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 Earns Record 87 Emmy Nominations for 2026, Led by 'Pluribus' and 'Widow's Bay'

Wednesday July 8, 2026 10:37 am PDT by
Apple earned its highest number of Emmy nominations to date in 2026, with popular shows like Pluribus, Margo's Got Money Troubles, Widow's Bay, Shrinking, and Slow Horses earning the most nominations. New series Widow's Bay received 19 nominations, while Pluribus was second with 18 nominations. The five most highly nominated shows are up for best series in their respective categories, and...
New Apple TV Logo

Apple TV Taking Over Comic-Con's Hall H for the First Time With Widow's Bay, Silo and More

Thursday July 9, 2026 4:05 pm PDT by
Apple TV is taking over Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con for the first time, according to Deadline. Apple is holding a two-hour panel on July 25 featuring stars from Widow's Bay, Matchbox The Movie, Mayday, Dark Matter, and Silo. Hall H is known for some of the biggest Comic-Con panels and events, and Saturday draws the largest crowds. Apple's event will come before a major Marvel Studios...
The Morning Show Hero

'The Morning Show' Returning to Apple TV for a Final Season Next Year

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:32 am PDT by
Apple today announced that "The Morning Show" will return to Apple TV for a fifth and final season at some point in 2027. "The Morning Show" was one of the first shows available on Apple TV when the streaming service launched in 2019, with an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Duplass, and others set to return for the final season of the workplace-oriented...

Top Rated Comments

89 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
89 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
89 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
89 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)
89 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
89 months ago
Cant go wrong with a Sam Jackson movie
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)