Apple's $200 million films are not making a direct leap from theaters to Apple TV+, as evident from today's PVOD release of Killers of the Flower Moon.
As a newcomer in Hollywood, Apple has faced questions about its release strategy: Is the tech giant planning to adhere to industry norms, or does it plan to disrupt established conventions?
Today, we learned that Apple will follow traditional release windows.
Killers of the Flower Moon is now available as PVOD across the world. Photo: FlatpanelsHD
Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is now available to rent and buy as PVOD (Premium Video-On-Demand) for $20 and $25 dollars in the Apple TV app here in over 100 countries and other local online movie stores.
It is available at home in 4K Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio.
The film screened in theaters for 47 days exclusively, aligning with other early-release PVOD titles. It has grossed just over $150 million in theatres worldwide, distributed in partnership with Paramount.
Napoleon and Argylle to follow
Apple's next two films, Napoleon, currently in theaters, and Argylle, scheduled for release on February 1, 2024, have a similar estimated production budget of $200 million each.
However, these films will be distributed in theaters worldwide in collaboration with Sony Pictures and Universal, respectively – not Paramount.
Whether the release model for these upcoming films will mirror the current strategy remains to be seen, though it seems likely.
Another unanswered question is how long Apple TV+ users will have to wait before Killers of the Flower Moon becomes available to stream as part of the subscription. Apple recently increased the price of Apple TV+ to $9.99 / €9.99 / £8.99 per month.
