The latest news on the Apple TV + are quite mixed: while one of the most anticipated documentaries on the platform has been canceled – after “creative differences” by the producers, which include none other than the presenter Oprah Winfrey -, another service title was acclaimed during the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, resulting in the service’s first major victory in an award.
Check out the latest events below.
Oprah documentary canceled
At the beginning of last December, we informed that the presenter Oprah Winfrey had closed another creative agreement with Apple: a documentary focused on cases of sexual harassment and violence in the music industry.
Like every Apple project, only the initial information about production, theme and team was released – what we didn’t know, however, was that behind the camera things were not going well, as reported by Hollywood Reporter.
In an interview for the website, Oprah stated that she is no longer an executive producer of the documentary and that he will not be available on Apple TV +. The presenter added that there is “more work to be done” and that the production is not ready to debut in the Sundance Film Festival, as expected.
First, I want you to know that I believe and unequivocally support women [vĂtimas de abuso/assĂ©dio]. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to clarify the whole scope than the victims suffered, and it became clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned with this creative vision.
The documentary was created by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who have worked on several other similar projects, including «The Hunting Ground», in which they expose cases of harassment in universities and “The Bleeding Edge”, which takes place in the health device industry.
Billy Crudup awarded at Critics’ Choice Movie Awards
Billy Crudup in «The Morning Show»
After the (unforgettable) defeat at the Golden Globe, finally one of the Apple productions received the recognition it deserved – I speak, of course, of «The Morning Show», one of the company’s big bets for the awards season.
More precisely, the actor Billy Crudup won the award for Best Supporting Actor of Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for his performance as Cory Ellison in the drama. This also marks the first victory for Apple TV + in a major award.
«The Morning Show» was released with Apple TV +, on November 1, and was widely criticized at the beginning. However, the public’s response was extremely positive as the drama unfolded. The second season of the series is in development and is set to debut later this year.
Interview with producer «The Morning Show»
Many do not know him, but the series «The Morning Show» only arrived on Apple TV + thanks to the producer Michael Ellenberg. The producer told the story behind the creation of the series in an interview for Variety.
Ellenberg was one of the first producers to close a multi-season contract with Apple, and that happened after a happy coincidence involving the creation of his production company Media Res, in 2016. That year, the producer left HBO and decided to leave for the new venture, when he met the Apple TV + bosses, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht.
The ideas hit right away and soon Media Res was producing «The Morning Show» for Apple – currently, the company is responsible for two other productions of the service: «Pachinko» and a drama series starring Brie Larson.
The actress Jennifer Anniston (who plays co-star Alex Levy) praised Ellenberg’s energy and pursuit of excellence after working with him on the series:
Michael is one of those people who are energized by what he does and the stories he wants to tell, and the energy he brings to the production process is infectious. Michael’s quest for excellence, combined with his creative instincts and collaborative spirit, makes him a great producer.
You can check out the full interview here.
via MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Cult of Mac
