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But \u201cstrong reviews and Mr. DiCaprio\u2019s own box office history \u2014 especially with Mr. Scorsese \u2014 provide ample amounts of good will for audiences,\u201d he added, and work in the film\u2019s favor. \u201cThe market hasn\u2019t had a high-profile film targeted toward adults for a while.\u201d (\u201cOppenheimer,\u201d with a similar run time and equally serious subject matter, defied odds this year and earned $942 million worldwide.)<\/p>\n
While Apple has said very little about its shift in strategy, theater owners are ecstatic.<\/p>\n
Apple is \u201ca major company that has the ability to do a lot of high-quality work, and I think that the recognition on their part that movies belong in theaters is a strong signal,\u201d Michael O\u2019Leary, chairman of the National Association of Theater Owners, a trade association, said in an interview. \u201cPrioritizing theatrical will help them get major filmmakers to come into their tents, and to create even more dynamic, entertaining fare in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Scorsese and his co-writer, Eric Roth, began adapting David Grann\u2019s nonfiction book \u201cKillers of the Flower Moon\u201d in 2017. Paramount agreed to finance and distribute the film, but when the production costs soared, the studio brought in Apple in 2020 to finance the project.<\/p>\n
Others wanted it, said Mr. Thomas, who initially purchased the adaptation rights to \u201cKillers\u201d with his partner, Dan Friedkin. It was Apple, however, that guaranteed a full theatrical release \u2014 a must for Mr. Scorsese, whose last film, \u201cThe Irishman\u201d for Netflix, had a truncated run in theaters.<\/p>\n
Paramount stayed on in a deal that saw Apple reimburse the studio for its development costs on the movie and a portion of Mr. Scorsese\u2019s overall deal, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details were not public. Paramount controls all theater bookings and media buys for the film\u2019s trailers and commercials, while Apple controls its publicity and marketing materials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n