Coming to Apple TV+: Michael Douglas to star as Benjamin Franklin in biography series
Apple’s list of currently available content for Apple TV+ continues to grow, but there’s an even faster-growing list of projects in the works. Films, limited series, specials, and multi-season series, Apple’s got lots of irons in the fire for all of them.
Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, but many have just been reported by the Hollywood press, which always has its ear to the ground about what actors, directors, and producers are getting involved with which projects.
We’ve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles other announced and not-officially-announced projects that are still in production or perhaps haven’t even begun yet.
Updated 2/28/22: Apple has announced that Michael Douglas will star in a new limited series about the life of Benjamin Franklin.
Coming Soon
The following shows, series, and movies have been officially announced by Apple and will typically will begin streaming in the next few weeks or months.
The Problem with Jon Stewart
What it’s about: Now in a new weekly format, Jon Stewart’s new show tackles a single societal issue per episode, speaking with leaders and activists.
Apple
Important names: Jon Stewart is the big name, but there are famous guests every week.
When you can watch: The second season of The Problem with Jon Stewart premieres on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Central Park (season 2 continues)
What it’s about: An animated musical about the caretaker of Central Park and his family. The first eight episodes of Season 2 streamed last summer with eight episodes. After a half-year break, the show is back with more episodes. While season 2 already has eight episodes, this is apparently a continuation of Season 2 and not season 3.
Important names: Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Stanley Tucci, Emmy Raver-Lampman.
When you can watch: Season 2 of Central Park resumes on March 4, 2022.
Dear… (season 2)
What it’s about: In this series, famous people read letters from those they have inspired as a jumping off point for them to tell the stories of their lives.
Apple
Important names: The second season features Viola Davis, Malala Yousafzai, Jane Fonda, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more.
When you can watch: The second season of Dear… premieres on March 4, 2022.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
What it’s about: A six-episode limited series based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley. Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker and on the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Ptolemy is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn. When they learn about a treatment that can restore Ptolemy’s dementia-addled memories, it begins a journey toward shocking truths about the past, present and future.
Apple
Important names: Samual L. Jackson is to star in the lead role. Walter Mosely is adapting his own book.
When you can watch: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey will stream on March 11, 2022.
The Snoopy Show (season 2)
What it’s about: The second season of a new animated Peanuts series following the exploits of Charlie Brown’s famous dog.
Important names: It’s a Peanuts cartoon! Ask your grandparents…
When you can watch: Season 2 of The Snoopy Show premieres on March 11, 2022.
WeCrashed
What it’s about: An 8-episode limited series about the rise and fall of the company WeWork.
Important names: The big star power here is Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. The series will be co-written and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello.
When you can watch: WeCrashed will start streaming on March 18, 2022 with three episodes. New episodes will follow weekly.
Pachinko
What it’s about: The best-selling novel Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean immigrant family, following the line from Korea to Japan and finally America. The New York Times named it one of the 10 best books of 2017. The Apple series will be told across three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English.
Important names: It will be written and directed by Soo Hugh, who was the showrunner for the first season of AMC’s The Terror. Min-Ho Lee (Boys Over Flowers) and Jin Ha (Devs) will star.
When you can watch: Pachinko starts streaming with its first three episodes on March 25, 2022. Additional episodes will follow weekly through April 29.
Killers of the Flower Moon
What it’s about: Based on the book Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI. It tells the story of a series of murders of wealthy Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was found on their land. According to Deadline, Paramount will distribute the film in theaters, while it will be an Apple TV+ streaming exclusive.
Apple
Important names: Directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the leading roles.
When you can watch: Apple lists this movie as “Coming Soon.”
Container
What it’s about: The first Russian-language series for Apple TV+, via a co-production deal with subscription-based streaming service START.
Important names: Will star Oksana Akinshina, Filipp Yankovskiy, Marusya Fomina, and Artem Bystrov.
When you can watch: The series already premiered in Russia on START and will come to Apple TV+ in the spring of 2022.
The Sound of 007
What it’s about: A documentary film that “will go behind the lens into the greatest movie franchise in history from the genesis of Dr. No and the iconic 007 theme song all the way to No Time To Die, mixing heartfelt interviews with incredible James Bond archive material.”
Important names: We don’t yet know the key participants in this project.
When you can watch: The Sound of 007 will release in October, 2022, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise.
