Apple Sets Theatrical Release Dates for Apple TV+ Movies 'The Banker,' 'Hala,' and 'The Elephant Queen' - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Sets Theatrical Release Dates for Apple TV+ Movies 'The Banker,' 'Hala,' and 'The Elephant Queen'

Just hours after The Wall Street Journal said that Apple was perhaps planning to release some of its upcoming Apple TV+ movies in theaters, Apple has set release dates for several of the films.

According to Variety, "The Banker," "Hala," and "The Elephant Queen" will all be released in theaters before coming to ‌Apple TV‌+.

the elephant queen
"The Banker," starring Samuel L. Jackson and Mackie as real estate and finance moguls in the Jim Crow era, will be in theaters on December 6, coming to ‌Apple TV‌+ later in January.

"The Elephant Queen," which premiered in New York this week, will be in theaters on October 18 and will be available on ‌Apple TV‌+ in November.

"Hala," a movie about a Muslim girl reconciling her family traditions with modern life will be in theaters on November 22, coming to ‌Apple TV‌+ at some point in December.

‌Apple TV‌+ is set to launch on Friday, November 1. It will be available for $4.99 per month, but Apple is offering a free subscription to customers who purchase an ‌Apple TV‌, iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Along with the above listed movies, ‌Apple TV‌+ will also feature quite a few TV shows at launch, including "Dickinson," "For All Mankind," "Helpsters," "Ghostwriter," and "The Morning Show."

Popular Stories

New Apple TV Logo

Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:07 am PDT by
Starting today, the Apple TV streaming service is offering a new selection of "bonus" movies in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and some other countries. While competitors like Netflix offer an extensive catalog of movies from various studios, Apple TV primarily offers its own original films produced by Apple. Over the past few years, however, Apple has offered a "Great Movies Now on Apple TV"...
Apple exclusive F1 partner

F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos

Thursday October 22, 2026 6:35 am PDT by
Apple today announced that F1 races on the Apple TV streaming service will now be broadcast with Dolby Atmos spatial sound, starting with the 2026 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on October 23 to October 25. Apple's press release outlines everything F1 fans need to know about the U.S. Grand Prix and ways to follow along. Apple TV has been the exclusive home of F1 in the U.S. since March, as...
servant tv show

Apple's 'Servant' Copyright Lawsuit Win Upheld on Appeal

Saturday October 24, 2026 9:05 pm PDT by
Apple and M. Night Shyamalan have won an appeal in the copyright dispute over Apple TV series "Servant," with a federal appeals court upholding last year's jury verdict in their favor (via Reuters). In its October 22 decision, the Ninth Circuit rejected filmmaker Francesca Gregorini's arguments that problems with the jury instructions and an unanswered question from jurors warranted...

Top Rated Comments

93 months ago
Given the complete and total neglect of Apple News+ after the launch, really struggling to believe in Apple TV+.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justanotherfanboy Avatar
93 months ago

I don’t see very many people going to see the above in a theatre. Why would anyone pAy go see programmes/film which only appeal to a limited few. There just general IK programmes nothing special. Apple it’s wonderful you do all this arty farty stuff - but it won’t bring in revenue
Wth are you on about now????

Soooooo..... indie films only appeal to some, quit making them! Horror genre? Only appeals to some- axe them too! Not everyone likes romcoms- they’re cut! Spy films? Murder mysteries? Sci-fi? Stop making all those!
If your film doesn’t have the potential of reaching the same mass as Marvel films, why bother making them in the 1st place?

Does that fairly accurately sum up your opinion of this service & the industry, at large?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arndroid Avatar
93 months ago

Given the complete and total neglect of Apple News+ after the launch, really struggling to believe in Apple TV+.
They have already spent 6 billion plus dollars on it.

personally I am looking forward to it. News requires a lot of actions from third parties who supply all the content. This is very different.

I don’t see very many people going to see the above in a theatre. Why would anyone pAy go see programmes/film which only appeal to a limited few. There just general IK programmes nothing special. Apple it’s wonderful you do all this arty farty stuff - but it won’t bring in revenue
The main reason they will be in theaters is for awards consideration. Both Netflix and Amazon release some of their films in theaters first. Amazon has had a couple pretty good financial successes.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
93 months ago

Given the complete and total neglect of Apple News+ after the launch, really struggling to believe in Apple TV+.
These are the kind of ads I’m seeing in Apple News now. I refuse to pay for News+ because the service and app aren’t very good.


Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
93 months ago

I don’t see very many people going to see the above in a theatre. Why would anyone pAy go see programmes/film which only appeal to a limited few. There just general IK programmes nothing special. Apple it’s wonderful you do all this arty farty stuff - but it won’t bring in revenue
They don't care if you go or don't go. It's mostly done, so their movies will be eligible for the main awards at the beginning of next year. Theatrical run is a must for most of them. Also, there are plenty of movie subscription services now, such as AMC A-List Stubs. I already pay for that monthly, so I would not be paying anything extra for seeing these Apple-produced movies.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEXTERITY Avatar
93 months ago
Cant go wrong with a Sam Jackson movie
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
New MacBook Pro Offers Up to 16TB of Storage, Double Previous Limit
New MacBook Pro Offers Up to 16TB of Storage, Double Previous Limit
7 minutes ago
Apple's New Touchscreen MacBook Pro Costs Up to $14,549
Apple's New Touchscreen MacBook Pro Costs Up to $14,549
14 minutes ago
Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time
Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time
32 minutes ago
Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Now Available With 512GB RAM for $22,299
Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Now Available With 512GB RAM for $22,299
34 minutes ago
Illuminated Apple Logo Returns to MacBook Pro After 10 Years
Illuminated Apple Logo Returns to MacBook Pro After 10 Years
47 minutes ago
Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display
Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display
48 minutes ago
Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Pro and Tell' Launch Today
Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Pro and Tell' Launch Today
1 hour ago
South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules
South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules
2 hours ago
iOS 27.2 Adds Selfie-Based Age Verification
iOS 27.2 Adds Selfie-Based Age Verification
3 hours ago
Beats 360 Get First Price Drop Alongside Return of Record Low for AirPods 4
Beats 360 Get First Price Drop Alongside Return of Record Low for AirPods 4
4 hours ago
Apple Raises MacBook Neo's Starting Price to $649 on Education Store
Apple Raises MacBook Neo's Starting Price to $649 on Education Store
4 hours ago
MacBook Studio?
MacBook Studio?
4 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Teases Touchscreen MacBook Pro: 12 Final Rumors
Apple CEO John Ternus Teases Touchscreen MacBook Pro: 12 Final Rumors
5 hours ago
Touchscreen MacBook Pro's New Hinge Linked to iPhone Duo 2
Touchscreen MacBook Pro's New Hinge Linked to iPhone Duo 2
6 hours ago
macOS 27 Assets Hint at Dynamic Island for MacBook Pro
macOS 27 Assets Hint at Dynamic Island for MacBook Pro
7 hours ago
Touchscreen MacBook Pro to Debut Today With These 5 Features
Touchscreen MacBook Pro to Debut Today With These 5 Features
8 hours ago
Apple to Open Pre-Orders for Five New Products Today
Apple to Open Pre-Orders for Five New Products Today
8 hours ago
MacPaw Launches 'Eney' AI Assistant for Mac and iPhone
MacPaw Launches 'Eney' AI Assistant for Mac and iPhone
11 hours ago
Apple Shares New Apple Watch Survival Stories
Apple Shares New Apple Watch Survival Stories
19 hours ago
Apple Shares tvOS 27.2 Release Notes With List of New Features
Apple Shares tvOS 27.2 Release Notes With List of New Features
19 hours ago
OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Start at $2,899
OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Start at $2,899
20 hours ago
M6 iMac Sticks With Its Five-Year-Old Color Lineup
M6 iMac Sticks With Its Five-Year-Old Color Lineup
21 hours ago
ChatGPT Can Now Access Your iCloud Mail and Calendar
ChatGPT Can Now Access Your iCloud Mail and Calendar
22 hours ago
Best Buy Details Black Friday Plans With Early Deals Available on Halloween
Best Buy Details Black Friday Plans With Early Deals Available on Halloween
1 day ago
Apple Reportedly Plans to Release MacBook Neo 2 in First Half of 2027
Apple Reportedly Plans to Release MacBook Neo 2 in First Half of 2027
1 day ago
M5 vs. M6 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
M5 vs. M6 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
1 day ago
New iMac Available With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port on Power Adapter
New iMac Available With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port on Power Adapter
1 day ago
M4 vs. M6 iMac Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
M4 vs. M6 iMac Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
1 day ago
Apple Expected to Announce MacBook Pro With Touchscreen Tomorrow
Apple Expected to Announce MacBook Pro With Touchscreen Tomorrow
1 day ago
Banktivity Offers 30% Off First Year Subscriptions for MacRumors Readers
Banktivity Offers 30% Off First Year Subscriptions for MacRumors Readers
1 day ago