Rumour: Apple wants to make its own movies and TV shows
Hollywood rumblings suggest Apple wants to follow Netflix’s model by producing original content
Could Apple be about to start making its own films and TV shows?
According to a report in Variety, it’s certainly interested in doing so. The report claims the Cupertino company has held several preliminary meetings with Hollywood executives to gauge any interest they may have in creating original content.
One source, whom Variety claims is among the high-level executives who met with Apple, says the company wants to create development and production divisions that could “churn out” long-form content – be that movies, TV shows or a mixture of both. Apple wants to offer a streaming alternative to Netflix, in other words. The source says the goal is to be in operation by the end of 2016. Other sources, however, say things aren’t so cut-and-dried, and that Apple’s meetings are more a “flirtation” than any guarantee.
One other interesting claim in the report is that the company made a bid to secure the services of ex-Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, only to lose out to Amazon.
Whatever the case, it seems like early days for any Apple foray into original content. Will it make movies? Will it make TV shows? Will it distribute its content via a new video-on-demand platform or on a transactional basis via iTunes? If it’s the former, will it bring in third-party content to sit alongside its own? Will you need an Apple device to watch Apple’s films?
One thing we can say is that it makes sense for Apple to follow so many other tech companies into original content. In fact, it’s something of a surprise that it has waited so long to do so. Bring on the TV shows about how great anodised aluminium is, why Samsung is a bunch of big babies that make bad phones, and how Eddy Cue’s big untucked shirts are da bomb.
[Source: Variety]
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
