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

Friday September 27, 2019 2:13 pm PDT by Juli Clover
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 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."

Tags: Apple TV Shows, Apple TV Plus Guide
[ 35 comments ]

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masterleep
3 weeks ago
Given the complete and total neglect of Apple News+ after the launch, really struggling to believe in Apple TV+.
Rating: 17 Votes
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Justanotherfanboy
3 weeks 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?
Rating: 13 Votes
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Arndroid
3 weeks 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.
Rating: 8 Votes
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Rogifan
3 weeks 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.


Rating: 6 Votes
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kirk.vino
3 weeks 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.
Rating: 6 Votes
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DEXTERITY
3 weeks ago
Cant go wrong with a Sam Jackson movie
Rating: 5 Votes
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tjleonard
3 weeks ago


Given the complete and total neglect of Apple News+ after the launch, really struggling to believe in Apple TV+.


Apple News+ was mostly established and they already make a little on add revenue for non +...I think the comparison doesn’t exist.

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

Have to disagree here too...people said the same thing when they started pushing iTunes, the App Store, etc. I think sending them to theaters will slightly offset an investment. Will they be blockbusters and record setting? No...but people that go to the movies often could pick one of the movies to watch. Apple has invested quite a bit in this, so, I doubt it will fail.
Rating: 3 Votes
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uk1ee
3 weeks 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
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
HiRez
3 weeks ago


I still don’t get this service. Is this just exclusively Apple original movies and tv shows? Or will it be like Netflix with a ton over stuff also? I dont seem them talking about any of that.

At least for now, it looks like it will be exclusively Apple content. Which...yeah...looks a bit thin (and if they're trying to be all things to all people then probably at least 50%+ of the content is not of interest to any individual). I'll probably avoid for now and wait a while until more content comes in. But $5 is pretty reasonable if that stays and they get more content.
Rating: 2 Votes
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lsutigerfan1976
3 weeks ago
I still don’t get this service. Is this just exclusively Apple original movies and tv shows? Or will it be like Netflix with a ton over stuff also? I dont seem them talking about any of that.
Rating: 2 Votes

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