Apple TV+ inks overall deal with Tom Hanks’ Playtone & orders Noel Fielding comedy

Greyhound

Apple TV+ has inked an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s firm Playtone.

The deal will see Playtone develop, produce and distribute programming encompassing series, limited series, documentaries and unscripted projects, for a global audience.

This new partnership with Playtone builds on Apple’s existing film and series relationship, which includes the upcoming limited wartime drama series Masters Of The Air, from Apple Studios, Playtone and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television. The  series follows the true story of the American bomber pilots in World War Two who brought the conflict to Hitler’s doorstep.

Additionally, Apple Original Films’ Greyhound, produced by Goetzman and written by and starring Hanks, is available to stream on Apple TV+. Playtone and Apple Original Films are moving forward on a sequel to the film, following its success on the streamer.

Noel Fielding in Apple’s untitled Dick Turpin comedy-adventure

In related news, Apple TV+ has also ordered a new untitled comedy-adventure series starring Noel Fielding (The Mighty Boosh, The Great British Bake Off).

Fielding will star as Dick Turpin, the legendary British highwayman. In this irreverent retelling, Dick is the most famous, but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair.

Produced for Apple TV+ by Big Talk Productions, part of ITV Studios, the series will be directed by Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners Movie), written and created by Claire Downes, Stuart Lane and Ian Jarvis (The Outlaws), with Fielding and Jeremy Dyson (The League Of Gentlemen) as script consultants. Executive producers are Kenton Allen, Fielding, Victoria Grew, Matthew Justice and Palmer.

These latest announcements follows Apple’s recent groundbreaking Academy Awards win, with its original film Coda taking the Best Oscar gong and making Apple TV+ the first streaming service to claim the coveted prize.