19.03.2024

Apple inks content deal with Spielberg and NBCUniversal

Apple Inc has signed a content deal with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal television production business, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The deal involves a 10 episode reboot of ‘Amazing Stories,’ a science fiction and horror anthology series that ran on NBC in the 1980s and was created by Spielberg, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The budget for the series will be more than $5 million an episode, the WSJ reported, citing an executive involved in the project.

Apple Inc has signed a content deal with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal television production business, the Wall Street Journal reported. Spielber is pictured above

APPLE’S ORIGINAL CONTENT BID

A report from the WSJ this summer first revealed the tech company has budgeted $1 billion to acquire original content next year, according to sources close to the matter.

In June, Apple poached two Hollywood executives from Sony, Jamie Erlicht and Zach Van Amburg, who have been meeting with agents to discuss possible shows to acquire.

The two industry veterans started working in Apple’s LA offices in September.

A few weeks later, a report from the Financial Times revealed Apple has set its sights on the renowned Culver Studios to serve as the launching point into Hollywood production.

Now, WSJ has revealed Apple has signed a content deal with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal television production business.

The deal involves a 10 episode reboot of ‘Amazing Stories,’ a science fiction and horror anthology series that ran on NBC in the 1980s and was created by Spielberg.

Apple has been looking to create its own original video content, diving deeper into a field crowded by Hollywood studios and online streaming service providers such as Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video.

Apple, Amblin and Comcast did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

It comes just weeks after a report from the Financial Times revealed Apple has set its sights on the renowned Culver Studios to serve as the launching point into Hollywood production.

The firm is reportedly seeking office space for its original content division in the long-time Hollywood hub, where movies such as Gone with the Wind and The Matrix were shot.

The move would also put Apple’s office in proximity with the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, according to the Financial Times.

The Culver Studios has been a major location in the filmmaking industry since it was built nearly a century ago by Thomas Ince.

In the years since, it’s been owned by RKO, Howard Hughes and Cecil B DeMille.

Acquiring space in the classic Hollywood spot would give Apple more room to expand and bring in top talent from the industry, sources told FT.

It has 13 soundstages up to 32,000-square-feet large, which can be used to shoot TV shows and even full-length feature films.

A previous report from the WSJ earlier this summer first revealed the tech company has budgeted $1 billion to acquire original content next year, according to sources close to the matter.

While it remains unclear what kind of programming Apple is seeking – whether television, movies, or both, the budget suggests they are taking a similar route to Amazon.

Amazon started offering original television shows on its streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, in 2013.

Apple has set its sights on the renowned Culver Studios to serve as the launching point into Hollywood production, according to a new report. The firm is reportedly seeking office space for its original content division in the long-time Hollywood hub

Apple has set its sights on the renowned Culver Studios to serve as the launching point into Hollywood production, according to a new report. The firm is reportedly seeking office space for its original content division in the long-time Hollywood hub

It wasn’t until about two years after that they started producing films in earnest.

So it seems that Apple could take the same path, starting small with TV shows first and then moving into film.

In June, Apple poached two Hollywood executives from Sony, Jamie Erlicht and Zach Van Amburg, who have been meeting with agents to discuss possible shows to acquire. The two industry veterans started working in Apple’s LA offices in September.

According to the report from FT, Apple is looking to take on a high-profile drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

But, it’s up against Netflix for the rights.

So far, the firm has struggled to make an impact in the TV industry, with its reality show Planet of the Apps considered a flop.

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