Apple TV+: Apple orders ‘The Crowded Room’ anthology with Tom Holland
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Apple’s list of currently available content for Apple TV+ continues to grow, but there’s an even faster-growing list of projects in the works. Films, limited series, specials, and multi-season series, Apple’s got lots of irons in the fire for all of them.
Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, but many have just been reported by the Hollywood press, which always has its ear to the ground about what actors, directors, and producers are getting involved with which projects.
We’ve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles other announced and not-officially-announced projects that are still in production or perhaps haven’t even begun yet.
Updated 04/08/21: Apple has announced a series order for ‘The Crowded Room’, a seasonal anthology about living with mental illness. The first season will star Tom Holland.
Coming Soon
The following shows, series, and movies have been officially announced by Apple and will typically will begin streaming in the next few weeks or months.
Mythic Quest ‘Everlight’ special
What it’s about: According to Deadline, this bonus episode leads up to the second season (coming on May 7). With the COVID pandemic over, the Mythic Quest crew returns to the offices for the company’s annual “Everlight” party. Rob McElhenney said, “It’s full of hope and joy and optimism for a bright future. Ahead of our upcoming second season, we felt it was the perfect way (and the perfect time) to invite the audience back into the world of ‘Mythic Quest.’”
Apple
Important names: Written by Ashly Burch, directed and produced by Rob McElhenney, featuring the voice of Anthony Hopkins.
When you can watch: April 16, 2021.
The Year the Earth Changed
What it’s about: Narrated by David Attenborough, this documentary special highlights the way nature has started to recover during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apple
Important names: Narrated by David Attenborough.
When you can watch: April 16, 2021
Tiny World (season 2)
What it’s about: This nature documentary with stunning footage of some of the world’s tiniest creatures returns with six additional episodes.
Apple
Important names: Narrated by Paul Rudd.
When you can watch: April 16, 2021
The Earth at Night in Color (season 2)
What it’s about: This nature documentary utilizes new video technology to capture nighttime nature scenes in full vibrant color, allowing us to see nocturnal creatures as never before.
Apple
Important names: Narrated by Tom Hiddleston.
When you can watch: April 16, 2021
The Mosquito Coast
What it’s about: A seven-episode miniseries that adapts the bestselling novel The Mosquito Coast, to star Justin Theroux. The novel was published in 1981 by Theroux’s uncle, Paul Theroux, and made into a movie five years later starring Harrison Ford. The book will be adapted for TV by Neil Cross.
Important names: Justin Theroux, nephew of author Paul Theroux, will star.
When you can watch: The Mosquito Coast will premiere on April 30, 2021.
Mythic Quest (season 2)
What it’s about: With the quarantine finally over, the second season of Mythic Quest finds everyone back in the office, attempting to build upon the success of Raven’s Banquet by launching an epic new expansion.
Important names: Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, F. Murray Abraham, Ashly Burch, David Hornsby, and the rest of the gang returns.
When you can watch: Season 2 of Mythic Quest premieres on May 7, 2021.
Trying (season 2)
What it’s about: In the eight-episode second season of Trying, Nikki and Jason are continuing to navigate the adoption process.
Apple
Important names: Esther Smith and Rafe Spall return, along with Ophelia Lovibond, Oliver Chris , Sian Brooke, Darren Boyd, and Robyn Cara.
When you can watch: Season 2 of Trying will debut on May 14, 2021.
Physical
What it’s about: A half-hour drama/comedy series set in a 1980s Southern California beach community. It’s about a tortured woman who finds a path to power in the world of aerobics.
Important names: The star of the series is Rose Byrne, and the series is written and created by Annie Weisman.
When you can watch: Physical will premiere in the summer of 2021.
The Problem with Jon Stewart
What it’s about: A new current-affairs series and the first return to TV for Jon Stewart since 2015 when he left The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Apple says this is to be, “a multiple season, one-hour, single-issue series which will explore topics that are currently part of the national conversation and his advocacy work.” This is one of several projects in the multi-year partnership between Apple and Stewart.
Important names: Getting Jon Stewart back in front of the camera is a huge get for Apple.