Spirited
What it’s about: A musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. You know: Scrooge, three ghosts, Bah Humbug, etc…
Apple
Important names: Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer, and Ryan Reynolds star.
When you can watch: Spirited will stream Holiday 2022.
Further Out
These shows, series, and movies may or may not have been officially announced, and do not yet have definitive release dates. Some may debut in the next few months, others be more than a year away. It’s even possible that some of these projects will never be released.
Benjamin Franklin biography series
What it’s about: A limited series about one of America’s founding fathers, based on the book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff.
Important names: Michael Douglass is set to star as Benjamin Franklin.
When you can watch: This series does not yet have a release date, nor a final title.
The Big Conn
What it’s about: A four-part documentary series that tells the true story of the larger-than-life attorney, Eric C. Conn, who defrauded the government over half a billion dollars in the largest Social Security fraud case in history. Apple will also produce a companion podcast series.
Important names: Created by filmmakers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte.
When you can watch: The Big Conn does not yet have a release date, but the first two episodes will debut at SXSW on March 16, 2022.
The New Look
What it’s about: A limited series that Apple describes as, “an epic thriller set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris when Coco Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer ends and Christian Dior rises helping return spirit and life to the world with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence that will go on to define generations to come.”
Important names: Written and executive produced by Todd A. Kessler, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche.
When you can watch: The New Look does not yet have a release date.
Omnivore
What it’s about: A food documentary series that tells the story of humanity and the planet through eight defining ingredients.
Important names: Created by filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga and chef René Redzepi.
When you can watch: Omnivore does not yet have a release date.
The Dynasty
What it’s about: A 10-part documentary event series about the New England Patriots, based on the New York Times bestselling book by author Jeff Benedict.
Important names: Directed by Matthew Hamachek.
When you can watch: The Dynasty does not yet have a release date.
Presumed Innocent
What it’s about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by the Scott Turow novel of the same name. A courtroom drama that tells the story of a murder that ends up in the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.
Important names: The showrunner is David E. Kelley, with J.J. Abrams and Dustin Thomason as executive producers.
When you can watch: Presumed Innocent has no release date yet.
Mrs. American Pie
What it’s about: A 10-episode comedy series in production at Apple Studios. Set in the early 1970s, it tells the story of Maxine Simmons as she attempts to secure her place in Palm Beach high society.
Important names: Starring Kirsten Wiig and Laura Dern.
When you can watch: Mrs. American Pie does not yet have a release date.
Sunny
What it’s about: Apple describes this 10-episodes series as a “darkly comedic half-hour drama” about Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan. When her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash, she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. They develop an unexpected friendship, and uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family.
Important names: Rashida Jones stars as Suzie, written and executive produced by Katie Robbins.
When you can watch: Sunny has no release date yet.
Untitled Godzilla and the Titans series
What it’s about: A live-action series in partnership with production company Legendary, taking place in the Monsterverse. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.
Important names: Chris Black will server as executive producer and showrunner. The cast has not yet been revealed.
When you can watch: The Godzilla series does not yet have a release date.
Manhunt
What it’s about: A limited series true crime story about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Important names: Set to star Tobias Menzies, directed by Carl Franklin.
When you can watch: Manhunt has no release date yet.
Surfside Girls
What it’s about: A live-action kids series based on the graphic novel series of the same name. Sam and Jade are psyched to spend their summer riding the waves and catching the rays. That is until they meet a ghost. The girls dive head-first into a mystery about a pirate ship and the cursed treasure that allegedly lies beneath Surfside’s beloved Danger Point bluff.
Important names: Stars Miya Cech and YaYa Gosselin.
When you can watch: Surfside Girls does not yet have a release date.
Disclaimer
What it’s about: Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight. Catherine Ravenscroft is a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. A novel written by a widower has her as a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past. A story that reveals her darkest secret. A secret she thought was hers alone.
Important names: Acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón will write and direct all episodes. Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline will star.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
Untitled Magic Johnson documentary series
What it’s about: Apple is producing a four-part documentary series about the life of famed two-time NBA hall of famers Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Important names: Directed by Rick Famuyiwa with editor Dirk Westervelt and cinematographer Rachel Morrison, the docuseries is produced by XTR and New Slate Ventures.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
Untitled Jon Watts / Brad Pitt / George Clooney film
What it’s about: A thriller in which two lone-wolf fixers (Pitt and Clooney) get assigned to the same job. Deadline reports that Apple outbid other major studios and distributors for the film rights. The film doesn’t have a title yet.
