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Apple Inks Deal for 'Swan Song' Film Starring Mahershala Ali

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Apple today announced that it has signed a deal for "Swan Song," a film produced by and starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. The film, which will go into production in the spring, will be added to the Apple TV+ streaming service and will be produced by Apple and Anonymous Content.

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"Swan Song" is described as a "genre-bending drama" set in the near future and explores how far someone will go and how much they'll sacrifice to make a happier life for their loved ones.

Mahershala Ali, who will take on the starring role of Milo, is known for his work in "Green Book" and "Moonlight." Benjamin Cleary, known for his Oscar-winning short film "Stutterer," is set to direct the film.
"I've been developing 'Swan Song' for a while and when I sat down with Apple it was immediately clear they completely understood my vision," said Benjamin Cleary. "Once Mahershala agreed to join us I knew we had something really special. To be making this movie with Mahershala and Anonymous at Apple is an absolute dream."
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Apple's head of feature development and acquisitions Matt Dentler said that the script for "Swan Song" immediately connected with Apple.
"Benjamin's script for 'Swan Song' immediately connected with us. We cannot wait to bring Benjamin's vision together with Mahershala's undeniable talent to deliver this powerfully layered story to audiences around the world."
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According to Apple, "Swan Song" will see a theatrical release. It will join other Apple TV+ films that include "Boys State," "The Banker," "Wolfwalkers," "Beastie Boys Story," and more.

Article Link: Apple Inks Deal for 'Swan Song' Film Starring Mahershala Ali
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/02/19/apple-tv-plus-swan-song-movie/
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On a side note, when are we getting information about "On the Rocks" and "Wolfwalkers"? Both are supposed to release in 2020 as well (along with Boys State) - I wonder if Apple will discuss these at the upcoming March event.
 
Spungoflex said:
Apple TV+ just has the stench of failure surrounding it. It was a weird space for them to enter, especially so late.
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It does not. And it is not "so late." Apple is fairly unique (only comparable to HBO) in the streaming landscape. Apple TV+ and Netflix aren't competitors.

I'm sure you thought the "pretty late" Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPads had the stench of failure too. Like many short sighted thinkers.
 
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Spungoflex said:
Apple TV+ just has the stench of failure surrounding it. It was a weird space for them to enter, especially so late.
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More like the sweet smell of success, which of course is very upsetting to some.

What a great start, and Apple just continues to pile on high quality talent and content. I see nothing but success as long as they don’t start cranking out a bunch of crap in addition to great content. Which unfortunately Netflix has been doing all too much of.
 
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I ran out of content to watch on Apple TV+ like a month after the service launched. I still have the subscription but there’s nothing interesting for me now that I’ve watched see and servant. Give subscribers a discount on rented movies. $6 for a digital rental when you can rent the same thing from redbox for $2.
 
WRChris said:
I ran out of content to watch on Apple TV+ like a month after the service launched. I still have the subscription but there’s nothing interesting for me now that I’ve watched see and servant. Give subscribers a discount on rented movies. $6 for a digital rental when you can rent the same thing from redbox for $2.
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There is slot of good content you should explore if you are done with See and servant. However.. that rental idea is genius.. thru should do that! Maybe even cheaper movies to buy, kinda like Prime
 
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Spungoflex said:
Apple TV+ just has the stench of failure surrounding it. It was a weird space for them to enter, especially so late.
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So late? Huh? They beat Disney plus, Peacock, etc.

And Mythic Quest was fantastic.
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MacPeach said:
Who cares about movie content - Apple, please focus on your core intention and let me sync my photos and sending mails...
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Pretty sure Mahershala Ali is not a data synchronization expert, so he probably couldn’t help with that anyway.
 
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Is this based on the book by Robert McCammon? The synopsis is awfully similar, but I cant find a link between them.
 
PickUrPoison said:
More like the sweet smell of success, which of course is very upsetting to some.

What a great start, and Apple just continues to pile on high quality talent and content. I see nothing but success as long as they don’t start cranking out a bunch of crap in addition to great content. Which unfortunately Netflix has been doing all too much of.
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Yeah, Apple TV+ is really lighting the world on fire. It’s right up there with the Apple Newton and the Home Pod.
 
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Spungoflex said:
Yeah, Apple TV+ is really lighting the world on fire. It’s right up there with the Apple Newton and the Home Pod.
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I said they had a great start, not that they beat HBO or Disney out of the gate (except maybe in the number of subscribers). Do you actually think Apple thought they were going to “light the world on fire” with an overnight success?

Not in the least. That’s why they’re offering a quarter billion users a free annual subscription this year. That’s why they priced the service so low. It’s going to be a slow build.

