Apple Cancels Elvis Presley Biopic, Scores Steven Spielberg Partnership for 'Amazing Stories'
Apple won't pursue the Elvis Presley biopic series supposedly for its streaming platform. The company, however, will reboot the '80s show "Amazing Stories" with Steven Spielberg.
Apple dropped the Presley biopic following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Apple and The Weinstein Company (TWC) were in the middle of forging a deal when the sexual assault allegations against the former TWC chairman broke.
In 2016, TWC secured the rights from Presley's estate for the 10-episode TV biopic based on a book that Dave Marsh wrote. Apple originally wanted the series, along with a Prince and a Michael Jackson biopic, in its bid to boost its Apple Music service with original content.
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TWC, however, has been carefully cleaning up after the scandal of its ex-chairman and any project he executive produced will still proceed as planned. Apple deemed it would be best to cancel the project altogether since the Presley biopic development was still in its early stages.
Meanwhile, Apple scored a new deal with Steven Spielberg, Bryan Fuller and NBCUniversal in reviving "Amazing Stories" for 10 episodes. The series originally aired from 1985 to 1987 on the peacock network.
"We love being at the forefront of Apple's investment in scripted programming," NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke stated. "We can't think of a better property than Spielberg's beloved 'Amazing Stories' franchise with the genius of Bryan Fuller at the helm and more exciting creative partnerships to come."
No further details were announced as to when "Amazing Stories" will stream on Apple's platform. The show, however, will be the very first scripted series on its site. So far, Apple debuted two non-scripted shows, "Carpool Karaoke" and "Planet of the Apps."
Apple announced in August that it will pour one billion in producing shows and movies for Apple Music. The company is also bidding for the Jennifer Aniston-Reese Witherspoon series and the spinoff to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" called "Ratched" against heavyweights like Netflix and HBO.
