Apple Considers Theatrical Arm Amid $250M Bet on 'F1: The Movie'

[Onelifenofear]

If Apple actually pay the actors well with points and DON'T do what the scummy studios do and cook the books to show a film as not making a profit they could attract even more talent than they have already.

The studio system is broken and killed so many films and TV shows that have already been shot for the financial gain by NOT releasing it and showing it as a a loss.

Batgirl
House party remake
Coyote vs. Acme
Snowpiercer Final Season!!
Toxic Avenger
The Rouges

All canned for the Tax Write off!

 

[rKunda]

Me (40s) and my son (teen) are both really excited for this movie.

 

[AdamHarbour]

I think Drive to Survive was one of the reasons that Apple went all in on this. When it first came out, no one was predicting that so many people would watch it. Seems to have really been a great TV/streaming show. (I've never seen it). It even spawned other sports to do the same thing. I think Apple was hoping to grab some of that segment that got into F1 based on Drive to Survive. I hope it works for them, but it's not sounding likely.

Drive to survive messed up and ruined f1 bloody Netflix

 

[MNGR]

🤭

I'm in my thirties and squarely in the millennial cohort. I enjoy many Brad Pitt films. I simply have no interest in racing or racing films. But it totally tracks that my parents' generation wants to see themselves as the heroes in their own story, even as the world gives plenty of evidence to the contrary. The older generation is, ironically, stuck in adolescence.

I enjoyed it in the IMAX theater. And I am not young

 

[svish]

Interesting. I think Apple should focus on other areas instead. But anything can happen. Waiting to hear more on this.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

If they take the crazy amount of money they're spending on making films and dump more into engineering for the next generation Apple Vision Pro, then they won't need to get into the theatrical release business. Everybody would love watching movies on their" Apple Vision light".

I don't know why they just don't become part owner of a major film studio and just get dibs for first streaming release on Apple platforms...

20 years from now, Harvard business school will have Apple as a case report example about how not sticking to its core skills and core consumer needs leads to the end of a company...

Big TVs that people already own at home make the best movie experience IMO, not a secluded headset. Similarly, 2D movies are better than 3D movies. Movies are a storytelling medium, not per se a technology medium.

 

[justanthonylee]

Opening theatrical distribution? Haha, they need to focus on what’s in front of them first, like a HomePod that’s in limbo, CarPlay Ultra that no one wants, a Mac Pro that been left for dead again, AirPods Max, et al…

What are these guys smoking?

It's almost like software engineers don't work on the film projects, so that wont be a problem. There are different departments and hiring staff to make a new department make no difference to other departments.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Car manufacturers don't.

As for this, Apple sure are putting a lot into this movie, and it looks pretty lackluster. Maybe it's because I don't care about F1 and I'm not friends with anyone that does, even though I used to build and work on hot rods and 4x4 trucks in high school and early college.

I'm 45, so in the cohort.

So do, some don't.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If this is accurate, I think it would be a big financial loss for Apple.

Should tack on nicely to the annual 1B loss for AppleTV+

OpsGuy Cook sure knows how to lose money in entertainment... and cars ...

 

[ZipZilla]

Hollywood has lost the ability to understand what audiences want and Apple is throwing money down a black hole here. Get back to work, boys. You have Siri to fix!!!!

 

[getinline1]

I could not give less of a fk about F1 Racing, nor this stupid movie. And I’m completely miffed that they spammed us with that Wallet App push notification about it. Not to mention wasting time at WWDC on this.

I’m especially salty having been through the ringer with App Review and if I tried that ****, they’d reject me in a heartbeat.

 

[1applerules1]

Please call it iMovie!

 

[trip1ex]

I follow F1 but ...this looked dumb in the bit of the trailer I saw.

The 2 main characters immediately didn't come across as authentic.

But I'm sure I will at least take a look on ATV+.

Apple getting into movies and even being in video streaming is a mistake overall. (Their) stuff is all way over-sanitized.

 

[DickieSmith]

Opening theatrical distribution? Haha, they need to focus on what’s in front of them first, like a HomePod that’s in limbo, CarPlay Ultra that no one wants, a Mac Pro that been left for dead again, AirPods Max, et al…

I really want CarPlay Ultra, it looks great.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I really want CarPlay Ultra, it looks great.

You're in luck!

Aston Martin Configurator

Build and configure your new DBX, Vantage, DB12 and DBS with the Aston Martin car configurator.

configurator.astonmartin.com

 

[DickieSmith]

Do you care about Formula 1 racing?