Apple is playing the long game, as usual. Five years from now, they will have hundreds of originals and upwards of a thousand or more hours of content.

Apple Pay has been a slow build too. It’s more than five years old, but already accounts for 5% of global transactions, and is on track to hit 10% by 2025. Apple Arcade and Apple Card will take time to mature as well. (News+ may not make it at all, but may continue as a niche if publishers stay on board.)

People always want to crap on whatever Apple does. Feel free! 🙂 Knock yourself out lol. But when you’ve got to reach back nearly 30 years to find an Apple failure with Newton, I think your hot take speaks for itself.

PS HomePod may be the highest grossing product in the category. When Siri is finished being rebuilt, it’s going to be a boon to HomePod. If Apple is going to release a HomePod mini, that’s what it’s introduction will be timed with. 2021?
 
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jefish said:
Is this based on the book by Robert McCammon? The synopsis is awfully similar, but I cant find a link between them.
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Really?

“Swan Song” is a genre-bending drama that will be directed by Academy Award winner Benjamin Cleary (“Stutterer”), who also wrote the project. Set in the near future, the film explores how far someone will go, and how much they’ll sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people they love. Mahershala Ali will star in the film as Milo.
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On the edge of a barren Kansas landscape, an ex-wrestler called Black Frankenstein hears the cry..."Protect the Child!"—In the wasteland of New York City, a bag lady clutches a strange glass ring and feels magic coursing through her—Within an Idaho mountain, a survivalist compound lies in ruins, and a young boy learns how to kill.
In a wasteland born of nuclear rage, in a world of mutant animals and marauding armies, the last people on earth are now the first. Three bands of survivors journey toward destiny—drawn into the final struggle between annihilation and life!

They have survived the unsurvivable. Now the ultimate terror begins.
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Spungoflex said:
Did we really need a multi-paragraph reply here?

I merely said that Apple TV+ has the stench of failure about it. And it does. That’s no reason to go apoplectic.

If it were actually a success, you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did. My comment wouldn’t have hit a nerve.
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That's odd, I read a well-reasoned and level-headed reply, and you somehow read that same reply as... apoplectic? I'm left wondering if you know what that word means. Complaining about the length of his response and questioning his character? That's some really oddly tinted glasses you're viewing the world through.

Apple didn't come out of the gate with Game of Thrones, but then, neither did HBO - it took them a long time to work up to that. I think Apple's doing pretty well for being a few months into this.
 
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Spungoflex said:
Did we really need a multi-paragraph reply here?

I merely said that Apple TV+ has the stench of failure about it. And it does. That’s no reason to go apoplectic.

If it were actually a success, you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did. My comment wouldn’t have hit a nerve.

This pose that Apple can do no wrong and can never fail is cult-like. It is like the caricature of the Apply fanboy.
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It’s hardly his fault that informed commentary needs a few more words than snide ignorance. Anyone dismissing Apple’s efforts this early has absolutely no idea how the media industry works. Maybe Apple TV will work, maybe not, but Apple has the money, the audience data (thanks to a decade+ of iTunes sales) and now the talent, to give it a good shot. The arguments against are that there isn’t much content (duh!) and that it’s a bit too highbrow/liberal. Neither of those speaks well of the critics‘s insight.
 
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Mahershala Ali is great. While ATV lacks old content from other providers, it's got enough new and interesting content to stay subscribed next year when my free year runs out. I'm already interested in season 2 of Morning Show, For All Mankind, Dickinson, and Mythic Quest.
 
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PickUrPoison said:
Apple is playing the long game, as usual. Five years from now, they will have hundreds of originals and upwards of a thousand or more hours of content.
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Hundreds of original series, many of which will have 4-5 seasons - there is no way Apple will pull a Netflix and cut short TMS, Servant, FAM, Little America, or Mythic Quest. As flagship shows that Apple believes in, those series will have many seasons, I can assure you.
 
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Thing is would this thing get five years or go the way of ping?
quality is desirable, so there is no need to recruit Adam Sandler, but quality does not mean only choosing a small number of shows. It also doesn’t mean limiting yourselves to, apart from a handful of high profile shows, a bunch of stuff that at the end of the day is Very Public Television.
this is a streaming service that after a year Apple will want people lining up to pay for. This means lots of people prepared to pay. You can have quality and still produce the kinds of productions lots of people are prepared to go to the cinema and pay for a ticket, or buy that box set of the series.

if Apple produces Very Public Television and people won’t pay for it. there just isn’t enough of interest there. I think Apple will have to start buying existing content.
 
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