Important names: Written and directed by Jon Watts, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
When you can watch: This film has no release date yet.
Amber Brown
What it’s about: A series based on the best-selling books by Paula Danziger. Apple describes it as, “an unfiltered look at a girl finding her own voice through art and music in the wake of her parents’ divorce.”
Important names: Written and directed by Bonnie Hunt, starting Carsyn Rose, Sarah Drew, Darin Brooks, and Liliana Inouye.
When you can watch: Amber Brown has no release date yet.
Yo Gabba Gabba!
What it’s about: A beloved Nickelodeon series that ran for six seasons and featured live action, puppets, short sketches, and music. Apple has acquired the entire back catalog and rights to produce new episodes. So far, there are plans to produce 20 new episodes as a “a reimagining based on the heart and essence of what Yo Gabba Gabba! is.”
Important names: It’s unclear which of the original cast or crew will participate in the new episodes.
When you can watch: We don’t have word yet on when old episodes will appear on Apple TV+, nor when the new episodes will debut.
Ghosted
What it’s about: Deadline reports that this is a romantic action-adventure film, though we don’t know much more than that yet.
Important names: Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans are in negotiations to star. Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.
When you can watch: Ghosted has no release date yet.
The Changeling
What it’s about: According to Apple, The Changeling is a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle.
Important names: The series will star LaKeith Stanfield and be written/adapted by Kelly Marcel, who will also serve as showrunner.
When you can watch: The Changeling has no release date yet.
Bad Monkey
What it’s about: An adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, “Bad Monkey” tells the story of Andrew Yancy, a one-time detective demoted to restaurant inspector in Southern Florida. A severed arm found by a tourist out fishing pulls Yancy into the world of greed and corruption that decimates the land and environment in both Florida and the Bahamas. And yes, there’s a monkey.
Important names: Written and produced by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Cougar Town) and starring Vince Vaughn.
When you can watch: Bad Monkey has no release date yet.
City on Fire
What it’s about: Samantha Cicciaro is an NYU student that is shot in Central Park on the Fourth of July, 2003. As the crime is investigated, she’s revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep.
Important names: Written and executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
Untitled Negro League Baseball series
What it’s about: Follows the life and career of legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige.
Important names: The series is produced by Erving “Magic” Johnson, among others. It is in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and MLB.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
Liaison
What it’s about: A modern-day thriller about how our past mistakes can destroy our futures that includes action, espionage, and political intrigue.
Important names: The series will star Vincent Cassel and Eva Green, and will be directed by Stephen Hopkins.
When you can watch: Liaison does not yet have a release date.
Strange Planet
What it’s about: An animated series based on the web-based comic and graphics novels by Nathan Pyle. The comic features aliens who live lives not unlike our own, but refer to our everyday activities with usual, sometimes scientific-ish verbiage (like calling a hug “limb enclosure”).
Important names: The series is being developed in part by Dan Harmon, of Community and Rick and Morty fame.
When you can watch: The series has no release date yet.
The Big Door Prize
What it’s about: Based on the bestselling novel by M. O. Walsh. The residents of the small town Deerfield one day discover a mystery machine in their local grocery story that promises to predict one’s future potential, and craziness ensues.
Important names: David West Read, who was writer and executive producer on Schitt’s Creek, will write the adaptation and serve as showrunner.
When you can watch: The Big Door Prize does not have a release date yet.
Wool
What it’s about: Set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Based on the book trilogy by Hugh Howey.
Apple
Important names: Starring Rebecca Ferguson, written by Graham Yost, directed by Morten Tyldum.
When you can watch: Wool has no release date yet.
Hello Tomorrow!
What it’s about: Set in a retro-future world, “Hello Tomorrow!” centers around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares.
Apple
Important names: Billy Crudup stars and executive produces. Jonathan Entwistle is set to direct.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
Big Man on Campus
What it’s about: A documentary series about basketball phenom Makur Maker and his decision to play for Howard University in support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities instead of one of the big-name college basketball schools.
Apple
Important names: Directed and produced by Seth Gordon.
When you can watch: The series does not have a release date yet.
Number One on the Call Sheet
What it’s about: A pair of documentary films that examine the history of black actors and actresses in Hollywood. One focuses on leading men, the other on leading women.