When you can watch: Fall 2021
The Line
What it’s about: A combination podcast and video documentary limited series. The podcast is available now and will eventually be comprised of six non-fiction episodes. The four-part video limited series comes to Apple TV+ this fall. It features independently reported accounts of US Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes before ultimately being acquitted on all but one count: for posing in a photo with a corpse.
Apple
Important names: The podcast is hosted by Dan Taberski. The series is directed by Jeffrey Zimbalist.
When you can watch: Fall 2021 (the podcast part is available now)
Foundation
What it’s about: Of all of Isaac Asimov’s famous science fiction work, none is as sprawling, weighty, or influential as the Foundation series. The original book trilogy (part of which was originally published as a short story series in sci-fi magazine Astounding) was published in the 1950s, and has served as influential fodder for a lot of the science fiction that followed.
Important names: Lee Pace and Jared Harris will star in the series.
When you can watch: Apple says Foundation will stream in 2021.
Dr. Brain
What it’s about: A brain scientist is obsessed with discovering new ways to access memories and consciousness. When his family dies in an accident, he accesses memories from his wife’s brain to figure out what really happened.
Important names: Written and directed by Kim Jee-Woon, starring Lee Sun-Kyun.
When you can watch: Dr. Brain will debut later in 2021.
Schmigadoon!
What it’s about: According to Variety, the characters discover the magical town of Schmigadoon on a backpacking trip, where everyone acts like they’re in a 1940’s musical. They can’t leave until they’ve found “true love.”
Apple
Important names: Lorne Michaels produces, and the series will star Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Cecily Strong.
When you can watch: This series is “coming soon.”
The Velvet Underground
What it’s about: A documentary film about the famous rock group of the same name.
Apple
Important names: Directed by Todd Haynes.
When you can watch: This series is “coming soon.”
Lisey’s Story
What it’s about: It’s an eight-episode miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name, and Stephen King himself will write every single episode—that’s quite rare for a King TV project.
Apple
Important names: The miniseries will star Julianne Moore and Clive Owen.
When you can watch: This series is “coming soon.”
Further Out
These shows, series, and movies may or may not have been officially announced, and do not yet have definitive release dates. Some may debut in the next few months, others be more than a year away. It’s even possible that some of these projects will never be released.
The Crowded Room
What it’s about: Inspired by the biography “The Minds of Billy Milligan,” this is a multi-season anthology series that Apple says will, “explore the true and inspirational stories of those who have struggled and learned to successfully live with mental illness.” This is one of a growing list of shows developed and produced by Apple Studios, Apple’s own TV and film production outfit. The first season will be 10 episodes.
Important names: The first season will star Tom Holland with Akiva Goldsman as writer and executive producer.
When you can watch: Apple has no release date for this series yet.
Untitled Maya Rudolph comedy series
What it’s about: Apple describes the show as being about, “Molly, a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but 87 billion dollars.” The unnamed comedy series will be comprised of half-hour episodes.
Important names: Molly will be played by Maya Rudolph. The show creators/writers/producers are Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Lady in the Lake
What it’s about: Apple’s description of this limited series says it “takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”
Important names: It will star Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o. Directed by Alma Har’el.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
In With the Devil
What it’s about: An adaptation of the novel In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. The six-episode limited series is told from the point of view of two prisoners who seek redemption for their wrongdoings.
Important names: Stars Ray Liotta, Taron Egerton, and Paul Walter Hauser.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Roar
What it’s about: An anthology series of “darkly comic feminist fables” with a star-studded cast. Based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern. There will be eight half-hour episodes.
Important names: Some stars attached so far include Nicole Kidman, Allison Brie, Cynthia Erivo, and Merritt Wever.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Search for WondLa
What it’s about: Based on the children’s book by Tony DiTerlizzi, which follows the story of Eva Nine, a girl who spent most of her life living underground before being forced to flee outside and survive with a robot named Muthr, an alien named Rovander Kitt, and a water bear named Otto. Apple plans to run at least two seasons of this show.
Important names: Written and produced by Lauren Montgomery.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Luck
What it’s about: When an unlucky girl stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she teams up with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Important names: The film is directed by Peggy Holmes.
When you can watch: Luck is currently scheduled to be released in early 2022.
Spellbound
What it’s about: A musical that follows Elian, a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two.
