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Apple Signs Deal to Create Shows Based on 'Where the Wild Things Are'

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Apple has inked a deal with the Maurice Sendak Foundation and plans to create Apple TV+ kids shows and specials based on the popular book "Where the Wild Things Are," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

wherethewildthingsare.jpg

Under the terms of the deal, Apple and The Maurice Sendak Foundation will "reimagine new children's series and specials based" on the author's illustrations and books, which include "Where the Wild Things Are," "In the Night Kitchen," "Outside Over There," and "The Nutshell Library."

This is the first time that the Maurice Sendak Foundation has established a multi-year overall agreement with a streaming television service. Writer, director, and Sendak collaborator Arthur Yoinks will work with Apple to develop various projects.

There's no word on what Apple paid for access to Maurice Sendak's characters, but Apple has also signed overall content deals with the Jim Henson Company for a Fraggle Rock series, Sesame Workshop for various TV shows like "Helpsters," and WildBrain (formerly DHX Media) for Peanuts content like "Snoopy in Space."

Back in 2009, director Spike Jonze worked with Maurice Sendak for a "Where the Wild Things Are" film, and it sounds like Apple's deal will focus on television content rather than another movie.

Article Link: Apple Signs Deal to Create Shows Based on 'Where the Wild Things Are'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/06/apple-tv-plus-where-the-wild-things-are/
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topdrawer said:
hope it's nothing like the movie.
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Agreed. I love Spike Jonze but this movie was his rare directorial misfire for me (he directed only 3 other films, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Her). The film is rightfully widely praised for its beauty and adult themes. But it was just too depressing, serious, and dark for my taste.

At the same time, I don't want this series to veer too much into G-rated young children territory like Snoopy In Space.
 
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I wouldn't think there's much demand for programming for such young children. I thought that generally such shows are normally made via grants from a government or that they make money off of toy tie-ins, neither of which seems likely to happen here.

I'd think that it's a cheaper/better option to just buy the rights to stream Blue's Clues or some other existing show for toddlers.
 
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ArtOfWarfare said:
I wouldn't think there's much demand for programming for such young children. I thought that generally such shows are normally made via grants from a government or that they make money off of toy tie-ins, neither of which seems likely to happen here.
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HBO has been successful for years with this formula though. That's why they bought Sesame Street and a big reason why HBO Max happened. Parents get extra reasons to justify a subscription with the kids content added.

Apple is following the HBO playbook to the T. Solid originals, funny comedies, kids content. They are just not including the heavy R sexual content and graphic violence.
 
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As long as it is focused on the artwork and not the actual story, ok. I was 7 the first time I read this book, and recall thinking the kid was a spoiled POS and the story was pointless. Kid acts like a prick, goes on a journey, continues to act like a prick and then comes home to zero consequences. Moral of the story: treat everyone like garbage and they’ll reward you. Awesome.
 
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Theyayarealivin said:
How is Apple making $$$ over this? I dont understand.
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You’re focusing too narrowly on the most direct kind of investment and return. Apple isn’t depending on selling subscriptions to get a return on what they’ve paid for tv+ content.

This is a future forward play. While productivity software was the most predominant use for Macs, and apps, including entertainment, the most common use for iOS devices, video content is quickly dominating the overwhelming time spent on Apple devices. Allowing Netflix, Disney and other major players to have complete leverage over the user experience on Apple devices would corner the company into losing control of its platforms. Netflix has already been using its weight to push Apple around.

Apple is a trillion dollar company because of the consistent experience they’re able to provide their users across their ecosystem and they’ve controlled that experience because they own and run the App Store. They have no such control over video content. While they don’t have to make all the content or even a large part of it, providing their own reference baseline like they did with iLife and iWork apps, they’ll be able to guide the other big video streamers along. They can only do this by becoming one of them.

Is a $2 billion a year investment worth it to maintain a $1 trillion dollar company?
 
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ipedro said:
You’re focusing too narrowly on the most direct kind of investment and return. Apple isn’t depending on selling subscriptions to get a return on what they’ve paid for tv+ content.

This is a future forward play. While productivity software was the most predominant use for Macs, and apps, including entertainment, the most common use for iOS devices, video content is quickly dominating the overwhelming time spent on Apple devices. Allowing Netflix, Disney and other major players to have complete leverage over the user experience on Apple devices would corner the company into losing control of its platforms. Netflix has already been using its weight to push Apple around.

Apple is a trillion dollar company because of the consistent experience they’re able to provide their users across their ecosystem and they’ve controlled that experience because they own and run the App Store. They have no such control over video content. While they don’t have to make all the content or even a large part of it, providing their own reference baseline like they did with iLife and iWork apps, they’ll be able to guide the other big video streamers along. They can only do this by becoming one of them.

Is a $2 billion a year investment worth it to maintain a $1 trillion dollar company?
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Well written! thank you for explaining it in such a detailed manner.
 
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A fan since childhood of Wild Things, I look forward to seeing what this will look like. And since Apple are working Asimov’s Foundation series, I’d like to see an announcement for some of the works of Arthur C Clarke serialised in 10 parts and/or mini-series. Childhood’s End (done better than the SyFy channel crap), Rendezvous with Rama (Rama II, III, IV) The Songs of Distant Earth, The Fountains of Paradise, A Fall of Moondust, 2001 err.. wait, that’s been done like no other! 2010 perhaps, but why not at least 2061 and 3001
 
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nutmac said:
Agreed. I love Spike Jonze but this movie was his rare directorial misfire for me (he directed only 3 other films, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Her). The film is rightfully widely praised for its beauty and adult themes. But it was just too depressing, serious, and dark for my taste.

At the same time, I don't want this series to veer too much into G-rated young children territory like Snoopy In Space.
Click to expand...

I think the darkness and depression within the film is what makes it a great film. I remember this book as a kid and never thought about the hidden meaning within (dealing with self negative emotions etc). The film really pushes into this idea and paints the inner torment of the child.

(Anyway, I'm not a writer nor movie critic so I've not done the film justice)
 
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Read The Wild Things by Dave Eggers.

It is dark version of The Wild Things. Basically it’s about a boy trapped in a world he can’t control. His dad is gone and his mom is seeing a younger guy. His teen sister is, well, a teenager. Max can’t control himself and when he gets in a fight with his family, he runs away. That’s how he ends up with the Wild Things. And they are not all his saviors.
 
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