Nov 23, 2024

Apple Pisses Off Hollywood

Did their self-own with "Wolfs" just torch their film division?

I mean, what on Earth was Apple thinking? When it came to the company canceling the wide theatrical release of the George Clooney/Brad Pitt-starring Wolfs, I've tried not once, but twice to write down some thoughts in terms of what could have been going through everyones' heads with this decision. But as it turns out, I'm not sure Apple had a lot going through their head. Because assuming director Jon Watts version of the story is accurate, everything about this move was just insanely stupid on Apple's part:

“I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year,” Watts told Deadline. “They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion. I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner.”

Damn. DAMN.

Look, on paper, in a vacuum, I'm not sure Apple didn't make the right call in pulling back on the theatrical release and going straight-to-streaming. The reality of our current situation is such that a movie like Wolfs – especially and oddly when marketed by Apple – was unlikely to be a big hit at the box office. And that would have been a black eye. For Apple. For Clooney. For Pitt. For Watts. For everyone. So pulling it back made sense in this very practical regard.

But my god the intangibles here. First and foremost, risking pissing off two of the biggest movie stars in the world with the maneuver. Second, this was exponentially riskier because one of those movie stars, Pitt, was in the midst of wrapping up Apple's biggest movie ever which will need to be a huge hit in theaters: F1. Third, risking pissing off one of the hottest directors in the industry right now with the maneuver. Which clearly happened! Honestly, all of the above probably happened, but Watts is the only one talking about it openly right now.

And it's not just the move Apple pulled, it's how they did it. A last-minute bait-and-switch. And done with not only no discussion but almost no heads up. And then the ultimate dagger in the back: trying to spin the move with the sequel talk (which immediately seemed fishy to everyone when paired with the pull-back news – obviously) after Watts explicitly asked them not to do that.

I'm sorry, but I have to ask: just how stupid is Apple?

Again, on paper, in a vacuum, sure, maybe this move made sense. But in the real world, this was a huge self-own. To save, what, a few million bucks? This is the most profitable company in the world. And they just sent the loudest signal possible to Hollywood that you should only work with them if you only care about money. If you care about distribution – or, you know, the art form – best look elsewhere.

And there are plenty of other elsewheres to look at the moment! Beyond old school Hollywood studios, there is Apple's tech behemoth brother Amazon. And, of course, there's Netflix, which has some of the same issues of Apple here, but is at least transparent about them (and, I bet, will change their tune eventually).

I mean, I'm just so confused with what Apple was thinking. Maybe their next move will be to approach Christopher Nolan about releasing a movie on the iPhone only, the way he intended. How about David Lynch?

A few months ago, I made the (renewed) argument that Apple should buy HBO. With a wave of media consolidation now seeming even more likely, it arguably makes even more sense now. But only if Apple can still attract the best talent to work on shows and movies. Between this and the whole Jon Stewart fiasco, Apple just destroyed their reputation in the the industry. Money solves most problems and makes people forget all sins, of course. But money is also what led to this problem in the first place! We seem a long way from the days of "the intersection of technology and the liberal arts".

I would repeat my call that Apple needs an editor. To have fun again. To wake up. But Watts just torched them to a degree I never could. "I no longer trusted them as a creative partner." This is not hyperbole: is this the end of Apple's film division?