Apple Looking to Increase Acquisition of Blockbuster Movies for Apple TV+ Following Success of 'Greyhound'

[Hastings101]

I really wish Apple would pay half the attention they pay to ATV+ to gaming, now that iOS and Macs will share a common platform, they could build/brought in house an umbrella of studios just like Microsoft Xbox Studios and PlayStation Studios to develop triple A platform exclusives that make Apple TV, iOS and Macs a first class ecosystem for gaming. They could also have a fund to lure third party players to publish their titles on the common platform.

I agree that luring in third-parties could be a good idea: now that iOS has mouse support + better controller support, and now we know without a doubt the hardware is more than capable enough of running things like Tomb Raider, bringing in a big name developer could get things rolling and show that it's possible to reach the millions of people who own iPads/iPhones/Macs/Apple TV with quality games. I can't think of anything (that isn't a port of a decades old game) that's been done besides Monster Hunter Stories, and not really sure how successful that was, but something backed by Apple marketing and funds could do better.

That said, Apple just doesn't care about gaming lol

 

[ipponrg]

Yeah those damn war movies are never box office blockbusters!

Dunkirk making $525M, 1917 making $375M, Saving Private Ryan making $480M 20 years ago, those earnings, all lies!

For Dunkirk, production budget was $150M. Domestically, it made $190M. Most of the blockbuster part was international at $337M

 

[darkslide29]

Frankly i dont get why Apple TV+ exists (Other than ego?). Apple isn't doing anything special here and plenty of other video entertainment services do this very well.

I just figured that they're continuing to diversify away from iPhone sales being their main source of revenue. Not keeping all the eggs in one basket. Sure, most people have free trials now, and Apple seem OK with that while they build a respectable library that entices people to subscribe. They're bidding for the same series and movies that Netflix, HBO, etc. bid for. Apple has the deep pockets to make this respectable if they want.

I do sub to netflix and hulu, and I get how having so many subs does get tiresome though, sure.

 

[JimmyBanks6]

For Dunkirk, production budget was $150M. Domestically, it made $190M. Most of the blockbuster part was international at $337M

So not only was it a blockbuster but it was also financially profitable domestically.

 

[Fattytail]

I didn't like Greyhound. No character development. Very shallow plot.

THAT SAID, I love Apple TV+. Everyone complaining about content isn't seeing the big picture here and thinking too short term. The curated content approach is a nice antidote to the mounds and mounds of garbage on Netflix. Apple doesn't have anything that's too jaw dropping at the moment, but it looks like there's quite a bit in the works that will bring in a ton of viewers.

 

[charlieroberts]

Greyhound is NOT a blockbuster movie !

Far from it !

It is a good war movie that tells a certain, important story !

It got ALOT of eyeballs on it because many have Apple TV + for FREE right now (me included), & because of the 100-year virus pandemic !

If AAPL makes decisions based-upon Greyhound, they are Fools, BIG time !

Lol how can you disagree that this movie is a AAA title?

 

[threesixty360]

I think they may have fallen on a strategy to succeed here because they really cant compete with Netflix and Amazon for commissioning original programming. They are years behind. But they've got the deep pockets to buy films over the next year that won't go to theatres because of the covid.

Considering many people will pay £10-15 each for 1 film in the cinema maybe once a month or so, if apple can provide big name movies at that scale they will get the customers in.
But the cost is crazy, 100m for greyhound apparently. If greyhound bought in a million subscribers who stay for a year then it kind of paid for itself.

Or (the way apple thinks), greyhound makes millions of people buy a new iPhone for 1000 dollars when they could have bought an android phone then that also makes sense as well...

 

[Kabeyun]

Additional existing popular titles wouldn’t hurt either.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I haven't seen it but have spoken to 3 people who have...they all thought the movie had a stupid and pointless storyline.

Considering it has a 63 on Metacritic, 7.1 on IMDB, and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 77% audience score, it seems like many people are enjoying it. Those aren't amazing numbers but they are good and in the range of commercially highly successful movies.

 

[C DM]

it was a success? I had no interest. im hoping for more good shows like See and Servant

How did they know its a success, AppleTV is free for new apple device owners and the film itself is free on the service. For completely free many people are willing to watch anything.

Launch Weekend Popularity of Apple TV+ Movie 'Greyhound' Compared to 'Box Office Big Hit'

Tom Hanks' WWII movie "Greyhound" saw the largest opening weekend release ever on Apple TV+, according to "sources close to Apple" that spoke to Deadline. "Greyhound" saw more viewers than any other movie or TV show released on Apple TV+ to date during its launch weekend, and the film is said...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Complex757]

They need something, because I couldn't see myself paying for it with so little they offer.

 

[Chazz08]

Greyhound is NOT a blockbuster movie !

Far from it !

It is a good war movie that tells a certain, important story !

It got ALOT of eyeballs on it because many have Apple TV + for FREE right now (me included), & because of the 100-year virus pandemic !