Important names: Producers include Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, Dan Cogan, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin, and Bryan Smiley.
When you can watch: These two companion films have no release date yet.
Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong
What it’s about: A documentary film about the life of the pioneering jazz musician. Using a ton of never-before-seen archival footage, the film will tell the story of Armstrong’s life entirely through his own words.
Apple
Important names: Louis Armstrong is the big name here. The film will be directed by Sacha Jenkins.
When you can watch: This film has no release date yet.
Untitled Chuck Barris drama
What it’s about: Gong Show host Chuck Barris famously claimed to be a secret CIA assassin in his autobiography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into a feature film in 2002. A Deadline report says Apple is developing an hour-long drama series about Barris as both Gong Show host and CIA assassin.
Important names: Justin Timberlake is attached to star as Chuck Barris.
When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.
The Crowded Room
What it’s about: Inspired by the biography “The Minds of Billy Milligan,” this is a multi-season anthology series that Apple says will, “explore the true and inspirational stories of those who have struggled and learned to successfully live with mental illness.” This is one of a growing list of shows developed and produced by Apple Studios, Apple’s own TV and film production outfit. The first season will be 10 episodes.
Important names: The first season will star Tom Holland with Akiva Goldsman as writer and executive producer.
When you can watch: Apple has no release date for this series yet.
Untitled Maya Rudolph comedy series
What it’s about: Apple describes the show as being about, “Molly, a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but 87 billion dollars.” The unnamed comedy series will be comprised of half-hour episodes.
Important names: Molly will be played by Maya Rudolph. The show creators/writers/producers are Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Lady in the Lake
What it’s about: Apple’s description of this limited series says it “takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”
Important names: It will star Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o. Directed by Alma Har’el.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
In With the Devil
What it’s about: An adaptation of the novel In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. The six-episode limited series is told from the point of view of two prisoners who seek redemption for their wrongdoings.
Important names: Stars Ray Liotta, Taron Egerton, and Paul Walter Hauser.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Roar
What it’s about: An anthology series of “darkly comic feminist fables” with a star-studded cast. Based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern. There will be eight half-hour episodes.
Important names: Some stars attached so far include Nicole Kidman, Allison Brie, Cynthia Erivo, and Merritt Wever.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Search for WondLa
What it’s about: Based on the children’s book by Tony DiTerlizzi, which follows the story of Eva Nine, a girl who spent most of her life living underground before being forced to flee outside and survive with a robot named Muthr, an alien named Rovander Kitt, and a water bear named Otto. Apple plans to run at least two seasons of this show.
Important names: Written and produced by Lauren Montgomery.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Luck
What it’s about: When an unlucky girl stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she teams up with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Important names: The film is directed by Peggy Holmes.
When you can watch: Luck is currently scheduled to be released in early 2022.
Spellbound
What it’s about: A musical that follows Elian, a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two.
Important names: Directed by Vicky Jenson, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.
When you can watch: Spellbound is currently expected to be released in late 2022.
Dolly
What it’s about: Deadline describes it as a “sci-fi courtroom drama in which a robotic ‘companion doll’ kills its owner and then shocks the world by claiming that she is not guilty and asking for a lawyer.”
Important names: Florence Pugh and Vanessa Taylor are attached to star and Drew Pearce will write the script.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Jane
What it’s about: A kids’ series blending live action and CGI, in which young Jane Garcia leads her friends on missions to save endangered animals. The series was produced in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute.
Important names: We don’t yet know who will star in the series. It is being produced in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Lessons in Chemistry
What it’s about: Variety reports that this will be a drama series based on the upcoming novel by Bonnie Garmus. Set in the 1960s, the story follows a woman who dreams of being a scientist in a world that demands women stay homemakers. She eventually lands a job hosting a TV cooking show and uses it as a platform to teach science to housewives.
Important names: Brie Larson will star, and Susannah Grant will write (she previously won an Academy Award for writing Erin Brockovich).
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Oprah Winfrey biography
What it’s about: Deadline reports that Apple has landed the rights to a two-part biographical documentary film about Oprah Winfrey.
Important names: Oprah, of course. Lisa Erspamer and Kevin McDonald are producing the two-part film.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Kitbag
What it’s about: According to a Deadline report, this is to be a big historical epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte. The report says production begins early in 2022.
