Apple has inked a new overall deal with Skydance Animation today that will bring feature films and TV shows to Apple TV+. As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, the new deal comes after reports surfaced suggesting Apple’s talks with Skydance Animation last year.
The multi-year agreement will see Apple Original Films debut the animated movies Luck and Spellbound. These two movies were first set up at Paramount through a deal that allowed Skydance to “move the films around” at its discretion. Both films were initially slated to hit theaters in 2022, and a theatrical release is still likely to occur before they come to Apple TV+.
The Hollywood Reporter describes the two films:
Spellbound as an animated musical follows a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two, and is directed by Vicky Jenson and written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Linda Woolverton. The original score for the film is by Oscar-winner Alan Menken, with lyrics by Glenn Slater.
Luck, directed by Peggy Holmes and written by Kiel Murray, centers around the unluckiest girl in the world, who after stumbling upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Apple has also given a two-season order to The Search for WondLa series from Skydance Animation.
And The Search for WondLa is an original animated TV series based on the book series by Tony DiTerlizzi. The Apple Original series will be written and executive produced by showrunner Lauren Montgomery, with Chad Quant, DiTerlizzi, and Gotham Group also serving as executive producers.
Apple’s deal with Skydance Animation is likely to be somewhat controversial because John Lasseter serves as the company’s head of animation and produced both of the aforementioned films. Lasseter had a long career at Disney and Pixar, working on films such as Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Cars, but he left the company in 2018 after being accused of sexual harassment.
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