S Poddar
Wolfs director Jon Watts explains his decision to return money offered by Apple TV+ for a sequel to the Brad Pitt and George Clooney-leddy film. According to the director, his mistrust of how the streaming giant was approaching the matter was the primary reason for this choice.
The action-comedy Wolfs features Pitt and Clooney as rival fixers forced to collaborate despite their preference to work independently. This marked the first time the two actors had shared the screen since 2008, making it a highly anticipated release.
Initially destined for a broad theatrical rollout, Wolfs had shifted at the last minute to streaming, with Apple TV+ choosing a limited theatrical run ahead of its digital launch on September 27, 2024. The movie turned out to be the service’s most-watched title, but many involved in the project were exercised by that switch.
In an interview to Deadline, Watts aired his annoyance with the sudden changes as done by Apple:
“I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year. They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last-minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion. I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world.”
Watts was also disappointed by the way Apple went about the announcement of the sequel:
“I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel.
The director clarified that he didn’t decide to make the sequel because of a breakdown in trust with the streaming platform:
“I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner.”
Despite his criticism of Apple TV+, Watts still has a good word to say for Wolfs, including his work with the talented cast, which includes Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, and Zlatko Burić.
Controversy over the sequel has followed earlier debates over the hefty salaries of the film’s stars. George Clooney responded to rumors stating that he and Brad Pitt were paid more than $35 million each, saying such figures were grossly exaggerated. On the issue, Clooney said:
“Whatever her source was for our salary, it is millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I am only saying that because I think it’s bad for our industry if that’s what people think is the standard bearer for salaries. I think that’s terrible, it’ll make it impossible to make films.”
Although Wolfs proved to be a box office hit during its streaming release, the ordeal epitomizes the increasing strain on filmmakers as they face off against streamers over creative rights and the changing contours of movie distribution. In a point of personal and professional principle, Watts has decided to turn down a sequel.
