-year overall deal with Apple to exclusively create and develop new television series for Apple TV+. In July, Apple also signed a first-look deal with Alexander Rodnyansky's production company, AR Content, for future Russian-language and multilingual television series. Additionally, Apple signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Adam McKay's production company, Hyperobject Industries, for upcoming scripted feature films.
In October 2021, Sam Catlin signed an overall deal with Apple to develop scripted TV series for Apple TV+ under his Short Drive Entertainment. In November 2021, John Skipper and Dan Le Batard, under their content company Meadowlark Media, signed a multi-year first-look deal with Apple to produce documentary films and unscripted series for Apple TV+. Meadowlark Media hired Deirdre Fenton as an executive director of unscripted programming to lead the relationship with Apple.
In January 2022, Apple ordered to series a television continuation of the MonsterVerse produced by Legendary Entertainment. The series will see Godzilla and other various creatures appear. The same month, producer Kevin J. Walsh signed a multi-year deal to produce film and television for the streamer.
In October 2023, the partnership between Skydance Animation and Apple ended, with Skydance continuing the live-action feature film partnership signed in 2022. WondLa, an animated series based on the book series by Tony DiTerlizzi, would still debut on Apple TV+ while films such as Spellbound would be moved to Netflix. On October 19, 2023, shortly before filming was set to start on season 3 of The Problem with Jon Stewart, it was announced that the show was cancelled due to creative differences between Stewart and Apple. Stewart told The New York Times that Apple pushed back on episodes about China and artificial intelligence.
Apple TV+ released its first movie in theaters, Killers of the Flower Moon. Apple said that its primary goal in releasing the film was to attract more subscribers, not to do well at the box office, but it brought in $145 million. Apple TV+ also released another movie, Napoleon. Apple is seemingly pleased with its box-office returns, which reached $221 million and nearly made back its budget. It was apparent that Apple attempted to compete with movie production companies.