I'm guessing you're from the US. F1 is pretty popular outside of the US where we prefer our motorsport with corners twists and turns rather than in nice simple loops (a la Nascar).

F1 has struggled to generate interest among audiences beyond older men.

I think the name and marketing hasn't helped. The movie Rush did pretty well and that was based around Formula 1, but the marketing around it did a better job of making it clear that you didn't need to follow F1 to enjoy the film.

 

[DickieSmith]

You're in luck!

Anyone in need of a kidney, some bone marrow and part of a liver? If I can find buyers for those I just might be able to scrape enough together for a deposit.

 

[nonstoprug]

Idc what they do so long as they stop this nonsense of putting ads for this movie in every first party service app and the ad notifications from Wallet. It’s getting a bit ridiculous now.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Opening theatrical distribution? Haha, they need to focus on what’s in front of them first, like a HomePod that’s in limbo, CarPlay Ultra that no one wants, a Mac Pro that been left for dead again, AirPods Max, et al…

What are these guys smoking?

Why do you thin these things are mutually exclusive? You really think Cue or his team have the skill sets and experience to develop product? Of that redirecting capital from services to hire in the product side will solve issue by throwing money and people at it? That’s so intel like. To think that these parts can’t evolve yet symbiotically support and inform each other takes a certain kind of smoking too.

 

[omenatarhuri]

Brad Pitt has done some incredible roles like 12 Monkeys and Fight Club. But also lots of more forgettable appearances where he’s just on the screen for the marketing value (felt like the last Apple movie with him and Clooney was precisely that).

Wonder which one this falls into.

 

[cbaca51]

$250 million for F1? Are they serious. No way this makes more than $100 worldwide

 

[nt5672]

Why do you thin these things are mutually exclusive? You really think Cue or his team have the skill sets and experience to develop product? Of that redirecting capital from services to hire in the product side will solve issue by throwing money and people at it? That’s so intel like. To think that these parts can’t evolve yet symbiotically support and inform each other takes a certain kind of smoking too.

In most cases I would agree. But Apple has proved otherwise and to be the exception. Apple seems to focus on one thing at the exclusion of all else. Sure, there is some low level support, but employees that are any good at their job want to be on the new project with all of the buzz.

No one wants to be on the Time Machine support team, for example. As evidenced by the total crap that is Time Machine.

 

[rxp]

Weird movie to do that with. Limited to people who like watching cars go round and round

 

[DailySlow]

Amid its push to promote "F1: The Movie," Apple is considering starting its own theatrical distribution unit, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Apple announced its foray into original video content in 2019 with the launch of Apple TV+, positioning the service as a curated platform for high-quality, original programming. Since then, the company has invested billions of dollars in films and series, drawing in top-tier talent including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Cate Blanchett. However, the service has yet to produce a breakout theatrical success or significantly impact the broader streaming landscape in terms of subscriber volume.

Apple reportedly agreed to spend nearly $250 million on F1: The Movie, making it the company's most expensive film project to date. Brad Pitt, who plays the lead role as an aging Formula 1 driver returning to the sport, was apparently paid more than the $20 million baseline typically reserved for A-list actors and will receive a portion of the film's backend profits if the movie performs strongly.

The WSJ describes the success of the movie as a "a referendum on Apple's ability to meld carefully curated content with broad popular appeal after six years in which it hasn't released a single box-office hit." However, according to pre-release surveys, F1 has struggled to generate interest among audiences beyond older men.

Apple is not handling theatrical distribution of F1 directly. Instead, Warner Bros. Pictures is managing the film's global release under a revenue-sharing agreement. A person familiar with the deal said Warner's share of box-office revenue increases in proportion to total ticket sales. Apple has reportedly considered establishing its own theatrical distribution arm, but, for now, the company continues to rely on external partners for wide theatrical releases, which limits its ability to control exhibition timelines, advertising spends, and theater allocation.

F1: The Movie releases in U.S. theaters tomorrow, 27 June. It is expected to stream exclusively on Apple TV+ after its theatrical run.

Article Link: Apple Considers Theatrical Arm Amid $250M Bet on 'F1: The Movie'

I'll see this first, second, or third day/eve as it opens. I'm old but cars were such a big thing last century. I mean WW II was long ago and films keep popping up on that.

 

[DailySlow]

Weird movie to do that with. Limited to people who like watching cars go round and round

I am super interested, yes on cars not lap-lapping on an oval NASCAR donut and in the international aspect of F1 that always draws in the global audience. Like a World Cup on nitro.