By Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Nearly six years after technology giant Apple made its Hollywood debut with the launch of Apple TV+, the iPhone maker is positioned for primetime glory at Sunday’s Emmy Awards.
Apple’s streaming service earned 81 Emmy nominations for 14 titles this year, the company’s strongest showing to date at the annual celebration of television excellence. Its science-fiction series “Severance” and Hollywood satire “The Studio” are frontrunners for best drama and best comedy, awards experts say.
The company known for its carefully cultivated image has taken chances on unconventional stories, trusted script writers and provided creative freedom, according to producers, writers and actors who have worked with Apple TV+.
Its approach has helped Apple attract A-list talent and elevated its reputation in Hollywood.
HOW APPLE TV+ LURES TOP TALENT
Actor Seth Rogen said one reason he brought “The Studio” to Apple TV+ was because of the latitude provided on another comedy of his, “Platonic.”
“I was really worried that maybe they’d be restrictive,” Rogen said. “And then there’s a scene in ‘Platonic’ where we snort cocaine and ketamine off of an iPhone.”
“We were allowed to do this!” Rogen said. “They were not as corporate overlord-y as maybe I was worried they were going to be.”
Apple TV+ launched in 2019 with a handful of original series including “The Morning Show,” Jennifer Aniston’s first TV foray since “Friends.” At the time, industry insiders criticized the company’s strategy of providing limited offerings without a collection of previously released shows.
Studio executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg stayed the course, building Apple TV+’s library of programming, one bespoke series at a time. The company achieved a milestone in 2021, when “Ted Lasso” became the first streaming series to win the best comedy Emmy.
Apple has increased spending on original programming to $4.9 billion this year, from $660 million in 2019, according to Ampere Analysis. That investment has helped Apple TV+ reach about 60 million subscribers, according to Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, who believes the service is likely breaking even. Apple TV+ does not disclose subscriber numbers or financial details.
Netflix, by contrast, spends roughly $17 billion and has more than 300 million subscribers.
INVESTING IN AWARD-WINNING CONTENT
Now, Apple TV+ is considered a top Hollywood destination, said Endeavor talent agency co-founder Rick Rosen.
“They’ve shown a lot of patience, and they’ve really built a very high-quality slate that’s gotten people’s attention,” Rosen said.
Ben Stiller, an executive producer and director of “Severance,” said no other studio wanted to make the mind-bending show about characters who undergo surgery to separate their work and personal memories.
Erlicht and Van Amburg, and programming head Matt Cherniss, “got the concept completely,” Stiller said.
“Severance” leads all series with 27 Emmy nominations.
“As a startup, they had a lot on the line,” Stiller said. “I found them to be very deferential to creatives, but also with smart thoughts.”
Jason Segel, star of best comedy nominee “Shrinking,” credited Apple executives with seeing the promise in a story about a therapist who tries to help others while often making bad choices for himself, such as taking drugs and entertaining sex workers while his daughter is upstairs.
“This is pretty dangerous territory for a feel-good comedy,” Segel said. “But right from the beginning there was trust, like these guys can pull this off.”
Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain said Apple TV+’s domestic programming director, Michelle Lee, reached out as the actress and her producing partner were pitching the upcoming thriller “The Savant,” about an undercover investigator who infiltrates online hate groups. Working with Apple was so positive, Chastain said, that she has two more projects with the streamer.
“All of the notes that were coming our way were really specific and moved the story forward,” she said.
TV ACHIEVEMENTS FOLLOW MOVIE SUCCESS
“Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan said he took his coming sci-fi series, “Pluribus,” to Apple TV+ in part because they made “a very generous offer” among multiple bidders.
Gilligan said other factors counted more than the dollar figure, which he declined to disclose. A major plus, he said, was the opportunity to reunite with Erlicht and Van Amburg, who led Sony Pictures Television when it produced “Breaking Bad” and spin-off “Better Call Saul.” He lauded Apple for supporting an ambitious show.
Recent TV achievements follow success for Apple’s original movies, which play in theaters before heading to Apple TV+. “Coda” won the best picture Oscar in 2022, and Brad Pitt racing drama “F1: The Movie” was a summer box-office hit.
Apple “understood that the movie had to be made in the right way,” said “F1” producer Jerry Bruckheimer, noting that meant filming during actual Formula 1 races and building a race car.
“They realized that the value of doing it in a very accurate way would be the best way to present this movie as something from Apple,” Bruckheimer said. “It’s really well designed and beautifully done.”
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco;Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)
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