Double Oscar-winning actors star in Apple's first blockbuster film, created with a huge investment!

Apple CEO Tim Cook may not have the theatrical talent on stage like his predecessor Steve Jobs, but after leading Apple for 12 years, this Alabama native with a southern accent has become a Hollywood heavyweight.

This weekend, Apple will release the western crime drama film "Killers of the Flower Moon," directed and produced by renowned director Martin Scorsese. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro and has a runtime of three and a half hours. Cook himself recently attended the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival to show his support. A senior entertainment executive said, "Cook's attendance at the Cannes Film Festival and the release of the film itself is a big deal, so I think Apple is definitely deeply fascinated by the film industry."

Before landing on Apple TV+ platform, the film will be screened in over 3,600 theaters across the United States and in an additional 63 regions worldwide for 45 days. This strategy of releasing in theaters first and then on the platform is clearly a rejection of the direct online release approach taken by another streaming giant, Netflix.

After that, Apple will also release the biographical film "Napoleon" directed by Ridley Scott at the end of November, and next year, the spy thriller film "Argylle" directed by Matthew Vaughn. In addition to "Killers of the Flower Moon," the budgets for these three films are expected to be close to or exceed $200 million each, not including post-production and marketing expenses. For traditional Hollywood studios, unless it's a big production like a superhero or Star Wars film, it would be difficult to come up with so much money.

Why is Apple investing heavily in the traditional film industry? This is currently a hot topic in Hollywood. Many industry insiders believe that Apple is building an image of being eager to work with top Hollywood stars to attract them to join their films. Some also believe that Apple's move is aimed at strengthening its position in the streaming industry, while others say that theatrical release is the best way to sell movies.

An entertainment executive said, "Apple hopes to prove with global distribution that the company has made high-quality films. Although the films may not necessarily make a profit through theatrical release, they should perform well when released on Apple TV+ and have a chance to compete for next year's Oscars. Apple is sending a message to Hollywood that 'we want to collaborate with the best directors and actors,' so this investment is worth it."

Cook has expressed this expectation before. Last year, Cook beat Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Netflix's Ted Sarandos, making Apple TV+'s original drama film "CODA" the first streaming original production to win the Best Picture Oscar. However, Apple acquired the film for $22 million at the Sundance Film Festival, so Apple's next step should be to release original films and win Oscars. Some Hollywood executives are worried that Apple's lack of budget constraints will cause problems for financially strained Hollywood studios. One executive said, "The cost of making movies for Apple is something that traditional production companies simply cannot match. So, Apple's actions have indeed hurt the overall economic model of the film industry because the cost of everything has increased."

However, theater operators welcome this move. Previously, Netflix's practice of only releasing films in a small number of theaters to qualify for awards had already caused dissatisfaction in the theater industry. But Apple's willingness to release films on a large scale in theaters has given theater operators a sense of revenge. A theater executive in the UK said, "All evidence shows that if a film can have an exclusive theatrical release for a period of time, its subsequent streaming platform revenue will be better, which is not a zero-sum game for everyone. This will create buzz, and people who have already seen the film in theaters will discuss it, generating a halo effect for promotion."

Among other streaming giants, Netflix is the only company that refuses to leave a theatrical window before launching on its platform. This executive said that he has already spent too much effort trying to convince Netflix to change its mind.

Moreover, Apple is not just entering the big screen, the company is also collaborating with Hollywood studios to promote three upcoming films. For "Killers of the Flower Moon," Apple is partnering with Paramount, which owns the rights to the film's original novel but is unwilling to bear the production costs. Specifically, Apple is responsible for funding the production and marketing, while Paramount is responsible for distribution channels. For "Napoleon," Apple is collaborating with Sony, which has a long-standing relationship with the film's executive producer and director, Ridley Scott. The partner for "Argylle: The Mysterious Agent" is Universal Pictures.

Bringing more subscribers to streaming platforms is certainly Cook's goal, but Niels Juul, the executive producer of "Killers of the Flower Moon," revealed that he had a conversation with Cook at the Cannes Film Festival, and Cook said that his goal is not limited to this. "Cook has a deep understanding of the role of cinema viewing in our society and he is genuinely interested in the cultural influence of output."