Apple Shares Trailer for 'Boys State' Documentary Coming to Apple TV+ on August 14

Apple today shared the trailer for "Boys State," a political documentary that's set to be released in a limited number of theaters on July 1 and on Apple TV+ on Friday, August 14.


"Boys State" covers a week-long annual program where 1,100 17-year-old teenage boys in Texas participate in a mock exercise to build their own state government.

The sensational winner of the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Boys State is a wildly entertaining and continually revealing immersion into a week-long annual program in which a thousand Texas high school seniors gather for an elaborate mock exercise: building their own state government.

Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine closely track the escalating tensions that arise within a particularly riveting gubernatorial race, training their cameras on unforgettable teenagers like Ben, a Reagan-loving arch-conservative who brims with confidence despite personal setbacks, and Steven, a progressive-minded child of Mexican immigrants who stands by his convictions amidst the sea of red. In the process, they have created a complex portrait of contemporary American masculinity, as well as a microcosm of our often dispiriting national political divisions that nevertheless manages to plant seeds of hope.

"Boys State," which Apple purchased earlier this year for $10 million, won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is one of the executive producers on the film.

In other ‌Apple TV‌+ news, Apple signed an overall deal with "Defending Jacob" creator, executive producer, and showrunner Mark Bomback, which will see him producing new projects for ‌Apple TV‌+.

"Defending Jacob" is said to be among one of the most popular shows on ‌Apple TV‌+. Bomback previously worked on projects like "War for the Planet of the Apes," "Live Free or Die Hard," and "The Wolverine."

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Leaks Reveal What Apple Products Are Coming Next

Friday October 3, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks about the next-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Vision Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, an apparent unboxing video of an updated iPad Pro with the M5 chip was shared online. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Adds These 200 New Features and Changes to Your iPhone

Saturday October 4, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
Apple's website offers a list of nearly 200 new features and changes (PDF file) included in the software update, released last month. Apple also shared equivalent lists for iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on General, and tap on Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight ...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...

Top Rated Comments

erniefairchild1 Avatar
69 months ago

Sometimes it feels like all that's on ATV+ is documentaries.
Facts don’t care about your feelings, as a wise young man is known to often say.

There are far more scripted productions than documentaries on Apple TV+.

I really enjoyed the Elephant Queen, though! Well done, and moving.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imola.zhp Avatar
69 months ago
I went to Boy's State in Oklahoma. It was quite an interesting week in the late 90's.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ar40 Avatar
69 months ago

Sometimes it feels like all that's on ATV+ is documentaries.
That's funny, because if you look through the content list the documentaries are absolutely dwarfed by the fictional drama and comedy.


Facts don’t care about your feelings, as a wise young man is known to often say.

There are far more scripted productions than documentaries on Apple TV+.

I really enjoyed the Elephant Queen, though! Well done, and moving.
Okay, this is epic. Can I give you 1,000 upvotes for this post please?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
69 months ago

there are currently only 2 documentaries on apple tv+
Beastie boys? Dads? Elephants? Visible? Home? Dear? the oprah thing?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
69 months ago
Sometimes it feels like all that's on ATV+ is documentaries.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supremedesigner Avatar
69 months ago
Boring! I want more action shows, not documentaries. I got free Apple TV+ for a year so it better be worth it
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)