Erik Gruenwedel
July 3, 2018
Apple is looking to the United Kingdom to jumpstart its original video content aspirations.
The media giant reportedly hired Joe Oppenheimer, long-time executive at BBC Films, to its international content development unit. Oppenheimer’s credits include the 2016 drama I, Daniel Blake; Testament of Youth (2014) and the 2014 comedy Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, among others.
Oppenheimer reports to Jay Hunt, the former BBC and Channel 4 executive Apple hired last October to head its international TV unit.
Before departing Channel 4, Hunt acquired rights to “The Great British Bake Off,” a reported $99 million reality series that has generated big ratings in the U.K. targeting the coveted 18-34 year-old demo.
Last year, Apple hired former Sony Pictures Television executives Jamie Ehrlicht and Zack Van Amburg to get original streaming video off the ground.
One of their first moves was signing up Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon for a 20-episode, two-season series about a TV morning show.
Other deals include series from M. Night Shyamalan, Damien Chazelle (La La Land) and Ron Moore (Outsiders).
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