Important names: Joaquin Phoenix is to star as Napoleon, Ridley Scott will direct.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled sci-fi comedy/drama
What it’s about: We don’t know any details of the plot yet. We only have a report from The Hollywood Reporter that Apple has picked up this project for the Apple Studios production house and that it is a sci-fi comedy/drama.
Important names: Attached are Andy Samberg, Andy Siara, Ben Stiller, and Noah Hawley.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Last Thing He Told Me
What it’s about: A limited series adaptation of Laura Dave’s upcoming novel of the same name, which is slated to release on May 4, 2021. It tells the tale of a woman who bonds with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared
Important names: The series will star and be executive-produced by Julia Roberts.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Dark Matter
What it’s about: A series based on the novel Dark Matter; an alternate-universe thriller about a man who is abducted, drugged, and wakes up in a reality in which he made different choices in the past.
Important names: The series is being adapted as a series by the author Blake Crouch.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
World Surf League documentary
What it’s about: A six-part documentary series following the world’s best surfers as they compete on the World Surf League championship tour.
Important names: The series will be executive-produced by James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, and Erik Logan.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Gutsy Women
What it’s about: A documentary series inspired by The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Chelsea and Hillary Clinton. Episodes feature biographies of trailblazing women in a variety of areas.
Important names: Hillary and Chelsea Clinton will executive produce the series with Johnny Webb and Roma Khanna.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Surface
What it’s about: Another project from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company (which is responsible for The Morning Show), Deadline reports that Surface is an eight-episode psychological thriller series, but doesn’t have much else to say about it other than production is slated to begin in 2021.
Important names: The series will star and be produced by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Hannah Shoenfeld in The Morning Show) and will be executive produced by Veronica West (co-creator of High Fidelity).
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Tetris: The Movie
What it’s about: A drama about the creation, licensing, and distribution of one of the most famous and popular games of all time.
Important names: Taron Egerton stars, with Jon S. Baird directing. The rest of the case has not yet been determined, according to Deadline.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Platonic
What it’s about: A 10-episode half-hour comedy series about former best friends who met as children and had a falling out, then reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift. Their friendship starts to destabilize their lives.
Important names: The friends are played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogan. The series is written and directed by Nick Stoller and co-written by Francesca Delbanco.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Bride
What it’s about: Deadline reports that this is a genre-bending film about an engineered “ideal wife” who rejects her creator, escapes captivity, and discovers her true self.
Important names: The film will star Scarlett Johansson and will be directed by Sebastián Lelio.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Earthsound
What it’s about: A natural history documentary series that uses new audio technology and cinematic 360-degree audio to reveal untold nature stories from every continent.
Important names: It will be executive produced by Alex Williamson, and the series producer is Sam Hodgson.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Supermodels
What it’s about: A documentary series exploring the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Four models whose fame and prestige made them bigger names than the fashion brands and designers they showcased.
Important names: Outside of the four aforementioned models, the series is directed by Barbara Kopple, who has two academy awards.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
High Desert
What it’s about: A half-hour comedy about a former addict in Yucca Valley, CA, who makes a new start after the death of her mother, deciding to become a private investigator.
Important names: The first episode will be directed by Ben Stiller (who also produces) and the series will star Patricia Arquette.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Five Days at Memorial
What it’s about: From the novel by Sheri Fink that documents the first five days at a New Orleans hospital after hurricane Katrina made landfall.
Important names: The series will be directed by John Ridley and star Vera Farmiga.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Essex Serpent
What it’s about: This adaptation of a novel by Sarah PerryRemove non-product link is set in 1893. Recently-widowed Cora Seaborne relocates to Essex, where a mythical creature that once roamed the marshes has returned.
Important names: Claire Danes will play the lead role. Clio Barnard is the director.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
My Kind of Country
What it’s about: A music competition series that Apple describes as having a, “fresh, new documentary sensibility. The hybrid series will break down cultural and musical barriers in the country music space, inviting innovative musicians to unleash their authentic voices and take center stage.”
Important names: Adam Blackstone will serve as musical director of the series. We don’t know know who the host(s) will be or the contestants.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled Idris Elba spy film
What it’s about: According to Variety, this is to be a “spy movie with romance set in Africa” but little else is known about the nascent project. The report says it’s early in production.
