Apple Partners with Oscar-Winning Indie Studio A24 for Original Films

Apple Is Working to Produce an Abundance of Original TV Content for Apple TV Expected to Debut This Year
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Apple has reportedly tapped Oscar-winning independent movie studio A24 to produce films for it.

The partnership, which was first reported by Variety, will result in “a slate of films” being produced by A24 — presumably for Apple’s original TV and film content endeavor.

Scarce Details

Details about the partnership are currently scarce, but Apple has said that it signed a “multiyear agreement” that involves multiple films, according to Variety.

It’s also unclear whether Apple and A24 will choose to release the films in theaters or keep them exclusive on a first-party digital streaming platform. Additionally, no financial details have been disclosed.

A24, as Variety points out, is one of the “hottest brands” in the art house and indie film sphere. First launched in 2012, the film studio won an Oscar for “Moonlight” and also garnered praise for movies like “Room,” “The Witch,” and “Ex Machina.”

The studio is also responsible for films such as “Lady Bird,” “The Spectacular Now,” “It Comes at Night,” “Hereditary,” and “The Disaster Artist,” among others.

Existing Partnerships

A24 has existing partnerships with DirecTV and Amazon for exclusive movie distributions. Those deals will remain intact and A24 will continue to produce and release films that are not associated with Apple.

Apple has long been rumored to be putting together a slate of original TV content. The Cupertino tech giant has a growing portfolio of more than a dozen shows on the docket, some of which are spearheaded by big names in Hollywood and beyond.

Reportedly, Apple also has around a $1 billion budget in its original content “war chest” and has tapped some high-profile talent in the industry.

Biggest Partnership

But the deal with A24 is one of Apple’s biggest film partnerships to date. It also hammers home that Apple is looking beyond original TV content for its own first-party streaming service, something that was first hinted by a previous deal earlier this year

It’s not clear what form Apple’s first-party TV service will take, but a recent report suggests that an initial launch could see some of the company’s first original content be made free for Apple device owners on the TV app.

Subscription Service?

Another report hinted that Apple may be developing a combined subscription service that blends original TV and film content with Apple Music and an Apple News subscription for magazines and media outlets.

In any case, past rumors suggested that the Apple streaming service could make its debut sometime in early 2019.

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