Do you remember how filmmaker Doug Liman had a falling out with Amazon earlier this year over his Road House remake? Streaming titles instead of in the cinema brought out? This incident now has a sequel – with Wolf director Jon Watts and Apple.
The thriller with Brad Pitt and George Clooney was actually supposed to get a sequel. As Deadline reports, the filmmaker has now explained in detail why this isn’t happening. Even though it is Apple TV+’s most successful film.
Wolfes director canceled thriller sequel after feeling betrayed by Apple
Filmmaker Watts describes how his feature film was converted into a streaming title without being asked. Dune director Denis Villeneuve wasn’t kidding when his sci-fi film was offered as a stream early in 2021.
I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs earlier this year. They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last-minute switch from a promised theatrical release to a streaming release was a complete surprise and came without any explanation or discussion.
Getting the green light for a sequel is the ultimate dream for many filmmakers. Watts, on the other hand, withdrew almost silently from the arrangement, his account of the events continues:
I was only told about it less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not publish the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to put a positive spin on their move to streaming. And so I gave the money back silentlywhich they had given me for the sequel. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate unnecessary negative press.
However, he had nothing to complain about with his stars, Watts concludes.
I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would love to do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolf sequel, I did because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner. In Wolfs, Clooney and Pitt play two so-called fixers who solve delicate situations in often not entirely legal ways. Both have to help a New York celebrity and work together, which is a completely new experience for the lone wolves.
The film can also be streamed in Germany at – you guessed it – Apple TV+.