Apple partners with movie studio A24 to make feature-length films

Business Standard: Apple Inc will begin making independent, feature-length films through a multiyear partnership with the Oscar-winning studio A24, broadening the iPhone maker’s push into original content beyond TV programming and into movies.

New York-based A24 will produce multiple films for Apple, according to people familiar with the partnership. The world’s most valuable company, which last year allocated more than $1 billion to build out a slate of scripted shows, is following the playbook of Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc. in pushing into feature-length, adult-oriented films.

Previously, Apple’s original-content team had only signed deals for the documentary film “The Elephant Queen” and a family-oriented, animated film, “Wolfwalkers.”

A24 became one of the buzziest companies in Hollywood quickly after its founding in 2012. Its films are often more successful in provoking cultural conversation than profiting heavily from ticket sales, a signal the Apple deal is more about brand cache than box-office windfalls.

In 2017, its movie “Moonlight” won the Oscars for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor. The film wasn’t released widely in theatres and was among the lowest-grossing movies ever to win the best picture.

Apple declined to comment on whether any of the A24 films will have theatrical releases.
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