Important names: Directed by Vicky Jenson, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.
When you can watch: Spellbound is currently expected to be released in late 2022.
Dolly
What it’s about: Deadline describes it as a “sci-fi courtroom drama in which a robotic ‘companion doll’ kills its owner and then shocks the world by claiming that she is not guilty and asking for a lawyer.”
Important names: Florence Pugh and Vanessa Taylor are attached to star and Drew Pearce will write the script.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Jane
What it’s about: A kids’ series blending live action and CGI, in which young Jane Garcia leads her friends on missions to save endangered animals. The series was produced in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute.
Important names: We don’t yet know who will star in the series. It is being produced in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
CODA
What it’s about: According to Deadline, this is a coming-of-age story about a high school senior who is the only hearing person in her deaf family and is torn between holding together that unit or seeking her own dreams. The film’s name is short for “Child of Deaf Adults.” Deadline says Apple outbid Amazon at the Sundance Film Festival with a price of just over $25 million for worldwide distribution rights.
Important names: The film is written and directed by Siân Heder and stars Emilia Jones.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
WeCrashed
What it’s about: A limited series about the rise and fall of the company WeWork. Apple has officially announced the series and will produce it at Apple Studios.
Important names: The big star power here is Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. The series will be co-written and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Lessons in Chemistry
What it’s about: Variety reports that this will be a drama series based on the upcoming novel by Bonnie Garmus. Set in the 1960s, the story follows a woman who dreams of being a scientist in a world that demands women stay homemakers. She eventually lands a job hosting a TV cooking show and uses it as a platform to teach science to housewives.
Important names: Brie Larson will star, and Susannah Grant will write (she previously won an Academy Award for writing Erin Brockovich).
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Oprah Winfrey biography
What it’s about: Deadline reports that Apple has landed the rights to a two-part biographical documentary film about Oprah Winfrey.
Important names: Oprah, of course. Lisa Erspamer and Kevin McDonald are producing the two-part film.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Kitbag
What it’s about: According to a Deadline report, this is to be a big historical epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte. The report says production begins early in 2022.
Important names: Joaquin Phoenix is to star as Napoleon, Ridley Scott will direct.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled sci-fi comedy/drama
What it’s about: We don’t know any details of the plot yet. We only have a report from The Hollywood Reporter that Apple has picked up this project for the Apple Studios production house and that it is a sci-fi comedy/drama.
Important names: Attached are Andy Samberg, Andy Siara, Ben Stiller, and Noah Hawley.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
What it’s about: Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley, it a bit of a murder mystery thriller featuring a 91-year-old man with dementia as the protagonist. Variety says this is to be a six-episode limited series.
Important names: Samual L. Jackson is to star in the lead role. Walter Mosely is adapting his own book.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Last Thing He Told Me
What it’s about: A limited series adaptation of Laura Dave’s upcoming novel of the same name, which is slated to release on May 4, 2021. It tells the tale of a woman who bonds with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared
Important names: The series will star and be executive-produced by Julia Roberts.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Dark Matter
What it’s about: A series based on the novel Dark Matter; an alternate-universe thriller about a man who is abducted, drugged, and wakes up in a reality in which he made different choices in the past.
Important names: The series is being adapted as a series by the author Blake Crouch.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
World Surf League documentary
What it’s about: A six-part documentary series following the world’s best surfers as they compete on the World Surf League championship tour.
Important names: The series will be executive-produced by James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, and Erik Logan.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Gutsy Women
What it’s about: A documentary series inspired by The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Chelsea and Hillary Clinton. Episodes feature biographies of trailblazing women in a variety of areas.
Important names: Hillary and Chelsea Clinton will executive produce the series with Johnny Webb and Roma Khanna.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Acapulco
What it’s about: A Spanish-English bilingual half-hour comedy series. A young Mexican man gets his dream job at the hottest resort in Acapulco, but soon realizes it’s far more complicated than he imagined. The show takes place in 1984, with narration from a present-day version of the main character.
Important names: Austin Winsberg and Chris Harris are co-showrunners. Eugenio Derbez will play the present-day main character and narrate.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Surface
What it’s about: Another project from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company (which is responsible for The Morning Show), Deadline reports that Surface is an eight-episode psychological thriller series, but doesn’t have much else to say about it other than production is slated to begin in 2021.
