Instead of theaters, Tom Hanks’ WWII movie Greyhound debuted on Apple TV+... where it did very well. Photo: Apple
Tom Hanks’ feature film about World War II brought in the largest opening-weekend audience Apple TV+ has netted so far. Even better for Apple, Greyhound reportedly brought plenty of fresh customers to its still-new streaming video service.
Jason Sudeikis reprises his character as an American sports coach turning his attention to soccer. Photo: Apple
Apple just dropped a Ted Lasso trailer that gives the world its first glimpse of Jason Sudeikis reviving his clueless coach character for Apple TV+.
Sudeikis first played Lasso in a hilarious 2013 ad for Premier League soccer games on NBC Sports. With this Apple Original, he will extend the gag to series length, portraying a hapless, small-town college football coach hired by a U.K. soccer team.
Idris Elba, seen here in “Turn Up Charlie” could bring “Innovative, entertaining and thought-provoking” shows and movies to Apple TV+. Photo: Green Door Pictures
Idris Elba reportedly signed a first-look deal with Apple. This means the iPhone maker gets the right of first refusal for all projects dreamed up by Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company.
Apple TV+'s latest acquisition sounds like it's a winner. Photo: BOOM! Studios
Apple has acquired the movie rights to an adaptation of graphic novel Snow Blind, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Deadline reported over the weekend.
The movie (and the 2017 graphic novel it was based on) is about a teenager, Teddy, who finds out that his family have been in the Witness Protection Program for years. Now someone after revenge has managed to locate them.
It’s free, and it also packs the latest Apple news and how-tos. Plus, this week we’ve got reviews of three new Apple TV+ offerings, including Tom Hanks’ World War II movie, Greyhound.
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Tom Hanks' World War II movie Greyhound will debut on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple
It’s a busy day for Apple TV+ as two new shows and the Tom Hanks World War II drama Greyhound all made their debut Friday on Apple’s streaming TV service.
Check out the trailers — and Cult of Mac‘s reviews — below.
Tom Hanks gives us an inside look at the naval action shown in his new Apple TV+ film, Greyhound. Photo: Apple
Tom Hanks wrote and stars in Greyhound, a feature film about World War II debuting Friday on Apple TV+. In a new video, the beloved actor talks about the real-life story it depicts: the challenges of Allied ships crossing the Atlantic infested with Nazi submarines.
Watch Hanks’ inside look at his upcoming film now:
Tom Hanks thanks Apple TV+ for throwing his new World War II movie a lifeline. Photo: The Today Show
Tom Hanks said Tuesday that Apple TV+ “saved the day” by releasing his new World War II movie during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the actor couldn’t say enough good things about Apple when he hit The Today Show to promo Greyhound, which debuts on Apple TV+ this Friday.
All the happy talk came a day after Hanks made headlines for calling Greyhound’s upcoming streaming debut an “absolute heartbreak.”
The Maurice Sendak Foundation owned the rights to Where the Wild Things Are. And they just made a deal with Apple TV+. Photo: The Maurice Sendak Foundation
Apple TV+ and The Maurice Sendak Foundation have teamed up to develop new shows based on the many works of Maurice Sendak, a world-renown author and illustrator of children’s books. Whether this means a series based on Where the Wild Things Are is in the works is anyone’s guess, though.
What is the code for greatness? No one in the documentary series Greatness Code is going to tell you. Photo: Apple TV+
There’s a reason this review only has one image in it: Apple TV+ doesn’t have any more press pictures for this show. Why? Because why should it? This paper-thin passel of hagiographies isn’t worth promoting.
Greatness Code, which debuts July 10, isn’t a show so much as it’s an investment in the big star athletes being interviewed. To say no to the project would have meant scuttling potential relationships with some of the biggest names in sports. But to admit it’s worth your time seems a bridge too far.
Tom Hanks wrote this nuts-and-bolts movie about naval warfare. Photo: Apple TV+
Tom Hanks is here to rescue a cargo convoy from the Nazis — and presumably you from your free time. His new movie, Greyhound, is being released straight to Apple TV+ this Friday after COVID-19 scuttled the film’s theatrical release. This means there’s nothing between you and some old-school, flag-waving thrills.
In fact, Greyhound is the very definition of old school. There’s no fuss, no muss: just a man, his crew and some German U-boats hiding out in the gray fog of World War II, ready to pounce on American soldiers.
Sean Teale and Brittany O'Grady star in musical romance Little Voice. Photo: Apple TV+
The latest lightweight Apple TV+ crowdpleaser comes from producer J.J. Abrams, songwriter Sara Bareilles and writer Jessie Nelson. Little Voice, which debuts on Apple’s streaming service on July 10, hits every single beat you expect — and none you don’t.
