As a movie enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the recent turn of events surrounding the sequel to “Wolfs” has left me both intrigued and disheartened. It’s not often that we get an inside look at the politics behind the scenes, especially when it comes to projects as high-profile as this one.
It turns out that Apple wasn’t responsible for canceling the planned sequel to the George Clooney and Brad Pitt movie. Contrary to what might have seemed, it was actually director Watts who made the decision.
After establishing himself with the Spider-Man trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Watts chose to depart from superhero films and took on writing and directing “Wolves”. This film, surprisingly, turned out to be the most streamed movie on Apple TV+. With a sequel already planned, Watts’ announcement on Friday that it wasn’t progressing left many surprised. Now, talking to Deadline, the director has shared all the details behind this unexpected decision.
Earlier this year, I presented the final version of “Wolf” to Apple. They were thrilled with it and promptly requested me to begin work on a follow-up. However, their sudden change from a planned wide cinema release to a streaming one took place without any prior notice or conversation. I only found out about this change less than a week before they made the announcement. This unexpected move left me utterly stunned, and I asked them to withhold the information that I was working on a sequel.
They disregarded my plea and still chose to reveal it in their press statement, which seemed like an attempt to present a favorable perspective on their shift towards streaming. Consequently, I discreetly refunded the funds they provided for the sequel.
As a cinephile, I’ve been reluctant to discuss the matter due to my immense pride in the film and my desire to avoid unwarranted negative attention. Working alongside Brad, George, Amy, Austin, Poorna, and Zlatko was an unparalleled experience, one I would gladly repeat. However, it’s time to be honest: Apple didn’t terminate the Wolf’s sequel; I did, because I lost faith in them as a creative partner.
‘Wolfs’ is Not the First Movie to Have a Theatrical Release Pulled from Under It
Wolfs’ decision to shift to streaming, rather than sticking with a theatrical release, follows a trend of challenges that movie creators often encounter when dealing with major streaming platforms.
For some time now, numerous major films have moved from traditional theater premieres to being only available for streaming. Notable examples include the remake of Warner Bros.’ “Salem’s Lot” and Amazon’s “Road House” remake, with the latter causing quite a fuss when its cinema release was canceled. This stirred up even more controversy when both Jake Gyllenhaal and director Doug Liman voiced their opinions on the matter, with Liman going as far as to boycott the movie’s premiere.
Liman’s primary concern revolved around the fact that the movie Road House, much like Wolfs, was originally intended for a theatrical release. However, when it ended up being a streaming exclusive, no adjustments were made to the financial remuneration of everyone involved, while Amazon reaped the profits. Previously, Liman had stated to IndieWire:
“My issue on ‘Road House’ is that we made the movie for MGM to be in theaters, everyone was paid as if it was going to be in theaters. Then Amazon switched it on us and nobody got compensated. Forget about the effect on the industry – 50 million people saw ‘Road House’ – I didn’t get a cent, Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t get a cent, [producer] Joel Silver didn’t get a cent. That’s wrong.”
It appears that as more streaming titans delve into movie production and distribution, the turmoil surrounding their release strategies is merely escalating – and I, for one, am deeply intrigued by this unfolding saga!
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2024-11-24 00:02