Apple TV Plus has dibs on new Martin Scorsese films and TV shows – report

Apple has reportedly signed legendary Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese to a ‘first-look’ deal, giving Apple TV Plus first dibs on all film and TV projects from his production company.

According to a Deadline report, the deal is for multiple years and will cover projects produced and directed by Scorsese under his Sikelia Productions studio.

For insight into the quality Apple has snagged here, the production house was established in 2003 has yielded titles like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, Shutter Island, the Netflix-exclusive The Irishman, as well as TV series like Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl.

Scorsese, of course, is also the master behind timeless classics like Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, the Deer Hunter, Mean Streets, Casino, Raging Bull, and Gangs of New York.

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Apple will now get the pick of the bunch moving forward, which is an exceptional coup for the company as it looks to make Apple TV+ essential viewing in the battle with Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and HBO Max.

So far, the company’s biggest film as been the Tom Hanks World War II movie Greyhound, which hasn’t exactly been a hit with critics. Hanks himself said the release straight to Apple TV+ instead of cinemas was an “absolute heartbreak”

“I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there is a difference in picture and sound quality,” Hanks told The Guardian.

The deal with Scorsese comes after Apple agreed to produce the film Killers of the Flower Moon, which will star Scorsese mainstays Robert De Niro and Leonardo Di Caprio. The report says that will begin shooting in February and will also get a theatrical release from Paramount.

Apple also has arrangements with production companies run by Di Caprio, Ridley Scotty, Jennifer Davisson and Idris Elba. The firm has also done deals with Steven Spielberg to bring Amazing Stories to the small screen.