The Cancellation of a ‘Wolfs’ Sequel Is More Troubling Than You Think….Read More

Despite routinely putting out excellent television shows, Apple TV+ has struggled to get the same amount of attention for its slate of theatrical releases. Following the box office disappointment of buzzy, star-driven films such as Napoleon, Argylle, and Fly Me To The Moon, the streamer decided to roll back its plans on sending its new films directly to theaters. Among the casualties of this decision was the heist thriller Wolfs, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Wolfs was originally intended to be released in theaters, but the strategy was changed weeks before its debut to be available for a one-week run before hitting the service. Apple TV’s decision is one that came as a shock to the cast and crew, with director Jon Watts announcing that he had canceled a potential sequel because he “no longer trusted them as a creative partner.” The treatment of Wolfs sets a dangerous precedent for the industry and ruined what could have been a very entertaining new franchise.

Sending Wolfs directly to Apple TV+ was a strange idea, as even a brief theatrical run could have benefited the long-term popularity of the film on streaming. Amazon Studios has proven to be quite successful with this strategy, as recent films like Challengers and My Old Ass performed well in theaters before they made their streaming debut. There is certainly room for some titles with little commercial prospect to forgo a theatrical release, but Apple TV+ has already established a robust marketing campaign that includes several compelling trailers for Wolfs. The film also has the benefit of star power; Clooney and Pitt are two Hollywood A-listers who have the ability to draw audiences to a movie, and the prospect of them teaming up after the success of the Ocean’s trilogy was quite exciting. Although public opinion towards Pitt has sourced in recent years due to horrific abuse allegations from his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, George Clooney remains a name that should easily attract audiences to theaters

Wolfs is the type of film that studios need to make more of, as it provides a unique middle ground between blockbusters and awards darlings. Broad similarities could be drawn between Wolfs and other heist classics, but it is still an entirely original concept that was not based on any existing IP or source material. In a year when the worldwide box office top ten is entirely composed of sequels and prequels, Wolfs had the chance to prove that audiences still sought out something new. It is also surprising that Watts did not get any respect from Apple TV+, and he was coming off the success of three highly profitable Spider-Man films for the MCU. What does it say about the industry’s current structure when the director of one of the highest-grossing movies of all time can’t get his new film released in theaters?

What’s most baffling about the controversy is that Wolfs was a well-reviewed film that had the potential to be a crowd-pleaser. It even became the most-watched feature film for Apple TV+ ever. The last-minute pivot to a streaming release generally indicates a major quality issue, but Wolfs received strong reviews from critics ever since it debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Wolfs also could have performed well during a period in the calendar in which there were relatively few options for older viewers in theaters; although the early fall saw the debut of several successful family films (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Wild Robot) many of the more anticipated R-Rated titles (Megalopolis, Joker: Folie à Deux) proved to be massive critical and commercial disappointments.

Although it is understandable why Watts would not want to work with Apple again, it’s extremely disappointing as Wolfs had an interesting setup that teased a potential sequel. The film concludes with the two fixers reluctantly coming to an agreement with one another, suggesting that they could work together again on another dangerous case. A sequel could have expanded beyond New York City to bring the two leads to other locations and may have even added some compelling new cast members. Watts was clearly very invested in the success of Wolfs, and it is deeply troubling that his passion project is bound to simply sit in a streaming library forever.