Important names: The series will star and be produced by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Hannah Shoenfeld in The Morning Show) and will be executive produced by Veronica West (co-creator of High Fidelity).
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Tetris: The Movie
What it’s about: A drama about the creation, licensing, and distribution of one of the most famous and popular games of all time.
Important names: Taron Egerton stars, with Jon S. Baird directing. The rest of the case has not yet been determined, according to Deadline.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Platonic
What it’s about: A 10-episode half-hour comedy series about former best friends who met as children and had a falling out, then reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift. Their friendship starts to destabilize their lives.
Important names: The friends are played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogan. The series is written and directed by Nick Stoller and co-written by Francesca Delbanco.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Bride
What it’s about: Deadline reports that this is a genre-bending film about an engineered “ideal wife” who rejects her creator, escapes captivity, and discovers her true self.
Important names: The film will star Scarlett Johansson and will be directed by Sebastián Lelio.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Earthsound
What it’s about: A natural history documentary series that uses new audio technology and cinematic 360-degree audio to reveal untold nature stories from every continent.
Important names: It will be executive produced by Alex Williamson, and the series producer is Sam Hodgson.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Supermodels
What it’s about: A documentary series exploring the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Four models whose fame and prestige made them bigger names than the fashion brands and designers they showcased.
Important names: Outside of the four aforementioned models, the series is directed by Barbara Kopple, who has two academy awards.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Sky is Everywhere
What it’s about: Based on the book by Jandy Nelson, it’s about a teen who is trying to work through the loss of her sister.
Important names: Cherry Jones plays the teen’s grandmother, Jason Segel plays her uncle.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
High Desert
What it’s about: A half-hour comedy about a former addict in Yucca Valley, CA, who makes a new start after the death of her mother, deciding to become a private investigator.
Important names: The first episode will be directed by Ben Stiller (who also produces) and the series will star Patricia Arquette.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Five Days at Memorial
What it’s about: From the novel by Sheri Fink that documents the first five days at a New Orleans hospital after hurricane Katrina made landfall.
Important names: The series will be directed by John Ridley and star Vera Farmiga.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Essex Serpent
What it’s about: This adaptation of a novel by Sarah PerryRemove non-product link is set in 1893. Recently-widowed Cora Seaborne relocates to Essex, where a mythical creature that once roamed the marshes has returned.
Important names: Claire Danes will play the lead role. Clio Barnard is the director.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
My Kind of Country
What it’s about: A music competition series that Apple describes as having a, “fresh, new documentary sensibility. The hybrid series will break down cultural and musical barriers in the country music space, inviting innovative musicians to unleash their authentic voices and take center stage.”
Important names: Adam Blackstone will serve as musical director of the series. We don’t know know who the host(s) will be or the contestants.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled Idris Elba spy film
What it’s about: According to Variety, this is to be a “spy movie with romance set in Africa” but little else is known about the nascent project. The report says it’s early in production.
Important names: The film will star Idris Elba and is produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Harriet the Spy
What it’s about: A new animated series based on the very popular and much-loved children’s books of the same name.
Important names: The series stars Beanie Feldstein and Jane Lynch.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Shining Girls
What it’s about: An adaptation of the best-selling novel by Lauren Beukes. Moss plays a Chicago reporter who survives an assault and hunts down her attacker to find he is traveling through time from depression-era Chicago to hunt a series of women—Shining Girls—with extraordinary potential.
Important names: Elisabeth Moss will star and executive produce. Silka Luisa will adapt the novel for TV and serve as showrunner.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Echo 3
What it’s about: An adaptation of the Isreali show When Heroes Fly. The Hollywood Reporter says that the 10-episode series will center around a young American scientist that goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border. Her brother and her husband struggle set out in search of her and discover more than they expected. The series features both English and Spanish language dialogue.
Important names: The showrunners will be Mark Boal and Jason Horwitch.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Snow Blind
What it’s about: When a high school student in a small Alaskan town posts a photo of his dad online, and discovers that his family is in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge soon finds them, the FBI shows up…but what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says?
