Apple’s Blockbuster Gamble: Was Spending $700 Million on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Argylle’ Worth It?
06.03.2024 - 19:35
/ variety.com
Tatiana Siegel When it comes to Apple’s Hollywood ambitions, it’s all about spending big to win big. On March 10, the tech giant has 13 shots to take home an Oscar via two historical epics, “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon,” which nabbed 10 and three nominations, respectively. That’s given Apple the second-biggest haul among the major studios and streamers, just behind Netflix’s 18 nods.
But at what price? Sources say the Martin Scorsese-helmed “Killers” cost an eye-popping $215 million (that includes about $40 million in Covid-related costs). In fact, Apple spent at least $700 million to make and market just three films: “Killers,” Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” and Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle.” The trio have earned a combined $466 million worldwide at the box office, with “Napoleon” leading the pack at $221 million, followed by “Killers” ($157 million) and “Argylle” ($88 million). Apple isn’t complaining, at least not about “Killers” or “Napoleon.” A studio source says both films are profitable, buoyed by ancillary revenue streams.
Both ranked among the 10 highest-grossing films of the past year on the Apple app store, with “Killers” holding the top spot for four weeks. It’s too early to tell how “Napoleon” is faring on Apple+ TV — it debuted March 1 — but “Killers” is off to a strong start as the most-viewed film on the platform over its first 45 days of release, driving new subscriptions in the process. Unlike streaming rival Netflix, Apple sees the value of releasing films theatrically to raise their profile.
“Killers” and “Napoleon” both enjoyed a 58% peak U.S. awareness score, according to NRG analytics, while “Argylle” had a 45% score. The company’s brain trust believes that making Apple TV+ the exclusive
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