Apple TV+ Signs Major New Movie Deal with Brad Pitt, George Clooney

While Apple TV+ may not include the vast content libraries that other streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ are known for, it’s clear that Apple is pulling out all the stops to produce a library of its own original content that will be more than enough to draw in new subscribers.

It’s already been cleaning up at the Emmys, with hit shows like Ted Lasso making history with more Primetime Emmy nominations and wins than any other comedy series — even those on traditional broadcast television. Apple’s debut series, The Morning Show, also broke new ground, winning Apple its first Emmy within only months of the service’s debut, and marking the first time any streaming service has won a Primetime Emmy in its first year of operation.

Then there was the Tom Hanks hit movie Greyhound, which premiered exclusively on Apple TV+ to an opening weekend audience that rivaled summer theatrical box office hits. The movie garnered a significant enough reception that Tom Hanks is making a return to Apple TV+ for another big film release, Finch, which will debut on November 5.

Of course, Hanks is far from the only high-profile star to sign on with “Team Apple” — he’s just one of the first whose films have already been released. Apple is also working with Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo DiCaprio on Killers of the Flower Moon, along with Will Smith for Emancipation, and a star-studded spy thriller.

Now it’s added two more Hollywood stars to the roster, in a new film deal that will star George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

According to Deadline, Apple Studios won the deal after a “feverish bidding war,” that pitted it against not only streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon, but also full-fledged Hollywood studios Lionsgate, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.

The film project, which is scant on details right now, will also be written, directed, and produced by Jon Watts, known for his role as director for the Marvel Spider-Man trilogy. Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures and Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment will serve as producers.

A Major Theatrical Film Release

It’s not just an Apple TV+ exclusive, however, as Deadline notes that “a robust theatrical release” is also part of the deal.

This means that the film, which doesn’t yet have a title, will land in theatres either at the same time, or possibly even in advance of its debut on Apple TV+. This isn’t the first time Apple has done this, of course — its debut film documentary, The Elephant Queen, landed in theatres two weeks before Apple TV+ was even open for business, although to be fair, that one had also already been screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) a year earlier.

The untitled Clooney-Pitt project, however, will be seen in theatres for the first time under the “Apple Originals” banner, but it’s still a necessary component for Apple’s films to be Oscar contenders.

For obvious reasons, this hasn’t been an option over the past year, although it’s been a requirement under normal circumstances. Greyhound and Finch were originally slated to debut in theatres, and it was likely the shuttering of movie theatres around the globe that helped Apple seal both deals.

As a result of the global health pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences relaxed the theatrical requirements, and it’s extended that for the 2022 Academy Awards, with some discussion about whether to make the rule change a permanent one.

Interestingly, though, the theatrical release was so key to this particular deal that both Clooney and Pitt are said to have “left an eight-figure sum on the table,” to ensure that it would happen.

The overall price tag hasn’t been disclosed, but it’s fair to say that it’s in line with other recent big-name deals. Will Smith’s Emancipation cost Apple around $120 million, while Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is expected to face production costs well north of $200 million by the time it’s in the can. Apple’s recent acquisition of spy thriller Argyle also went for a $200 million asking price.