Important names: Jake Gyllenhaal is set to start with Gustav Möller directing.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Emancipation
What it’s about: Will Smith plays Peter, a runaway slave in Louisiana who has to evade capture as he makes his way to the North, where he joins the Union Army.
Important names: The film stars Will Smith and is directed by Antoine Fuqua with a script by William N Collage.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Afterparty
What it’s about: A comedy murder-mystery set in a high school reunion afterparty. Each of the eight episodes will feature a retelling of the same night told through a different character’s perspective, each with its own unique visual format and film genre to match the teller’s personality.
Important names: The series is created by Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who worked together on projects like The LEGO Movie and Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Hedy Lamarr series
What it’s about: According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s an eight-episode series about the 1930s and 40s actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (whose frequency-hopping radio technology is still the basis for many modern wireless communications).
Important names: Gal Gadot is set to star as Lamarr, with a script written by Sarah Treem.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Where the Wild Things Are
What it’s about: Apple has struck an overall deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce shows or series based on the author’s works for children. The most famous of these, by far, is Where the Wild Things Are.
Important names: Apple is working with longtime Sendak collaborator Arthur Yorinks and his production studio Night Kitchen Studios.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Killers of the Flower Moon
What it’s about: Based on the book Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI. It tells the story of a series of murders of wealthy Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was found on their land. According to Deadline, Paramount will distribute the film in theaters, while it will be an Apple TV+ streaming exclusive.
Important names: Directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the leading roles.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Fraggle Rock reboot
What it’s about: After producing a few shorts (Fraggle Rock: Rock On!), Apple has struck a deal with the Jim Henson Company to produce a full reboot of the classic kids show.
Important names: The Jim Henson Company is in the driver’s seat again.
When you can watch: The original shows became available on May 27, 2020. There is no release date yet for the reboot.
Custom of the Country
What it’s about: A limited-series adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Custom of the Country. The novel, published in the early 20th century, is about a midwestern girl who climbs the ladder of New York high society.
Important names: The big one is Sofia Coppola, who is developing the series for Apple. No word yet on whether she will direct it.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Shrink Next Door
What it’s about: Based on a popular podcast, this is a dark comedy inspired by true events. Charming doctor Dr. Isaac Herschkopf (Paul Rudd) slowly takes over the life of his patient Martin Markowitz (Will Ferrell). The show is an eight-part limited series.
Important names: Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd make a powerful celebrity headlining duo.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Suspicion
What it’s about: Based on the Israeli series False Flag, Apple describes the show as a “high-paced thriller about the kidnapping of the son of a prominent American businesswoman. Twenty-one-year-old Leo’s abduction from a large, upmarket hotel in central New York is captured on video and goes viral. Swiftly, four British citizens staying at the hotel become the prime suspects. But are they guilty of any more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
Important names: The mother of the son who is kidnapped is played by Uma Thurman. The series also stars Kunal Nayyar, Noah Emmerich, Georgina Campbell, Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Angel Coulby.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled 4-Part Documentary Series
What it’s about: According to Deadline, all we know is that it tells the, “unbelievable true story of one of the largest scams in government history.”
Important names: The documentary series is produced by Brian Lazarte and James Lee Hernandez, who produced the hit documentary series McMillion$.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
What it’s about: A limited series anthology about climate change. It follows a group of interconnected human tales to show how every aspect of our world is going to be changing in the near future.
Important names: The show is expected to be produced by Scott Z. Burns, the writer and director of documentary hits An Inconvenient Truth and The Report.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Swan Song
What it’s about: Apple describes it like this: Set in the near future, the film explores how far someone will go, and how much they’ll sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people they love.
Important names: The film stars Mahershala Ali, who won Oscars for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book. It is written and directed by Benjamin Cleary.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Slow Horses
What it’s about: When the British MI-5 agency’s spies screw up their career, they are sent to the “Slough House” to while away their days doing unimportant work. They are referred to by the rest of the agency as “Slow Horses,” hence the TV show title. There are more than six books in Mick Herron’s “Slough House” series, with more on the way.