If AAPL makes decisions based-upon Greyhound, they are Fools, BIG time !

That wasn't that smart of a comments. Mostly because you didn't read the full article. If you did, well you missed some important stuff, so I'd re-read it.

 

[Zoboomafoo]

How did they know its a success, AppleTV is free for new apple device owners and the film itself is free on the service. For completely free many people are willing to watch anything.

there are approximately 6 billion different movies and shows people can watch on Apple TV and all the other streaming services. If people picked Apple TV towatch something that’s a success.

 

[PickUrPoison]

It was a good movie, but hardly what I would consider a blockbuster. My grandfather served in the navy and my dad was an offshore fisherman, so I could relate to a lot of the nautical talk and charting, etc.

The movie really lacked any character development. It's not something I'm going to rush back to rewatch right away.

Apple needs to go all-in on this, not just nitpick movies here and there. Buy a movie studio or 12!

A blockbuster is a blockbuster. Whether you liked it or hated it isn’t really relevant.

 

[tgwaste]

All I want from ATV+ is a "Not for me" button. I press it and everything I CANT watch vanishes from my screen.

 

[4487549]

Dune. Dune. Dune. Dune. Apple... It's staring you in the face. DUNE.

As much as I agree with your good taste, I'm praying I can see this in a theater in December.

 

[0111587]

This film is total crap.

 

[Aaargh!]

I'd love to try ATV+, but my TV isn't supported and while I'd like to buy an Apple TV I'm not going to invest in 3 year old hardware. Come on Apple, it's time to release that new Apple TV. I just don't get why the ATV doesn't get a yearly update like other iDevices.

 

[Jakewilk]

How did they know its a success, AppleTV is free for new apple device owners and the film itself is free on the service. For completely free many people are willing to watch anything.

I don’t know, I’m am perpetually shocked at how there is nothing to watch on netflix and I get that for free.

 

[jzuena]

Yeah those damn war movies are never box office blockbusters!

Dunkirk making $525M, 1917 making $375M, Saving Private Ryan making $480M 20 years ago, those earnings, all lies!

I don’t think Greyhound had the same budget as any of these, and it shows. It’s story isn’t as grand as any of them. If it had gone to theaters as originally planned it might not have made as much as the guaranteed money going with Apple TV+ made. Streaming was probably the right fit for this movie, even if Tom Hanks wanted it in theaters. We enjoyed it at home, but probably wouldn’t have gone to see it for $12 each.

 

[ElectricPotato]

Dear movie theaters,
It was a good run. We'll miss you.

Theaters will return after the pandemic is dealt with. The transformation to a luxury or niche experience that was already underway will accelerate. Small theaters with better seating and sometimes dining options will do well. Discount theaters showing old or obscure movies will do OK. The classic large room with crappy seats and dirty floors where obnoxious people make noise will fail sooner than expected, no loss.

 

[George Zip]

I encountered someone who said they weren't going to pay Apple in order to watch the film, which struck me as odd, given that they'd have been willing to pay $9 to $15 for a single ticket to a theater, plus whatever stuff you bought at concession, to sit with a handful of noisy/rude people (I know; unlikely at this film) to watch.

What'd be the big deal about paying $4.99 for a one-month pass to the AppleTV+ channel versus that? Or just signing up for the free preview & watching it then cancelling?

 

[SkyRom]

Apple's great relationship with Disney/Pixar seems like a natural opportunity to fill the Netflix void for picking up some of Marvel's grittier or street-level TV-friendly franchises: Alternate Spider-People, Daredevil, the Punisher, Luke Cage, Black Panther, or even an ambitious Heroes-style X-Men project. Harry Potter (or at least his universe) could definitely work on television too. Or something familiar but new, like a Matrix project taking place in the time between The Matrix and Matrix: Reloaded with different characters right before the new movie comes out.

 

[Realityck]

I don’t know, I’m am perpetually shocked at how there is nothing to watch on netflix and I get that for free.

That brings up sustainability of the service, you already have Disney +, and HBO Max that have direct backing of a major studio/content owner. Greyhound was meant to attract subscribers, but if you start having to pay for it, Apple is in this predicament of buying more and more content to retain interest. They need catalog of a lot of content, it’s a lot of effort to maintain this service. Then you have the issue of people only needing a small number of streaming entertainment they want to pay for. I wish them luck looking into this, its totally a fresh challenge.

 

[jzuena]

Apple's great relationship with Disney/Pixar seems like a natural opportunity to fill the Netflix void for picking up some of Marvel's grittier or street-level TV-friendly franchises: Alternate Spider-People, Daredevil, the Punisher, Luke Cage, Black Panther, or even an ambitious Heroes-style X-Men project. Harry Potter (or at least his universe) could definitely work on television too. Or something familiar but new, like a Matrix project taking place in the time between The Matrix and Matrix: Reloaded with different characters right before the new movie comes out.

I don’t think Disney wants to compete with their own Disney+ service, which would be the logical place for all of that content.