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'Wolfs 2' Nixed at Apple TV+ Because Director 'No Longer Trusted' Apple
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Ha ok fair enough and probably accurate. Still, Apple is treating directors like they treat developers. And they don’t have the same captive market there. Like I said, I don’t think Apple has the culture for this and it’s just a big distraction from their core competency. Yes I realize it’s not just one person trying to do everything, but these things reflect on one another.
This is the key, isn't it? Something in his telling of the story doesn't quite sound right to my ear. This film originally released with a small, one-week theater engagement. It wasn't a great movie; I watched it and my wife asked me if she should watch it and I said no. To think that a sequel to this would get a wider release than the original, after a relatively poor showing (Rotten Tomatoes: 66% Critics, 50% Audience) is silly. So, I don't really trust what the director is saying here.
I never said Apple didn’t mean to make a sequel. Only that how bad could the first film have been if they wanted a sequel after seeing it.
Sorry Mr. Director but your film was streaming quality. Do better. Then you can play with the big boys on the big screen.
How do you know it was principles over money? I can see a plausible argument that he was money over principles. A Wide theatrical release is an ego stroke, and a feather in the cap.
I'm not saying it wasn't principles; but I don't think anything in this story gives us an answer to that question.
Do you really think he cares about the lowly crew? Unfortunately when elites get their feelings hurt, sometimes people at the bottom end up suffering.
I really don’t understand why if this was supposedly promised, it wasn’t negotiated in a contract. Contracts protect both parties in a business agreement and they are vital. I’d say anything talked about, but not in a contract is one of those “this is the plan but it could change” things.
Seriously? How many Sharknados are there? Number of sequels and quality are two entirely different metrics.
Thanks for this detailed information. This sounds way more credible than the knee-jerk "Apple LIED and is pissing off creatives."
This is repeated frequently on MacRumors, that Developers are poorly treated by Apple. That developers, en masse, are upset with Apple. I have frequently asked for these statements to be substantiated, but nobody ever does.
The only statistics I've been able to find is that Apple makes more money for developers than any other platform.
...and I never said the movie was bad. It looks like its done well on streaming, so there's no reason that a sequel wouldn't also have been successful - just not worth a theatrical release.
Some of Apple's TV shows have been absolutely top-rate, but their movies do seem a bit B-list. I've watched other movies on Apple TV+ and enjoyed them as a couple of hours of home entertainment that I've already paid for, but never in a million years would I have bothered to go to see them in a theatre.
Here's the conundrum of many discussions like this. "Apple is only 7th (or so)! in number of subscriber! They are failing!" But number of subscribers and quality of content are two entirely different metrics. I find Apple's TV Series to be of a much higher quality than the typical fare on Netflix, et al. And perhaps Apple is seeking to develop a niche of higher quality content than churning out 50 reality tv shows like Netflix & Peacock, etc.
Apple isn't the biggest selling computer/phone manufacturer in most markets in the world. But for my needs and tastes, they have always been the best. Even when they only had like 5% market share worldwide.
Apple isn't the biggest selling computer/phone manufacturer in most markets in the world. But for my needs and tastes, they have always been the best. Even when they only had like 5% market share worldwide.
Sure. There are many movies that did poorly at the box office that later turned into classics/favorites.
But that isn't the same as movies that did really well at the box office where viewers later say they weren't very good.
They lied about Watt writing the sequel, to keep/increase interest in the first installment: a lie about the sequel.
Do you really believe Apple ever intended Apple TV+ to turn a profit when introducing it at $5/month? It takes years for streamers to start turning profits which is why Netflix is the only one so far.
Did any of those movies do well at the box office (close to or over $1 billion) *and* have high (higher than 85%) ratings/reviews on Rotten Tomatoes like the Spider-Man movies? No.
Most of those didn't even get close to doing a billion dollars or more in ticket sales. And the highest Rotten Tomatoes rated movie on that list is the movie 2012 at 40% Tomatometer. Everything else is below that.
As for box office ticket sales, the top performing movies were:
10. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Domestic: $241,071,802
International: $805,649,464
Worldwide: $1,046,721,266
Tomatometer: 32%
15. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Domestic:$330,360,194
International: $544,000,000
Worldwide: $874,360,194
Tomatometer: 29%
14. Suicide Squad (2016)
Domestic: $325,100,054
International: $424,100,000
Worldwide: $749,200,054
Tomatometer: 26%
Now let's compare those to the Spider-Man movies
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Movie Budget: $175,000,000
< Box office numbers >
Domestic: $334,201,140
International: $545,965,784
Worldwide: $880,166,924
Tomatometer: 92%
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Movie budget: $160,000,000
< Box office numbers >
Domestic: $390,532,085
International: $741,395,911
Worldwide: $1,131,927,996
Tomatometer: 91%
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Movie budget: $200,000,000
< Box office numbers >
Domestic: $814,866,759
International: $1,137,831,590
Worldwide: $1,952,723,719
Tomatometer: 93%
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You look so sure that he won’t find another job ever. You’re probaby an "expert". The internet is full of experts these days.
I have another theory:
The movie sucked.
This theory has three things going for it:
- it explains Apple shifting it to a streaming-only release
- it explains why Watts dropped out of doing a sequel
- the movie did, in fact, suck
The movie sucked.
This theory has three things going for it:
- it explains Apple shifting it to a streaming-only release
- it explains why Watts dropped out of doing a sequel
- the movie did, in fact, suck
We’re talking Hollywood. As soon as the money and deal is right, all will be forgiven.
Just read Michael Tsai’s blog. He keeps up with the stories pretty regularly. Also Jeff Johnson of StopTheMadness.
It’s not like it’s this huge tragedy, yeah they have made tons of money for some developers over the last ten years.
You really haven’t heard the stories, many of which are posted right here, of arbitrary rejections, etc?
Even when they aren’t being mistreated, I specifically called them a captive market. If Apple has any minor issue with anything a developer does, mistake or not, there is absolutely no recourse whatsoever.