AppleTV+ continues to shy away from high-profile theatrical releases of its films, with upcoming racing drama “F1” seen as further evidence after a string of flops.
Apple was the first streaming service to win an Oscar for Best Picture, with “CODA” in 2022but otherwise his films have not been hits on the big screen. Following low box office Due to the returns of films like “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Apple scaled back its theatrical release plans.
That decision began with “Wolfs,” which instead got a foreshortened and limited one-week distribution in theaters, before streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 27. Now according to Bloomberg, Apple plans repeat this very reduced theatrical window for each of his next films, except one.
In June 2025, Apple will release “F1,” a racing drama starring Brad Pitt. Notably, Apple is partnering with Warner Bros. to distribute the film, whose budget is believed to have been $300 million. Unspecified sources at Apple have reportedly said that “F1’s” box office performance will have a significant impact on future films.
Apple may continue to produce select high-budget titles, but is expected to focus more on films in the $100 million range. This is actually a range that has been on the decline in the era of Marvel-style blockbusters, so it could be a welcome move for film fans.
Making movies in this price range also means that Apple can aim to produce around a dozen movies a year. That would mean spending a billion dollars a year, which is what was supposedly originally budgeted anyway.
However, beyond a film’s immediate box office returns, there are other problems. This is how a theatrical release will promote Apple TV+, on the one hand, and a success is likely to increase awareness and therefore also the number of subscribers.
Then, “Wolfs” stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt have expressed their disappointment at its theatrical release. The two stars reportedly took pay cuts specifically so there would be a theatrical release, and now that’s not happening.
So Apple TV+ will presumably have a harder time attracting talent, both cast and crew. This isn’t just because the lack of a theatrical window is less appealing, but because the company appears to have changed its treatment during production.
If a single movie does poorly in a theatrical release and also doesn’t meet whatever metric Apple TV+ uses to measure success, that’s one thing. But the movies have a long tail, they keep winning and the talent keeps making movies.
Therefore, the decision to withdraw its theatrical releases and promotion of its films will have a long-term effect.
Hollywood veterans are reportedly struggling to understand Apple’s strategy, or that of Amazon and Netflix. People in the industry are said to suspect that streamers view theaters only as marketing and if so, they are still not spending enough to promote their movies.
