Apple Acquires Rights to Two Films: Documentary 'The Elephant Queen' and Animated Cartoon 'Wolfwalkers'

[MacRumors]

Apple has acquired the global rights to "The Elephant Queen," a feature-length documentary about an elephant matriarch who leads her herd in search of a new watering hole to call home, according to Deadline.

Athena is a mother who will do everything in her power to protect her herd when they are forced to leave their waterhole. This epic journey, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, takes audiences across the African savannah, and into the heart of an elephant family. A tale of love, loss and coming home.

"The Elephant Queen" was screened Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, where top executives from Apple's Worldwide Video Programming division are believed to be scouting out films. The documentary is directed by award-winning wildlife filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble.

Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, two former Sony Pictures Television executives who lead Worldwide Video at Apple, reportedly led negotiations to pick up the documentary from Endeavor Content and Mister Smith Entertainment.

In addition, prior to TIFF, Apple obtained rights to animated film "Wolfwalkers" from Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions, according to Deadline. The film, directed by two-time Oscar nominee Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, centers on a young apprentice hunter named Robyn in a world of superstition.

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn, comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when Robyn saves a wild native girl, Mebh, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

Bloomberg News first reported about a potential animated film deal between Apple and Cartoon Saloon back in June.

Apple has been steadily expanding its slate of original content in the pipeline, but these deals are particularly notable, as they represent the first two films the company has acquired, complementing nearly two dozen TV series.

Apple is expected to distribute its original content through a new streaming video service, along the lines of Netflix, starting in 2019.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Rights to Two Films: Documentary 'The Elephant Queen' and Animated Cartoon 'Wolfwalkers'

 

[sundog925]

does anyone really care about shows that most people won't watch?

not even sub'd to apple music.

spotify's algorithms are far superior.

 

[macduke]

Hopefully we will finally get some details about this service at the Apple event this week.

 

[darksithpro]

Probably gonna be some fancy name like Apple Odeum, or something like that.

 

[Porco]

Wolfwalkers looks great, I hope I ever get to see it! I’m probably not subscribing to yet another streaming service for it though...

 

[oldhifi]

I love elephants
[doublepost=1536475340][/doublepost]

does anyone really care about shows that most people won't watch?

not even sub'd to apple music.

spotify's algorithms are far superior.

me

 

[SteveJUAE]

I hope MR is not going to post every time Apple buys some film

 

[ipedro]

Hopefully we will finally get some details about this service at the Apple event this week.

I hope so too but I think this will be announced at its own event, probably in Q1 of next year. Apple wouldn’t want their big bet on TV to be overshadowed by 3 new iPhones and redesigned iPads.

 

[Piggie]

I think we need to go and join Jon Prosser and get on-board his plane to the "F" Field and see if there are any "F's" growing there about this news

 

[pankajdoharey]

The reason great companies exist is to solve hard problems by doing hardwork. Apple isnt doing enough hard work these days, and trying to buy into the media business. It isnt Apples job to produce any content, unless Apple can do a better job than Netflix. Instead of getting good content from the best providers Apple is trying to do that, reminding itself of the iTunes music days. I think it is alright to let go of that revenue because the space has changed a lot. Focus on new streams, most importantly Gaming. Apple is loosing one battle after the other in that space inspite of having a lead in terms of hardware in the mobile space. Almost every new platform is winning in gaming, Apple didnt do a good of in Mobility gaming and a new product like Switch is taking over that space with yester years IP. Tim isnt choosing the right battles and i am little sad.

 

[ksec]

does anyone really care about shows that most people won't watch?

not even sub'd to apple music.

spotify's algorithms are far superior.

I hope It will be a flop, the whole video services.

 

[yadmonkey]

does anyone really care about shows that most people won't watch?

Every streaming service contains tons of stuff that most people won't watch. Tell me about the service you would create that would only have titles that most people will watch?

I hope It will be a flop, the whole video services.

So if Apple happens to create a great service that proves its value, you will be disappointed? That makes sense.

 

[Piggie]

Every streaming service contains tons of stuff that most people won't watch. Tell me about the service you would create that would only have titles that most people will watch?



So if Apple happens to create a great service that proves its value, you will be disappointed? That makes sense.

I feel many would share his thoughts.
As they wish Apple for focus on what they are, or SHOULD BE good at, and stop trying to be something else that others are best at.
We see it so many times. Companies lose focus and think they can diversify into other areas, and they then drop the ball on what their core reason for existing is.

We've even seen this with software over the years.
Someone makes a amazing product, everyone loves and uses, but they can't just carry on making that.
They then start to add more and more features to it, seeing other products and thinking they can draw people away from other products if they bolt more and more onto their product.

Eventually the whole thing comes crashing down.
the people who used to love them are sick of the complex bloated mess the product has become, and those who were using other products have not left to move to this other bloated product, and it fails and burns.

People just are annoyed at Apple not updating items or not bring out new wanted items as a computing company, and spend time, money and energy on side projects such as this.

 

[JamesMay82]

These both seem really poor choices and not mainstream enough. I’m sure they are great films but I wouldn’t sign up to their services for films like that.

