Apple eyes Hollywood studio where The Matrix was shot in original content drive
Apple is seeking to establish itself as a major player in original content by leasing the renowned Hollywood studios which gave birth to both The Matrix and Gone With The Wind.
Apple eyes Hollywood studio where The Matrix was shot in original content drive
A report in the Financial Times suggests that Apple has its eye on The Culver Studios as it vies with the likes of Google and Amazon to win bragging rights with the finest original content.
Should it prove successful Apple will gain access to a prestigious office address alongside 13 soundstages of up to 32,000sq/ft at a stroke, allowing it to shoot its own TV series and feature-length films with ease, providing it with a fitting base from which to channel its promised $1bn per year original content spend.
In a sign of its new found intent Apple is said to be bidding against the likes of Netflix to secure a breakfast television drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon and has also hired former Sony pair Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, famed for productions such as Breaking Bad and The Crown, to help it build a library of a dozen TV shows.
Progress thus far has been far from promising however with Apple’s first serious foray into original content, Planet of the Apps, proving to be a turn-off for viewers with Apple’s TV box losing ground to Roku, Amazon and Google.
In a bid to turn the corner Apple is set to unveil a new version of its TV box next week.
Thus far Apple has refrained from fully committing itself to original content, choosing instead to 'dip its toe in the water' with a series of stepping stone purchases such as Carpool Karaoke.