High-octane action movie auteur Justin Lin is leaving Sony to make TV shows for the Apple streaming platform.
There appears to be no stopping Apple from snapping up top talent for its upcoming streaming service. The Apple TV streaming service, which will also be available on iPhone and iPad, plans to have original TV shows and feature films. To compete with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, it will have to produce excellent TV shows and movies. Signing Director Justin Lin will help.
Justin Lin and the Apple Streaming Service
You likely know Justin Lin from his work on the Fast and Furious franchise. He directed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and will helm Fast & Furious 9 which is currently in pre-production. He’s also in line to direct Hot Wheels, which makes perfect sense given his resume that’s full of high-octane action movies.
While the Fast and Furious franchise may be what Justin Lin is best known for, he also directed Star Trek: Beyond as well as episodes of “Scorpion,” “True Detective,” “S.W.A.T.,” and “Magnum P.I.” His TV work is done under his own production company, Perfect Storm Entertainment. And that’s what Apple wants for its streaming service — TV shows from Justin Lin and team.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Perfect Storm Entertainment has signed an exclusive multiyear overall television deal with Apple. Justin Lin previously worked with Sony, but will now be exclusively at Apple for TV projects that have “a global perspective.”
Justin Lin is one of many high-profile entertainment professionals to sign on to make content for Apple’s streaming service, reportedly set to launch in March 2019 (maybe sooner).
Apple's High-Profile Talent
In June 2018, Oprah Winfrey signed a multiyear content partnership with Apple that will involve the two making original content for the streaming service. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Winfrey’s Apple-produced content, through Harpo Films, will include film, TV, applications, books, and more that can be made available to Apple subscribers.
But, Apple won’t own the content, Harpo Films will remain the sole owner. It’s also nonexclusive since Winfrey is going to remain chairman and CEO of cable network OWN.
Then there’s Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell in the as-yet-untitled morning show drama for Apple. The original series was picked up for two seasons and will use Brian Stelter’s book “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV” as source material.
Apple’s streaming service will also feature new Peanuts content aimed at children (and adults who are fond of Charlie Brown and Snoopy).
Plus, A24 (Lady Bird, Hereditary) will produce original films for Apple’s streaming service.
Apple clearly wants to compete with Netflix and is putting the money out there it needs to — as much as $4.2 billion by 2022 on original programming — in order to grab talent that makes the Apple TV streaming service worth a subscription. It may also improve sales for iPhones and iPads, not that it’s really a concern.
