[ad_1]
Gearing up for the launch of Apple TV+, we’ve heard a lot of shows and films being added to Apple’s upcoming slate. And now we’re hearing about a cancellation of a potential project for the streaming platform.
According to Variety, Apple has decided to not move forward with the drama series Bastards, which was meant to star Richard Gere (Pretty Woman). Bastards is a remake of an Israeli mini-series entitled Nevelot. It was first reported that Gere would be joining Apple’s streaming service back in December of 2018.
Apple outbid a variety of different companies, including FX and Showtime, to pick up the series. At the time it was reported that Apple had given the drama a direct-to-series order.
Gere was set to star in one of the two lead roles. Howard Gordon and Warren Leight were set to write the series, and would ultimately serve as showrunners as well. Apparently “creative differences” led to the series’ demise for Apple TV+.
Gere would have starred as one of two elderly Vietnam vets and best friends who find their monotonous lives upended when a woman they both loved fifty years ago is killed by a car. According to sources, creative differences between Apple, Gordon, and Leight led to the nascent streamer releasing the project and paying out a large financial penalty to the producers.
Whatever those creative differences were remain unknown. Of course, that reasoning is a pretty common one when it comes to this particular medium, so it could be any number of things.
This is not, technically, the first project Apple has scrapped in its effort to release original content. Vital Signs, which was set to star Dr. Dre, had been scrapped some time ago. However, this is definitely the highest profile project for Apple TV+ to get cancelled ahead of the streaming platform’s launch later this year.
Word on the street is that Apple TV+ is going to launch in November, with five shows available right out of the gate, and cost $9.99 per month.
What do you think of the news? Unhappy with the news we won’t be getting a Gere-fronted serious drama for Apple TV+?