Important names: The film will star Idris Elba and is produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Shining Girls
What it’s about: An adaptation of the best-selling novel by Lauren Beukes. Moss plays a Chicago reporter who survives an assault and hunts down her attacker to find he is traveling through time from depression-era Chicago to hunt a series of women—Shining Girls—with extraordinary potential.
Important names: Elisabeth Moss will star and executive produce. Silka Luisa will adapt the novel for TV and serve as showrunner.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Echo 3
What it’s about: An adaptation of the Isreali show When Heroes Fly. The Hollywood Reporter says that the 10-episode series will center around a young American scientist that goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border. Her brother and her husband struggle set out in search of her and discover more than they expected. The series features both English and Spanish language dialogue.
Important names: The showrunners will be Mark Boal and Jason Horwitch. The cast includes Luke Evans and Michiel Huisman.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Snow Blind
What it’s about: When a high school student in a small Alaskan town posts a photo of his dad online, and discovers that his family is in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge soon finds them, the FBI shows up…but what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says?
Important names: Jake Gyllenhaal is set to start with Gustav Möller directing.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Emancipation
What it’s about: Will Smith plays Peter, a runaway slave in Louisiana who has to evade capture as he makes his way to the North, where he joins the Union Army.
Important names: The film stars Will Smith and is directed by Antoine Fuqua with a script by William N Collage.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Hedy Lamarr series
What it’s about: According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s an eight-episode series about the 1930s and 40s actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (whose frequency-hopping radio technology is still the basis for many modern wireless communications).
Important names: Gal Gadot is set to star as Lamarr, with a script written by Sarah Treem.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Where the Wild Things Are
What it’s about: Apple has struck an overall deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce shows or series based on the author’s works for children. The most famous of these, by far, is Where the Wild Things Are.
Important names: Apple is working with longtime Sendak collaborator Arthur Yorinks and his production studio Night Kitchen Studios.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Custom of the Country
What it’s about: A limited-series adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Custom of the Country. The novel, published in the early 20th century, is about a midwestern girl who climbs the ladder of New York high society.
Important names: The big one is Sofia Coppola, who is developing the series for Apple. No word yet on whether she will direct it.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled 4-Part Documentary Series
What it’s about: According to Deadline, all we know is that it tells the, “unbelievable true story of one of the largest scams in government history.”
Important names: The documentary series is produced by Brian Lazarte and James Lee Hernandez, who produced the hit documentary series McMillion$.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Extrapolations
What it’s about: A limited series anthology about climate change. It follows a group of interconnected human tales to show how every aspect of our world is going to be changing in the near future.
Important names: The show is expected to be produced by Scott Z. Burns, the writer and director of documentary hits An Inconvenient Truth and The Report.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Slow Horses
What it’s about: When the British MI-5 agency’s spies screw up their career, they are sent to the “Slough House” to while away their days doing unimportant work. They are referred to by the rest of the agency as “Slow Horses,” hence the TV show title. There are more than six books in Mick Herron’s “Slough House” series, with more on the way.
Important names: Gary Oldman is to star (he doesn’t do a lot of TV!) as Jackson Lamb, the leader of the Slough House spies.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
El Gato Negro
What it’s about: Based on Richard Dominguez’s comic book about an aging luchador who teams up with his grandson to use the El Gato Negro persona to fight crime in South Texas.
Important names: Robert Rodriguez will direct and produce, while Diego Boneta will star and also produce.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Masters of the Air
What it’s about: A limited series about the bombers of World War II. It is something of a follow-up to the hit HBO series Band of Brothers. Nearly all of the content on Apple TV+, while original and exclusive, is produced by outside production companies and studios. But according to Variety, Apple is also building its own internal studio, named Masters, and this is its first project.
Important names: It will be written by one of Band of Brothers writers, John Orloff, with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks once again on as executive producers. Several other producers and alumni of Band of Brothers will be involved with the project, too.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Sharper
What it’s about: Tells the story of a con artist among the billionaire elites of Manhattan.
Important names: Julianne Moore will star and produce. Jon Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, and Briana Middleton also star.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
The Sky is Everywhere
What it’s about: According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Apple has teamed up with indie production company A24 to produce a film adaptation of the young adult novel The Sky is Everywhere.
The novel tells the story of a high school girl whose older sister suddenly dies. She forms a relationship with her sister’s former fiancé and also with the new boy in town, who loves music as she does. Amid the coping with the loss of her sister, she has to choose between these two romantic entanglements.
