Apple is trying to make waves in the streaming game, and they’re going after big stars in order to do it. They just released the Tom Hanks WWII movie Greyhound, recently secured the in-development Will Smith thriller Emancipation, and have now picked up the Jake Gyllenhaal thriller, Snow Blind.
The film is based on the graphic novel by Ollie Masters and Tyler Jenkins. Gustav Möller (The Guilty) will direct in his English-language debut, while Patrick Ness (A Monster Calls) is penning the script.
The graphic novel revolves around a young boy living in Alaska who discovers his family are members of the Witness Protection Program due to their involvement in a crime. Not only that, but a man seeking revenge is about to discover them. The project was pitched to studios as the excellent 80s movie Running On Empty meets Gyllenhaal’s equally excellent Prisoners.
It’s unclear who Gyllenhaal will play – the family father, or the man out for revenge? Considering Apple’s desire for stars right now, expect them to push for another major name to play opposite him.
Apple reportedly outbid five other competitive buyers for the project, and their strategy is clear: Fund stars’ passion projects in order to get them within their ranks. It’s a similar strategy Netflix has used. It’s good for film fans too, as they projects may not be getting made at a traditional studio – who knows who those other “competitive buyers” were – but now we get to see them.
Snow Blind sounds interesting, and should be a film that attracts audiences. However, can it attract the kind of numbers that allows Apple to compete with monster competitors like Netflix and Disney? We’ll see.
#Peace.Love.SnowBlind
