Michelle Lee, who has served as head of development for Jason Katims’ True Jack Productions, to join Apple’s worldwide video unit as a senior creative executive, according to Deadline.
The article says she’ll report to head of development Matt Cherniss. Cherniss, former president and general manager of WGN America, an American basic cable and satellite television channel owned by Tribune Broadcasting, joined Apple in October.
Lee, who will start at the first of the year, also is expected to oversee a new drama series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, which recently received a two-season straight-to-series order. The dramatic series explores the behind-the-scenes action of daily morning shows and its players
Apple has set a budget of roughly $1 billion to procure and produce original content over the next year, according to the Wall Street Journal, and could acquire and produce as many as 10 television shows. The $1 billion budget will be in the hands of Hollywood veterans Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two former TV execs who joined the company in June newly created positions overseeing all aspects of video programming. They joined Apple from Sony Pictures Television.