They really need to be copying the Netflix model on original content. Also they seem to be going for all family friendly stuff at the moment. They need to be picking up more adult shows like orange is the new black and man in high castle etc.

It’s early days but hopefully they have that as part of their strategy.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Here comes the video content experts in MR comments. I feel the butterfly keyboards are a disaster on all fronts, too, but that does not give me the right to review shows based purely on what I heard they were about. There are many great shows and films which sound awful conceptually. At this point you guys are just glass is half empty personalities.
[doublepost=1536488231][/doublepost]

These both seem really poor choices and not mainstream enough. I’m sure they are great films but I wouldn’t sign up to their services for films like that.

Are you serious, you’d rather Apple made mainstream content choices as opposed to making great art? How can a service be great or stand out if it’s not willing the make difficult choices? Playing it safe and going for generic choices is the surest way to produce rubbish. And then on the talent front, Cartoon Saloon’s films are original, brilliant, and some: Oscar winning.

 

[boswald]

I'd watch the elephant one if I didn't have a feeling it's unbelievably sad.

 

[PhilMacbook]

I hope It will be a flop, the whole video services.

I don't exactly wish failure on Apple's media ambitions but I'm not sure a company like Apple should be involved in the arts. I think Apple is likely to steer well clear of anything edgy or groundbreaking. Sure there is a huge market for wallpaper TV but anyone can make that. What exactly different will Apple bring to movies and TV?

 

[MacBH928]

Apple is reminding me of Yahoo from 2000...buying things randomly

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I’m sure a lot of good people are doing a lot of their best work to make these shows, but I wonder if the market will support another subscription streaming service, with silo’d content, and under a computer company brand.

Or maybe I’m just sour because Apples Videos app has demoted my film collection to an afterthought, is inexplicably more excited about railroading me into old obsolete TV services, and doesn’t seem to have even heard of Netflix. Given how clear their vision was regarding music, it always seemed to me Apple never knew quite what to do with video, and still doesn’t.

ON the ther hand, if Apple were to build an actual educational “channel”, a nonfiction stream of nature films, math, & the natural sciences, that might be a quality service to consider, since every other service on every other platform is all competing trying to sell trash and stupidity. My gods I watched cable tv last weekend, and every show was written for idiots. Watching the mindless junk that now fills the history channel, the discovery channel, the learning channel, etc, was a parade of pure garbage, plus a hundred of the same damn hero’s journey stories.

In the vein of 321 Contact, Nova, Newton’s Apple, etc. Hire photographers and make every shot beautiful and compelling, offer it with an alternate instrumental-only audio track, proofread your subtitles, and absolutely clean up on the vacant “quality” end of the market.

 

[Lesser Evets]

There's this odd item called "the cliche barrel".

Apple is digging down deep in it for content.

 

[chatin]

Apple missed an opportunity to buy Netflix cheap. Blame it on Eddie Cue, fire the guy for messing up the trajectory. Not enough creative freedom in the Apple brand. Look at the hole Disney is in.

 

[kevin4]

The reason great companies exist is to solve hard problems by doing hardwork. Apple isnt doing enough hard work these days, and trying to buy into the media business. It isnt Apples job to produce any content, unless Apple can do a better job than Netflix. Instead of getting good content from the best providers Apple is trying to do that, reminding itself of the iTunes music days. I think it is alright to let go of that revenue because the space has changed a lot. Focus on new streams, most importantly Gaming. Apple is loosing one battle after the other in that space inspite of having a lead in terms of hardware in the mobile space. Almost every new platform is winning in gaming, Apple didnt do a good of in Mobility gaming and a new product like Switch is taking over that space with yester years IP. Tim isnt choosing the right battles and i am little sad.

As much as I love the Switch, it will probably never have the reach of an iPhone or iPad so a dedicated gaming console is probably not the right battle either, people already forgot about the Xbox One X and even the Switch sales are slowing down. Also, companies, especially a public company like Apple with so many interested parties, exist to make money. The way they make money is by creating value, for which making an intelligent effort is enough.

 

[cardfan]

Apple missed an opportunity to buy Netflix cheap. Blame it on Eddie Cue, fire the guy for messing up the trajectory. Not enough creative freedom in the Apple brand. Look at the hole Disney is in.

Netflix was never a good buy for Apple. But neither is what they're doing now. I'd rather see them buy (if they must) WB or something along with DC universe. Start small with a sci fi/fantasy genre.

 

[Winni]

Netflix was never a good buy for Apple. But neither is what they're doing now. I'd rather see them buy (if they must) WB or something along with DC universe. Start small with a sci fi/fantasy genre.

Yeah. It makes perfect sense to start "small" with a genre that has the highest production costs (when done right)...

 

[Nuvi]

This is interesting but is this representing the scope of Apple’s evolvement? I know for a fact that Apple has also been looking another approach, which is purchasing a major content producer. However, as far as I know Apple hasn’t been really ready to make the required bids. The fact remains, telcos around the world want their share of media production and distribution. They are making massive investments. At the same time Apple is content with couple of “originals” here and there. Strategy like that will not work. Either Apple will tap out and become just a pipeline for others or they need to make some major moves.