Important names: Gary Oldman is to star (he doesn’t do a lot of TV!) as Jackson Lamb, the leader of the Slough House spies.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Severance
What it’s about: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Severance is a workplace thriller that is set at Lumen Industries, a company looking to take work-life balance to a new level. It focuses on Mark, an employee with a dark past trying to put himself back together. Apple has ordered a 10-episode series.
Important names: Adam Scott has signed on to play Mark, and the series will be directed and produced by Ben Stiller. Patricia Arquette will play Mark’s boss. Christopher Walkin and John Turturro have roles, too.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
A Christmas Carol
What it’s about: A musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. You know: Scrooge, three ghosts, Bah Humbug, etc…
Important names: Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
El Gato Negro
What it’s about: Based on Richard Dominguez’s comic book about an aging luchador who teams up with his grandson to use the El Gato Negro persona to fight crime in South Texas.
Important names: Robert Rodriguez will direct and produce, while Diego Boneta will star and also produce.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Masters of the Air
What it’s about: A limited series about the bombers of World War II. It is something of a follow-up to the hit HBO series Band of Brothers. Nearly all of the content on Apple TV+, while original and exclusive, is produced by outside production companies and studios. But according to Variety, Apple is also building its own internal studio, named Masters, and this is its first project.
Important names: It will be written by one of Band of Brothers writers, John Orloff, with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks once again on as executive producers. Several other producers and alumni of Band of Brothers will be involved with the project, too.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Sharper
What it’s about: Tells the story of a con artist among the billionaire elites of Manhattan.
Important names: Julianne Moore will star and produce, with A24 as the studio and Picturestart as the production company.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Swagger
What it’s about: Apple is developing a drama series inspired by the early life and career of NBA superstar Kevin Durant and his youth basketball experiences. It is not a biopic of Kevin Durant’s life, however.
(Durant used to play for the Golden State Warriors, of which Apple VP Eddy Cue is a huge superfan.)
Important names: The series will be written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood, best known for the TV series Shots Fired and for writing the Notorious B.I.G. biopic Notorious. Winston Duke was originally cast in the lead role, but he suffered an injury on set and couldn’t continue. O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube in Straight Outta Compton) will take over the lead role.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Sky is Everywhere
What it’s about: According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Apple has teamed up with indie production company A24 to produce a film adaptation of the young adult novel The Sky is Everywhere.
The novel tells the story of a high school girl whose older sister suddenly dies. She forms a relationship with her sister’s former fiancé and also with the new boy in town, who loves music as she does. Amid the coping with the loss of her sister, she has to choose between these two romantic entanglements.
Important names: Josephine Decker will direct and produce, and author Jandy Nelson will write the screen adaptation of her own book.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Mr. Corman
What it’s about: Variety says that Apple has picked up a new drama series called Mr. Corman that is written by, produced by, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The series revolves around an elementary school teacher struggling to cope with life as an adult in Los Angeles.
Important names: Joseph Gordon-Levitt will write, star in, and produce the series.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Prehistoric Planet
What it’s about: Apple has ordered a new natural history series from Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton. The CGI-heavy series will be produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, and will follow the last days of the dinosaurs.
Important names: Jon Favreau made waves using CG animals in The Jungle Book and The Lion King, and Mike Gunton produced Planet Earth II.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Brie Larson CIA biography series
What it’s about: A report in Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order for a new drama based on the real-life experiences of CIA undercover operative Amaryllis Fox. Fox has a hot novel named Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA that released in October 2019.
Important names: Brie Larson will star and executive produce the series.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Invasion
What it’s about: According to Deadline, Apple has committed to a 10-episode season of a new science fiction series. We don’t know much about the plot, though. Deadline’s sources say, “this is a large large budget, ambitious, character-driven genre show that will go into production this summer.”
Important names: Simon Kinberg and David Weil are the creators of this one. Kinberg is known for his work on the Fox X-Men franchise, and Weil is the creator of the upcoming Amazon Nazi-hunting series The Hunt. Starring in the series are Sam Neill (Peaky Blinders) and Shamier Anderson (Wyonna Earp).
When you can watch: No release date yet.
My Glory Was I Had Such Friends
What it’s about: A report from Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order of My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. The limited series, based on the Amy Silverstein memoir about a woman awaiting heart surgery and the women who supported her, will star Jennifer Garner and be executive produced by J.J. Abrams through his Bad Robot production company.
