Will F1, starring Brad Pitt, be Apple's last big movie to get a real theatrical release?

Wolfs will only have one week on the big screen in the US, just like Steve McQueen's Blitz.

Earlier this summer, Netflix was not a little proud to announce that it had gained 8 million new subscribers in the first half of 2024, which brought the total number of people subscribing to the streaming platform to 277 million. A significant number, which has pushed Bloomberg to take stock, publishing articles on the main competitors of the brand with the Red N. An article on Apple TV+ revealed the wish of the studio's bosses to “limit costs” in the coming months, the Apple studio having spent 20 billion dollars since the launch of its platform in 2019 (roughly the same time as Disney+).

The article obviously cited the ambitious film productions launched by Apple, in particular Napoleonby Ridley Scott, Argyllby Matthew Vaughn, or even Killers of the Flower Moonby Martin Scorsese, but also some examples of series that cost the company more than expected, such as Masters of the Airderived from Bands of Brotherswith a budget of more than 250 million, Ozark and its initial casting change or The Morning Showwhich is doing well thanks to its very popular actors (Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, multiple guests…), but who earn enormous salaries.

Explaining that Apple was able to promote its streaming service through all these ambitious film projects, which serve as a “luxury showcase” no matter how successful they are in cinema, Bloomberg however announced an imminent change of strategy within the company. This is confirmed these days with the announcement ofa limited release of Wolfsa thriller by Jon Watts starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, in American theaters. While promising to give it a sequel with the same team, Matt Dentler, head of original films at Apple, explained yesterday that it would only be visible there for a week, shortly after its broadcast at the Venice Film Festival: from September 20 to 27, 2024, via a partnership with Sony Pictures. From the 27th, Wolfs will be released on Apple TV+ for US subscribers.

While this strategy is impossible to implement everywhere in the world – in France, in particular, our media timeline prevents studios from releasing their films in streaming so soon after their theatrical release – it is apparently becoming the norm in the US for Apple. Recently, Blitzby Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), a drama that has every chance of winning the next Oscars, was shown to American audiences for 7 days in cinemas before being put online on Apple TV+.

Jeff Sneider now explains that“Apple is done with major big-screen releases of its films.” The article states that F1the blockbuster about car racing directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) with Brad Pitt, will certainly be their last big-budget film to have a “wide release” in the United States, during the summer of 2025, via a partnership with Warner Bros. This was part of the contract initially signed with the team, but once this exception was released, the studio would only offer very short theatrical broadcasts before putting their productions online in streaming.

“It's all about good publicity, Sneider continues. Apple doesn't want negative stories about their movies' poor box office scores, an insider told me. He also clarified that that's not the reason for Wolfswhich would be 'very good, and would have done well in theaters.'“

The historic deal between Apple, Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton and Joseph Kosinski for a F1 film