Apple TV+ to release 'CODA,' its prize Sundance acquisition, August 13

AppleInsider

"CODA," which Apple grabbed at the Sundance Film Festival for a reported $25 million, will head to Apple TV+ in August, with a theatrical release the same day.

CODA, the Apple TV+ acquisition that is coming in August.

Back in January, Apple made a big splash at the (virtual) 2021 Sundance Film Festival, grabbing the rights to the award-winning dramatic film "CODA." The Hollywood press reported the film's acquisition price at $25 million -- although Apple has never confirmed that figure -- which would be a record for Sundance acquisitions.

Now, Apple has announced the release date for "CODA." The film will debut on Apple TV+, with a theatrical release taking place simultaneously, on August 13. At Sundance, "CODA" won several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize, the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award.

The film, set in a fishing village in Massachusetts, tells the story of Ruby (Emilia Jones), the lone hearing member of a family in which her parents (Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin) and brother (Daniel Durant) are all deaf. The title "Coda" stands for "child of deaf adults," and is also a reference to Ruby's musical ambitions. Eugenio Derbez plays a choirmaster who encourages Ruby's singing.

The film was directed by Sian Heder, who also worked on the Apple TV+ series Little America, and it was adapted from a 2014 French film called La Famille Belier.

dewme

Not wanting to sound like a curmudgeon ... but there is a part of me that wishes Apple would spin off all of its media production stuff into a separate company, like Apple Media Group, Steve Jobs Studios, or something. The cognitive slew rate between thinking about M1 chips and XDR displays and movie production and licensing stuff like this is rather jarring. Apple is starting to look and feel more like a conglomerate, which in my mind trends a corporation towards behaviors that are the polar opposite of agile, edgy, and thinking different. Just my $0.02.

edited April 2021

ppietra

dewme said:

Not wanting to sound like a curmudgeon ... but there is a part of me that wishes Apple would spin off all of its media production stuff into a separate company, like Apple Media Group, Steve Jobs Studios, or something. The cognitive slew rate between thinking about M1 chips and XDR displays and movie production and licensing stuff like this is rather jarring. Apple is starting to look and feel more like a conglomerate, which in my mind trends a corporation towards behaviors that are the polar opposite of agile, edgy, and thinking different. Just my $0.02.

I would also say that Apple is stretching Apple’s brand too much... Nowadays almost any new thing gets Apple in the name!!! Just look at Apple Music... I bet that if it had kept the Beats brand, it would be far more successful on other platforms.
People will start to get tired of so much "Apple"

entropys

I think so too. The worst of things like Apple Music and particularly Apple TV+ is that it is Apple competing with its traditional customers. Apple makes the products the best creators create stuff on. The creators shouldn’t have to be looking over their shoulder at what Apple might be doing.  

beats

ppietra said:

dewme said:

Not wanting to sound like a curmudgeon ... but there is a part of me that wishes Apple would spin off all of its media production stuff into a separate company, like Apple Media Group, Steve Jobs Studios, or something. The cognitive slew rate between thinking about M1 chips and XDR displays and movie production and licensing stuff like this is rather jarring. Apple is starting to look and feel more like a conglomerate, which in my mind trends a corporation towards behaviors that are the polar opposite of agile, edgy, and thinking different. Just my $0.02.

I would also say that Apple is stretching Apple’s brand too much... Nowadays almost any new thing gets Apple in the name!!! Just look at Apple Music... I bet that if it had kept the Beats brand, it would be far more successful on other platforms.
People will start to get tired of so much "Apple"

Apple Music 1 is a terrible name. It was so much cooler and made much more sense as Beats 1.

They could have made additional stations with the “Apple” brand and left Beats alone. 

tmay

entropys said:

I think so too. The worst of things like Apple Music and particularly Apple TV+ is that it is Apple competing with its traditional customers. Apple makes the products the best creators create stuff on. The creators shouldn’t have to be looking over their shoulder at what Apple might be doing.  

Yeah, about that.

Netflix, Amazon, et al, are no different that Apple when it comes to acquiring content, and in fact, are the very competition that you are speaking of, not the actual content creators. Given that Apple TV+ has already been acknowledged for its quality on multiple occasions, I'd expect that actual content creators, production companies, and Studios, are more than happy to work with Apple.