EXCLUSIVE: Jon Watts, the filmmaker who stepped out of the Spider-Man franchise with Tom Holland and Zendaya to script and direct George Clooney and Brad Pitt within the movie Wolfs for Apple, created a press dustup yesterday when he let slip that he and they’d not be doing a sequel, though Wolfs turned by far essentially the most seen function movie ever launched on Apple TV+. Deadline revealed plans for a sequel on the identical time we divulged that Apple had moved off plans for a full theatrical launch in favor of a restricted one with a fast leap to the streaming web site. This adopted Fly Me To The Moon ‘s incapacity to measure up in its prolonged field workplace run. Suffice to say that though they confirmed up for the Venice premiere, the entire principals had been very disillusioned by the pivot. That is on the root of the sequel going away. It’s just like when Doug Liman feuded with Amazon after his Highway Home remake went straight to streaming regardless of his deal for a theatrical launch and big check scores, and he isn’t returning for the inevitable sequel. It underscores the persevering with dilemma between streaming bows and dangerous theatrical launch offers with massive P&A spends. Apple is true now taking pictures the Brad Pitt-starrer F1, which can get a full theatrical launch by way of Warner Bros earlier than heading for Apple TV+. Watts has given Deadline an unique rationalization of his view of what occurred. Right here goes:
“I confirmed Apple my last lower of Wolfs early this yr,” Watts advised Deadline. “They had been extraordinarily obsessed with it and instantly commissioned me to start out writing a sequel. However their final minute shift from a promised large theatrical launch to a streaming launch was a complete shock and made with none rationalization or dialogue. I wasn’t even advised about it till lower than every week earlier than they introduced it to the world. I used to be utterly shocked and requested them to please not embody the information that I used to be writing a sequel. They ignored my request and introduced it of their press launch anyway, seemingly to create a optimistic spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the cash they gave me for the sequel. I didn’t wish to speak about it as a result of I used to be pleased with the movie and didn’t wish to generate any pointless damaging press. I beloved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would fortunately do it once more. However the fact is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, as a result of I not trusted them as a artistic accomplice.”
No one commented for the report, however sources near Apple take into account the film successful, and stay open to a sequel.
(L-R) Brad Pitt and George Clooney on the Venice Movie Competition pink carpet for the world premiere of ‘Wolfs’
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ through Getty Photos
