In a major milestone for Apple TV+, star-studded thriller Wolfs emerged as the most-viewed movie in the streaming platform’s history, according to new report. The achievement highlights the film industry’s ongoing debate over theatrical releases versus straight-to-streaming. With George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s star vehicle, Apple pulled back from a broad theatrical release to a limited one before streaming.
Clooney and Pitts’ Wolfs becomes most-watched film on Apple TV+
Starring Hollywood heavyweights Clooney and Pitt , Wolfs has captivated audiences since its limited release in theaters September 20 and its streaming premiere on September 27. While Apple doesn’t disclose specific viewership numbers, sources indicate that the film boosted viewership by nearly 30% week-over-week on the service, according to Deadline.
And the movie’s popularity spans across international markets. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Brazil and Germany saw significant viewership spikes.
Wide theatrical release reigned in
Written and directed by Jon Watts (Spider-Man trilogy), Wolfs tells the story of two “fixers” — shadowy problem-solvers paid to make trouble go away — who must set aside their lone-wolf tendencies and work together to clean up a big mess. It ends up taking a long, cold New York City night to do it. But the film’s journey to the small screen wasn’t without changes; initially slated for a wide theatrical release, the distribution plan was altered to a limited weeklong theatrical run before its streaming debut.
The success of Wolfs on Apple TV+ underscores the potential of star-driven, straight-to-streaming releases. It has outperformed another recent crowd-pleasing caper on the platform, The Instigators. That popular flick features Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in an enjoyable Boston crime romp.
Apple execs excited by results; sequel in works
Apple executives are understandably thrilled with the results.
“When George, Brad and Jon approached us with the idea for Wolfs, it was an easy call — a crackling, fun movie starring two Oscar winners who everyone knows are iconic together,” said Matt Dentler, Apple Original Films’ head of features. “Now, audiences have chosen in droves to make Wolfs part of their weekend, making the movie a global blockbuster. We always consider Apple TV+ to be the home for the world’s most talented artists to create and deliver their best work, and it’s exciting to see audiences embrace that so overwhelmingly.”
Even before the film racked up viewership numbers, Apple signed up Watts to write and direct the follow-up. This move indicates the streaming giant’s confidence in the franchise’s potential.
Watch the Wolfs trailer
Upcoming releases
A powerhouse team including Grant Heslov, Clooney and Dianne McGunigle produced the film. Additional producing credits go to Watts, Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. The film also features performances from Michael Beugg, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind and Zlatko Burić.
As Apple TV+ continues to establish itself in the competitive streaming landscape, Wolfs’ success marks a significant victory. It demonstrates the platform’s ability to attract top talent and deliver content that resonates with global audiences. With upcoming releases like Steve McQueen’s Blitz and the highly anticipated Formula One drama F1 starring Brad Pitt, Apple TV+ just might continue its streak of high-profile, audience-pleasing content.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
