Director Todd Haynes’ first foray into documentary filmmaking, The Velvet Underground, got rave reviews after its world premiere Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival. And that bodes well for the music doc’s debut on Apple TV+ and in theaters on October 15.
Apple has teamed up with the BBC for a documentary that will provide a timeline of the President of the United States in the hours after the 9/11 attacks. 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room will debut on Apple TV+ this September, marking the 20th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
Narrated by actor Jeff Daniels, the documentary will include never-before-seen testimony from former President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell, chief of staff Andy Card, director of communications Dan Bartlett, and many, many others. It will also include filmed archive and close to 200 previously unpublished photographs.
Cult of Mac‘s review of Apple TV+ crime drama Defending Jacob, said that it was the first show to truly justify the existence of Apple’s streaming TV service. Now it’s got another first under its belt: The first Apple TV+ series to receive a physical media release.
On Tuesday, the show was given a Blu-ray and DVD release, making it the first Apple TV+ show to receive that treatment. Even the likes of The Morning Show and Ted Lasso, Apple’s biggest hits to date, have not been released in this way.
Apple TV+ just keeps adding new movies and shows, but how many people are watching? Only Apple knows for sure.
An entertainment industry expert takes a look at the current state of Apple TV+ — and outlines what the future might hold for the streaming video service. Read the Q&A to find out what “success” might look like for Apple TV+.
That’s our cover story in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it to read on your iPhone or iPad, or get the links to the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos below.
A year and a half in, Apple TV+ remains something of a black box. Ever since the streaming video service’s launch in November 2019, Cupertino has refused to reveal hard data about just how well Apple TV+ is doing.
In some respects, the future looks promising. Apple TV+ continues to add high-profile projects to its production queue. Apple TV+ shows and movies continue to rack up awards. And upcoming originals like an epic sci-fi adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation and the second season of surprise hit Ted Lasso are generating buzz.
Plus, with the original one-year free trials ending — and new free Apple TV+ trials slashed to just three months — the $4.99-a-month streaming service seems increasingly confident about its value proposition for viewers.
Still, the Apple TV+ library continues to be dwarfed by rivals like Netflix and Disney+.
So what does the future hold? And what does “success” look like for Apple TV+ anyway? Cult of Mac asked the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a pseudonymous entertainment executive who writes about the business, how Apple TV+ is faring and what to expect next. His responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
With a showdown on the horizon, Lisey gets back in touch with her sisters — in the most intense way imaginable — in this week’s installment of Lisey’s Story, the fantastical Apple TV+ series based on Stephen King’s novel.
It’s only a matter of time before Lisey has to take down her foes, real and imaginary, and she’s gonna need all the help she can get.
The bestseller City on Fire will be adapted into a series for Apple TV+. The story of a tangled murder investigation will be written by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who’ve worked on multiple successful TV series together.
Apple has landed a combined 25 Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Apple TV+ originals.
Ghostwriter, Helpsters, Long Way Up and others have been recognized in the Children’s & Animation and Lifestyle categories. Winners will be announced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on July 17 and July 18, 2021.
Apple TV+ finally revealed the debut date for Foundation, its much-anticipated adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s classic series of novels. The wait will be over on September 24, 2021.
And a second “teaser trailer” debuted on Monday… though it does a bit more than tease.
Lorne Michaels’ parody/homage to musicals will soon leap onto Apple TV+. Schmigadoon! is loaded with big names singing and dancing, and it’ll premier on July 16.
Apple released the hilarious first trailer for the series. Watch it now.