Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s Wolfs director reveals he cancelled sequel as he no longer ‘trusted’ Apple
As a seasoned film critic who has seen my fair share of cinematic masterpieces and disasters alike, I must say that the latest venture by Apple Television+, “The Brothers,” seems to have missed its mark. Having followed the career of Jon Watts from his humble beginnings in independent filmmaking to his meteoric rise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had high hopes for this project. However, it appears that the success of Spider-Man may have gone to Watts’ head, resulting in a half-baked script with little humor or heart.
The head of Wolves has shared his thoughts on why it’s unlikely that Brad Pitt and George Clooney will team up again for a follow-up to the successful Apple TV+ movie, in the near future.
Jon Watts disclosed that the choice to cancel the highly anticipated sequel, a blockbuster viewed more than any other movie on the streaming service, was his own—not Apple’s.
In simple terms, Watts admitted to Deadline on Saturday that it was his decision, not Apple’s, to halt the Wolves sequel production. He explained that he lost faith in Apple as a collaborative partner for creative purposes.
According to Watts, the story unfolds when Apple suddenly altered the film’s release plan. Instead of a wide theatrical debut, they opted for a restricted showing initially, and then swiftly transferred the $200M movie to streaming—a move that Watts referred to as an ‘entirely unexpected twist.’
He expressed his surprise and requested them not to reveal that he was working on a sequel. However, they disregarded his plea and included the news in their press release, apparently as a tactic to present a favorable image of their shift towards streaming.
Discouraged by the circumstances, Watts chose to “calmly refund the funds” that Apple had provided him for the sequel.
He mentioned that he had chosen not to discuss the topic, as he was very proud of the movie and didn’t wish to create any unwarranted negative publicity.
“Working alongside Brad, George, Amy, Austin, Poorna, and Zlatko was an enjoyable experience, and I’d jump at the chance to do it again. However, contrary to rumors, Apple didn’t scrap the Wolfs sequel; I made that decision myself due to my loss of trust in them as a creative collaborator.
Just three short months ago, I was thrilled to learn that my movie had been picked up for a sequel – an unexpected development that occurred mere weeks before it graced the big screen at the esteemed 81st Venice International Film Festival. What a whirlwind journey!
In August, it became known through THR that Wolf’s director and screenwriter, Watts, secured a fresh agreement with Apple to direct the sequel of an upcoming action-comedy.
In the meantime, I was delighted to learn directly that I’d be stepping back into my roles once more, as Deadline announced, for a future collaboration with both Pitt and Clooney.
In addition to the major unveiling, it’s been disclosed that the show “Wolfs” will debut on Apple TV+ on September 27th, after having a brief theatrical run of one week, which will be handled by Sony.
Originally, Wolfs was intended for a broad theatrical release prior to its premiere on Apple TV+. However, these plans have since been altered.
According to reports, Pitt and Clooney allegedly received a whopping $35 million apiece for their roles in the heist movie, and they demanded that it be shown in theaters.
However, creators at Apple initially changed their minds about the release strategy; consequently, the movie, rumored to have cost as much as $200 million in total production costs, will be screened exclusively in U.S. theaters for a single week.
In all other regions, it’s destined for streaming platforms, making it undoubtedly one of the costliest television films produced so far.
After a series of costly movies produced by the streaming service, such as Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Argylle, which failed to draw audiences in cinemas, Apple appears to have reconsidered its approach.
George Clooney refuted claims his earnings were $35 million, instead stating that the actual sum was significantly less, far under that reported figure.
But he added that it was a ‘bummer’ the way it had worked out.
He said: ‘We would have liked that, we wanted that, and Brad and I gave some of our salary back to do that. We have had some bumps along the way, and that happens.
While it’s certainly disappointing, there’s no denying that many people will still get to watch the movie as it’s being screened in several hundreds of theaters soon. It would have been preferable to secure a broader release, though.
He said that the economics of streaming are still being ‘figured out’ but added: ‘We are figuring it out. We need Apple and Amazon and they need Sony or Warners who have been doing it for 100 years.’
When the original buddy-cop movie was first released, it received harsh criticism from reviewers. They labeled it as a chaotic disaster, a one-star film, and an unbearably funny comedy.
In a different scenario, the wolves trail behind two former Ocean’s Eleven collaborators who reluctantly unite to tackle an issue stemming from a difficult district attorney discovering a deceased young adult, with whom she had shared a brief night of intimacy.
However, detractors argue that the movie, boasting an unprecedented budget for any streaming production, disappointingly lacks depth. IGN’s Siddhant Adlakha particularly harshly described it as resembling a polished student film made by a wealthy teenager who has been nourished on a media diet primarily consisting of early Guy Ritchie’s works.
Xan Brooks from The Guardian stated that it could be Jon Watts, the director who amassed wealth through Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man trilogy, who ends up being the one laughed at. This is because his work appears to have created a film that embodies the viral meme featuring two Spider-Men pointing at each other.
And The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin called the film ‘messy.’
As a die-hard George Clooney fan, I can’t help but feel a pang of concern when I hear he feels undervalued by Quentin Tarantino. If George continues to deliver performances as captivating as his recent roles, it won’t be long before Tarantino’s doubts about him being a true movie star are confirmed.
In a nutshell, Adlakha states that the issues with the movie shown at Venice on Sunday night appear quite often and from the start.
Critics argue that Watts may have relied heavily on the celebrity appeal of Clooney and Pitt to ensure the film’s success at the box office. They claim the plot was underdeveloped, and the script lacked both humor and emotional depth.
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2024-11-24 22:49