Pitt & Clooney’s New Movie Had Its Theatrical Run Slashed By Apple, Now The Director Responds

Director Jon Watts has responded to Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s upcoming action comedy movie Wolfs having its planned theatrical run slashed by Apple. The upcoming film stars the pair as two fixers who are forced to work together on the same job, only to realize it’s a much larger case than they previously thought. Despite originally being planned for a theatrical release, Apple nixed Wolfs‘ theatrical release in favor of an Apple TV+ debut. While the movie will play in select theaters on September 20, it will end up streaming on September 27.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Watts responded to Apple’s decision for Wolfs to go directly to streaming, despite initial plans for the Pitt and Clooney movie’s wider theatrical release. The director explained how, despite the change, the movie was still made with a theatrical experience in mind, encouraging viewers to see it on the big screen if they’re able to. Check out what Watts had to say below:

When we initially made the deal, when I was pitching it to everyone, that was before the last Spider-Man came out. So that was when the entire existential future of theatrical movie going was still up in the air. From that point on, the theatrical experience has really made an impression on me, of how valuable this thing is and how important it is. I always thought of this as a theatrical movie. We made it to be seen in theaters, and I think that’s the best way to see it. It’s funny. It’s filled with twists and turns. I tried to do some interesting things visually and I still think that the best way to see it is in theaters.

You want the movie to be seen, and if you maximize the way that people are able to actually see a movie, I think that is good—I watched so many movies that really influenced me on VHS because I grew up in a small town in Colorado, so we just didn’t have those movies in the theaters. But for me, the theatrical experience is still the number one. It’s up to the people that are able to make those decisions to put them in theaters for people to see, and just have the confidence that people will go see them. People want to go to the movies. People love the movies.

Why Wolfs Getting A Limited Theatrical Release Is Disappointing

The Movie May Have Succeeded With A Wider Release

Earlier in August, it was revealed Apple had made the last-minute decision to alter Wolfs‘ planned theatrical release, instead opting for a limited release despite prior promises of a full theatrical debut. This means the movie will only be in select theaters for a week, aside from its screening on September 1 at the Venice Film Festival. Even though the movie will be reuniting Pitt and Clooney over two decades after the success of the Ocean’s trilogy, it seems Apple believes the film will perform better at home than on the big screen.

While the movie’s lack of a wider release is disappointing, especially given Watts’ vision while filming, it’s unsurprising due to the lack of success for Apple theatrical releases over the last year. Since October 2023, Apple has released four feature films in theaters, all of them failing to make their money back at the box office. This includes Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, and Argylle, as well as the current theatrical release of Fly Me to the Moon, which made $40.6 million against a $100 million after a month of being in theaters.

Despite these box office failures, though, Wolfs may have had a higher chance at success because of the familiar pairing of Pitt and Clooney, alongside the pull of Watts’ previous work on the MCU’s Spider-Man movies. However, since the movie was made with a theatrical experience in mind, it may still translate to a fun experience at home, regardless of the new release circumstances. Although it’s unfortunate the movie won’t be arriving in theaters, Apple likely doesn’t want to risk another box office bomb, even if this movie has a particular draw because of its leads.

Source: Vanity Fair