Apple’s moving one step closer to taking on Netflix, Amazon in original TV content.
The company has signed a deal to stream an “epic, world-building drama” called See, entertainment news site Deadline is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the agreement. The series, which will likely have eight episodes in its first season, will be directed by Francis Lawrence, the well-known director of films The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2.
Apple has been investing heavily in original series recently in hopes of building a streaming-video service that could rival competitors like Netflix and Hulu. Apple now has a worldwide programming division and has approved a variety of shows, including a drama that will be executive produced by and starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, according to Deadline. Apple has also optioned a space drama called Home, and an Amazing Stories anthology from Steven Spielberg, according to the report.
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For its part, Apple hasn’t divulged much about its television ambitions and has instead been quietly buying rights to content. Apple is believed to have allocated more than $1 billion last year to acquire new content.
According to the report, See will be set in the future. Actors have yet to be chosen for roles and it’s unknown when the series will premiere.