Important names: Josephine Decker will direct and produce, and author Jandy Nelson will write the screen adaptation of her own book.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Prehistoric Planet
What it’s about: Apple has ordered a new natural history series from Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton. The CGI-heavy series will be produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, and will follow the last days of the dinosaurs.
Important names: Jon Favreau made waves using CG animals in The Jungle Book and The Lion King, and Mike Gunton produced Planet Earth II.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Brie Larson CIA biography series
What it’s about: A report in Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order for a new drama based on the real-life experiences of CIA undercover operative Amaryllis Fox. Fox has a hot novel named Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA that released in October 2019.
Important names: Brie Larson will star and executive produce the series.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
My Glory Was I Had Such Friends
What it’s about: A report from Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order of My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. The limited series, based on the Amy Silverstein memoir about a woman awaiting heart surgery and the women who supported her, will star Jennifer Garner and be executive produced by J.J. Abrams through his Bad Robot production company.
Important names: J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner are working together again for the first time since the show Alias.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Losing Earth
What it’s about: This summer, The New York Times Magazine published an epic feature titled, “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.” At over 30,000 words, it took up an entire issue of the magazine and earned critical acclaim. It focused on how, from 1979 to 1989, a small team of scientists, activists, and politicians tried to stop climate change while there was still time.
We don’t know the format the show will take, but The New York Times specifically calls it a “series.” Based on the source material, it seems like a single-season limited series makes the most sense.
Important names: The article’s author, Nathaniel Rich, will serve as executive producer together with Anonymous Content founder and CEO Steve Golin.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Time Bandits
What it’s about: Terry Gilliam’s time-traveling adventure comedy Time Bandits may make its way to the small screen in a TV series. Deadline reports that Apple is buying up the rights to make a TV show of the cult classic film.
The film, about a young boy who gets caught up with a troupe of thieves as they hop across history to steal treasure, ever on the run from the “supreme being” from whom they’ve stolen their time map, is good fodder for a TV show. But the film has a dedicated cult following who will place high demands on maintaining the film’s heart and quirky sense of British humor.
Important names: Terry Gilliam will have an executive producer role, but will not write for the show. A report in Variety says that the series will be directed by Taika Waititi, whose quirky film What We Do in the Shadows earned him a cult following, and who earned huge international acclaim for his direction of Thor: Rangrarok and Jojo Rabbit.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Shantaram
What it’s about: The hit novel Shantaram has a somewhat tumultuous history in Hollywood. According to Variety, the book was first to be developed as a film, with Johnny Depp having acquired the book rights and Warner Bros. producing with Joel Edgerton in the starring role. Then, the plans were scrapped and the rights auctioned off, with Anonymous Content and Paramount Television winning the rights to Shantaram and its sequel novel The Mountain Shadow.
Gregory David Roberts’ novel tells the story of Lin, an escaped convict from a maximum security Australian prison. On the run and cut off from friends and family, he disappears into the Bombay underground in India.
Important names: Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle, The International) will write and executive produce the series. According to a report from Variety, the lead character will be payed by Charlie Hunnam, who is known for his work on Sons of Anarchy and for starring in Pacific Rim.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
You Think It, I’ll Say It
What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has ordered a 10-episode, half-hour run of a new comedy variety show. The show is inspired by Curtis Sittenfeld’s collection of short stories You Think It, I’ll Say It.
Important names: SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to star, but pulled out citing scheduling conflicts with Wonder Woman 1984. The show is created and produced by Colleen McGuinness (30 Rock, About a Boy).
When you can watch: This project does not yet have a title or release date.
Damien Chazelle drama series
What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has gone straight-to-series (ordered a whole season of a series without first shooting a pilot) on a drama by Damien Chazelle. Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.
No details have been given about the series at all, except that Chazelle will write and direct every episode. We don’t know the subject matter, the stars, the length of each episode…really nothing at all.
Important names: Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.
When you can watch: No release date yet.
Untitled Sexual Assault Documentary
What it’s about: This documentary film follows a former music executive who is debating whether publicly tell her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the industry.
Important names: The film was executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, with Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Hunting Ground) directing and producing.
Update 01/13/20: Oprah Winfrey has stepped away from the project, issuing the following statement:
First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside. I will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.
When you can watch: As a result of Oprah leaving the project, it will no longer appear on Apple TV+.
