According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has “made overtures to cinema chains and consulted with an entertainment executive” as it considers following a traditional theatrical release plan that would keep its films in theaters for weeks before availability on Apple TV+, the company’s upcoming streaming service.
The reason? To make its original movies available for Academy Award consideration. To qualify, films require a theatrical run for consideration.
Apple TV+ is set to debut Nov. 1. It will cost $4.99 per month, but you can get a free year’s subscription with the purchase of a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
Speaking of the streaming service, according to Variety, Apple TV+ and Disney+ may struggle to meet some requirements for European markets. Among them: such service’s catalogs must offer at least 30% European content by the end of 2020.
Variety says it’s still unclear how that 30% will be assessed — according to number of hours or number of titles — but officials are expected to clarify the issue by the end of this year.
