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Apple gets first crack at documentaries from Ron Howard
Apple may have more than a few documentaries on tap for its upcoming streaming video service. Variety has learned that Apple has a "first-look" deal with Imagine Documentaries, the production company from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. The move will give Apple the chance to snap up non-fiction works before other companies can jump in. While this won't guarantee that Apple will buy everything Imagine makes, it could leave competitors with shows that Apple either doesn't think will sell or don't fit its family-friendly culture.
JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg back day-and-date movie service
The notion of paying $50 to watch new-in-theaters movies at home may sound wild, but it apparently has the support of the biggest directors and producers in the business. Variety sources claim that the already hyped Screening Room service has the financial support of JJ Abrams, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, among other Hollywood luminaries. Only some of them are directly investing money, according to the tipsters, but all of them are shareholders.
