Apple again bolsters video ambitions with 'Little America' anthology about immigrants and ...

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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Apple has signed another deal for video content, this time, an anthology series focusing on immigrants in the United States.




News of the deal with Apple broke on Deadline on Thursday afternoon. The series will be a half-hour anthology series chronicling the lives of recent immigrants to the United States.

The immigrants' stories in "Little America" will be culled from the real-life accounts from Epic Magazine. The source calls the stories selected for publication "a small, collective portrait of America's immigrants -- and thereby a portrait of America itself."

Kumail Nanjiani of "Silicon Valley" and wife Emily V. Gordon, both wrote "The Big Sick" and will partner again to write the show. Epic Magazine editors Joshuah Bearman and Joshua Davis will serve as executive producers. The show will be developed by studio Uni TV.

Gordon and Nanjiani's "The Big Sick" was the highest grossing indie film of 2017. It also garnered a WGA Award nomination, and an Oscar nomination.

In 2017, Apple also reportedly provided a blank check to Drake for his own shows and movies, and signed a deal with "Star Trek" and "Battlestar Galactica" reboot alum Ronald D. Moore for a new space drama. It is also reportedly paying $5 million per episode on a ten-episode season of "Amazing Stories," a revival of the Amblin Television and NBCUniversal science fiction anthology.

Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine studio is linked to three projects tied to Apple. The first show is as of yet untitled, but features Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston in a drama based on morning show production.

The second show is development of Nichelle Tramble Spellman's "Are You Sleeping," with the "Serial" podcast creator onboard in an advisory role, and Octavia Spencer starring. The third is a sketch comedy show starring Kristen Wiig.

More recently, Apple signed a deal with "La La Land" writer and director Damien Chazelle.

These are all thought to be part of a broader $1 billion investment in original programming, which is considerable but still a lower investment than those of its competitors, such as Netflix's reported $7 billion on original content for 2018.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    Apple should send people to film festivals and throw money around.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    rwx9901rwx9901 Posts: 100member
    Oh stop.
    airnerdtallest skil
  • Reply 3 of 12
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    If you can't see your post, take a minute to read our Commenting Guidelines, as always, conveniently posted at the bottom of every forum page.

    Specifically, the part about not turning threads into political grandstands for no reason.
    edited February 2018 lolliver
  • Reply 4 of 12
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    I'm interested to see how this Immigrant show is formatted, will it be single episodes for a story or a season to a story then another story later.  Could be very positive if done right, show the hardships and benefits and a "walk a mile in their shoes" experience.  

    What I hope it doesn't become is a preachy, political topic that is divisive.  
  • Reply 5 of 12
    Fucking hell, no.

    airnerd said:
    What I hope it doesn't become is a preachy, political topic that is divisive.  
    SoCal company’s making it. What do you imagine will happen?  :D
    edited February 2018 airnerd
  • Reply 6 of 12
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    This thread will be likely be getting shutdown.
  • Reply 7 of 12
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    Soli said:
    This thread will be likely be getting shutdown.
    It's okay so far, minus the one I deleted.

    I have faith that the forum won't disappoint me. You all will behave, right?
    lolliver
  • Reply 8 of 12
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,125member
    I like this - there could be a real diversity of stories. Heck, they could go back and cover some of the recent discoveries on when/where first nations peoples first arrived, how they moved around North and South America and more.

    (2/3 of my grandparents came through the US).
  • Reply 9 of 12
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    airnerd said:
    What I hope it doesn't become is a preachy, political topic that is divisive.  
    Sadly, in the xenophobic climate of this country, by the subject matter alone, it is already divisive and will give the xenophobes more fodder for their hate. Let’s hope Apple does a good job.
    Soli
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Apple is getting political again.

    Legal immigration is great. Illegal migration is something most people can agree is ultimately harmful and no country allows it.
    edited February 2018 airnerd
  • Reply 11 of 12
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    Apple is getting political again.

    Legal immigration is great. Illegal migration is something most people can agree is ultimately harmful and no country allows it.
    Will they truly be honest and have a story drawing inspiration from the car of Edwin Jackson killed by multiply deported Manuel Orrego-Savala?

    Or the case of young, innocent Arab-American 
    Nabra Hassanen, 17, bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by illegal immigrant Dreamer Darwin Martinez Torres for being Muslim.

    How about something that will be wildly popular like "NCIS:Mars" a drama following a team of Criminal Investigators based on the Elon Musk Interplanetary Navel Station.

    airnerd
  • Reply 12 of 12
    Will we have an episode on good ol' Satya and Sundar?
    SpamSandwichicoco3
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