Apple might pour $1 billion into movies for theatrical release

Apple might pour $1 billion into movies for theatrical release

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Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" hits theaters later in 2023.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple reportedly hopes to make a big splash at your local movie theater in the very near future. The company supposedly will spend $1 billion to make films for the big screen.

These also will appear on the Apple TV+ streaming service, of course.

Apple wants to be a big-time movie producer

Apple already makes movies that appear in theaters. The most recent was Sharper, which had its theatrical release February 10, 2023. And an earlier one made a big splash: CODA won an Oscar for Best Picture.

But the iPhone-maker is getting serious about in-theater movies, according to a report from Bloomberg. Its new scheme to grow the Apple TV+ subscriber base involves spending $1 billion making movies for theaters.

“Apple has approached movie studios about partnering to release a few titles in theaters this year and a slate of more films in the future,” notes Bloomberg.

At the beginning, Apple will focus on films already in production:

• Killers of the Flower Moon from Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio
• Argylle, a star-studded spy thriller
• Napoleon from director Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix

The goal is “to put movies in thousands of theaters for at least a month,” according to Bloomberg. Previous films from the Mac-maker received short runs in a just few theaters scattered around the United States.

Theaters to streaming

Despite the theatrical push, Apple’s primary focus will remain on its streaming service. In-theater movie releases will essentially serve as big-screen ads for Apple TV+.

The company might have pursued this strategy earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters around the world shortly after the streaming service debuted in late 2019.