Apple’s movie play? Get fans into cinemas first

LOS ANGELES, June 27 — Tech giant Apple views movie theaters as allies in its fight to carve out a space for its platform in the competitive streaming sector, a top company executive told AFP.

The firm, which launched Apple TV+ in 2019 without any third-party content, has won over critics in recent years, and is so far the only streaming platform to win the best picture Oscar, with CODA in 2022.

It also shook up the box office with F1: The Movie, the high-octane motor racing drama starring Brad Pitt, which grossed US$634.1 million (RM2.592 billion) worldwide and earned the company another Academy Award this year, this time for best sound.

After years of wariness between movie theaters and streaming services, Eddy Cue, the company’s senior vice president of services and health, said Apple is committed to producing films for both platforms, allowing them to play out their theatrical runs based on audience demand rather than adhering to rigid release windows.

“If a movie like F1 was on theatrical longer than 45 days (it was) because people wanted to watch it theatrically, they wanted to watch it in an IMAX theater,” he told AFP.

“Theatrical is a great experience, it’s here to stay, and I think it’s growing.”

While viewers might initially want to see a blockbuster on a big screen, they love the chance to rewatch it when it turns up on the streaming service, now rebranded as Apple TV.

Cinema and streaming are “very complementary. I think they can both work together,” Cue said.

The company, headquartered in California, is gearing up to produce a sequel to F1, with Cue saying the plot and script are currently in development.

It “was the biggest sports movie of all time. It was Brad Pitt’s biggest movie of all time, and I do think that people want to see another one,” he said.

Cue, who has been credited with revolutionizing Apple’s services sector, was recognized this week as the Entertainment Person of the Year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. — AFP