There’s little chance you won’t experience precisely the emotional journey and reaction you’re anticipating just from looking at the show’s promotional materials.
If you wanna watch a scrappy, model-beautiful singer finally find her voice with help from a supportive and kooky family of zany outsiders, and then live her dream of being a star, then yeah, come on in.
Hanks talks about his "Apple overlords" in new interview. Photo: Apple TV+
Tom Hanks made a few not-so-flattering comments about the “Apple overlords” in an interview about his new World War II movie Greyhound. The film, which was originally supposed to launch in theaters, was pulled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it will premiere on Apple TV+ this Friday.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hanks describes the shift to Apple TV+ as “an absolute heartbreak.” He also spills the beans on one of Apple’s slightly unusual requests for his press interviews.
One episode of Dear... focuses on Oprah Winfrey. Photo: Apple TV+
So far, the Apple TV+ shows affiliated with Oprah Winfrey (or approved by her) represent some of the streaming service’s safest offerings. And her spirit, to say nothing of her face, is all over the inspiring series Dear…
Each episode focuses on a single celebrity and the moving fan letters they receive highlighting the star’s impact on regular people. A such, it takes the form of part-biography, part-tribute to its famous subjects.
Dear… certainly does not stand out as one of the most hard-hitting journalistic exercises you’ll see. But as puff pieces go, the episodes prove both persuasive and reasonably inspiring. The show plays like a MasterClass with lessons about community building and standing up for yourself.
The research firm notes that more than two in five U.S. households with broadband have trialed a streaming video service during lockdown. A surprisingly large 8% of households have trialed four or more. Among new subscribers to TV streaming services, Apple TV+ was sampled by 27% of households, the report states.
The man in this picture made headlines in 1863. His life is being made into Emancipation on Apple TV+. Photo: Library of Congress
The real-life story of Peter, whose saga of escaping slavery made headlines around the world in 1863, is being made into Emancipation, a film starring Will Smith and directed by Antoine Fuqua. Apple TV+ reportedly bought the worldwide rights for more than $120 million.
Deadline, which broke the news, called it the “largest film festival acquisition deal in film history.”
Bozoma Saint John on stage at an Apple event in 2016. Photo: Apple
Bozoma Saint John, the former head of global consumer marketing for Apple Music, is joining Netflix as its new Chief Marketing Officer, Deadline reports.
Saint John joined Apple with the Beats acquisition in 2014. She left Apple in 2017 to join Uber as its Chief Brand Officer, before jumping to Endeavor to become its CMO.
The man who brought “Defending Jacob” to Apple TV+ will develop more shows for the new streaming service. Photo: Apple
The writer, director and showrunner of Defending Jacob reportedly agreed to a long-term deal to make additional shows for Apple TV+. Their first collaboration went so well that Mark Bomback signed a exclusive agreement with Apple.
You can get up to $20 free. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple is running another awesome promotion that offers shoppers free money when they top up their Apple ID. Simply add funds to your account before July 10 and you’ll get 10% extra. Here’s how.
Who says politics needs to be nasty? Image: Apple TV+
It might seem totally impossible in 2020, but upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Boys State makes politics look fun. The first trailer, which Apple released Tuesday, introduces some of the real-life young men who engage in an annual Texas tradition that’s basically summer camp for citizens.
Greatness Code asks six sports legends to describe their career-defining moments. Photo: Apple
Greatness Code on Apple TV+ offers interviews with sport legends from Lebron James to Alex Morgan to Usain Bolt. It debuts next week, and the trailer released Monday gives a sneak peek.
Losing Alice, coming to Apple TV+ later in 2020, takes the viewer through Alice‘s conscious and subconscious. Photo: Apple
To ensure Apple TV+ has new shows for later this year, Apple revealed on Friday that bought the international rights to Losing Alice, an eight-episode series the company calls “a neo-noir psychological thriller.”
Apple has already ordered a second season of Central Park. Kristen Bell likely won't be in it, though. Image: Apple TV+
Kristen Bell is dropping out of Apple TV+ animated musical comedy series Central Park, the popular Good Place star announced on social media Wednesday. Bell starred as Molly Tillerman in all 13 episodes of the first season of Central Park. The show debuted last month on Apple TV+.
Bell, whose character on the show is mixed race, said that she is stepping back so as to allow the character to be played by an actor whose race matches that of the character.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, shown here at San Diego Comic-Con, created a a genre-mixing murder comedy for Apple TV+. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC
A couple of TV industry virtuosos are reportedly prepping an unusual comedy for Apple TV+. Phil Lord and Chris Miller will create The Afterparty for this streaming service. It about a murder seen from a variety of viewpoints, each in a different film genre.