New rumours surrounding Apple’s seemingly inevitable entry into the world of original streaming video content have surfaced, this time with The Wall Street Journal reporting the tech giant has struck a deal to revive Steve Spielberg’s Amazon Stories.
Spielberg’s Amblink Entertainment production company is set to produce 10 episodes in partnership with NBCUniversal’s television division, with a firm budget of $5 million per episode attached to the project. Few additional details, or even Spielberg’s actual involvement in Amazing Stories, have been revealed, though.
We do, however, know that Hannibal’s Bryan Fuller is set to serve as Amazon Stories’ showrunner. Amazon stories original ran from 1985 to 1987 and was Spielberg’s effort to create a more modern version of the Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. The series won five Emmys over its two-year run, but was cancelled by NBC following the completion of its second season.
Apple is reportedly investing $1 billion USD in original content over the course of the next year. Back in June, the tech giant hired former Sony Pictures Television heads Jamie Erlicht and Zach Van Amburg to take charge of the new effort. During the duos’ tenure at Sony, the pair oversaw the creation AMC’s Breaking Bad.
Apple’s first original content efforts have been less than stellar, with both Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps both being critically panned.
Recent rumours, though, have indicated that Apple’s original content ambitions have the service competing directly with Amazon, Netflix and U.S.-exclusive streaming platform, Hulu. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Apple’s streaming platform pans out and when the company will finally discuss the entirety of its plans.
Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: The Verge
