Apple Original Films and Nike Team for a multi-year first look at sports movies; Brad Weston’s wedging
EXCLUSIVE: Apple Original Films has entered into a first feature deal with Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment and Makeready, to develop and produce sports films.
The companies will team up to deliver a series of films intended to inspire the next generation of athletes and celebrate the power of sport. This comes at a time when streamers are leaning heavily into live sports rights and athletics-focused narrative and documentary content.
Brad Weston – Credit: AP
In the tie between two giant brands, Apple will fund and distribute the projects, and Nike’s dedicated production label, Waffle Iron’s Justin Biskin, will produce with Makeready’s Brad Weston and Collin Creighton. Weston helmed sports films, including Oscar-nominated The Fighter, when he was production helmer for Paramount Pictures. Under the direction of Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, two-year-old Apple Original Films just won its first Best Picture Oscar for CODA, and is squarely in the sport for its Emmy-winning series Ted Lasso. Apple is currently developing the untitled Formula 1 racing film that Brad Pitt will star in, directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton produces.
Apple TV+’s sports reach also includes the four-part Magic Johnson docuseries They Call Me Magic and Greatness Code, revealing what really drives the world’s greatest athletes to succeed starring Lindsey Vonn, Marcus Rashford, Russell Wilson, and more. There’s also The Dynasty docu from the New England Patriots, Brian Grazer & Ron Howard of Imagine, and NFL Films.
WME replaced Weston. Makeready has its global agreement with Endeavor Content. Nike’s Waffle Iron is replaced by Jae Goodman at the Observatory.
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