Important names: J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner are working together again for the first time since the show Alias.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Losing Earth
What it’s about: This summer, The New York Times Magazine published an epic feature titled, “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.” At over 30,000 words, it took up an entire issue of the magazine and earned critical acclaim. It focused on how, from 1979 to 1989, a small team of scientists, activists, and politicians tried to stop climate change while there was still time.
We don’t know the format the show will take, but The New York Times specifically calls it a “series.” Based on the source material, it seems like a single-season limited series makes the most sense.
Important names: The article’s author, Nathaniel Rich, will serve as executive producer together with Anonymous Content founder and CEO Steve Golin.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Pachinko
What it’s about: The best-selling novel Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean immigrant family, following the line from Korea to Japan and finally America. The New York Times named it one of the 10 best books of 2017.
According to Variety, Apple has secured the rights to develop Min Jin Lee’s novel into a series. A later report in The Hollywood Reporter stated that Apple has moved from simply optioning the novel to ordering a full eight episodes. It’s not clear if it’s a single season of a multi-season arc, or just an eight-episode miniseries.
Important names: It will be written and directed by Soo Hugh, who was the showrunner for the first season of AMC’s The Terror. Min-Ho Lee (Boys Over Flowers) and Jin Ha (Devs) will star.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Time Bandits
What it’s about: Terry Gilliam’s time-traveling adventure comedy Time Bandits may make its way to the small screen in a TV series. Deadline reports that Apple is buying up the rights to make a TV show of the cult classic film.
The film, about a young boy who gets caught up with a troupe of thieves as they hop across history to steal treasure, ever on the run from the “supreme being” from whom they’ve stolen their time map, is good fodder for a TV show. But the film has a dedicated cult following who will place high demands on maintaining the film’s heart and quirky sense of British humor.
Important names: Terry Gilliam will have an executive producer role, but will not write for the show. A report in Variety says that the series will be directed by Taika Waititi, whose quirky film What We Do in the Shadows earned him a cult following, and who earned huge international acclaim for his direction of Thor: Rangrarok and Jojo Rabbit.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Shantaram
What it’s about: The hit novel Shantaram has a somewhat tumultuous history in Hollywood. According to Variety, the book was first to be developed as a film, with Johnny Depp having acquired the book rights and Warner Bros. producing with Joel Edgerton in the starring role. Then, the plans were scrapped and the rights auctioned off, with Anonymous Content and Paramount Television winning the rights to Shantaram and its sequel novel The Mountain Shadow.
Gregory David Roberts’ novel tells the story of Lin, an escaped convict from a maximum security Australian prison. On the run and cut off from friends and family, he disappears into the Bombay underground in India.
Important names: Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle, The International) will write and executive produce the series. According to a report from Variety, the lead character will be payed by Charlie Hunnam, who is known for his work on Sons of Anarchy and for starring in Pacific Rim.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
You Think It, I’ll Say It
What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has ordered a 10-episode, half-hour run of a new comedy variety show. The show is inspired by Curtis Sittenfeld’s collection of short stories You Think It, I’ll Say It.
Important names: SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to star, but pulled out citing scheduling conflicts with Wonder Woman 1984. The show is created and produced by Colleen McGuinness (30 Rock, About a Boy).
When you can watch: This project does not yet have a title or release date.
Damien Chazelle drama series
What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has gone straight-to-series (ordered a whole season of a series without first shooting a pilot) on a drama by Damien Chazelle. Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.
No details have been given about the series at all, except that Chazelle will write and direct every episode. We don’t know the subject matter, the stars, the length of each episode…really nothing at all.
Important names: Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled Sexual Assault Documentary
What it’s about: This documentary film follows a former music executive who is debating whether publicly tell her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the industry.
Important names: The film was executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, with Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Hunting Ground) directing and producing.
Update 01/13/20: Oprah Winfrey has stepped away from the project, issuing the following statement:
First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside. I will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.
When you can watch: As a result of Oprah leaving the project, it will no longer appear on Apple TV+.
I have written professionally about technology for my entire adult professional life – over 20 years. I like to figure out how complicated technology works and explain it in a way anyone can understand.
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