Apple[1] has acquired the rights to a new series starring and co-produced by American actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the spokesperson said[2] Apple had given the go-ahead for two seasons totalling 20 episodes - a rarity in the world of television series production, and the latest hint at the California tech giant's content production ambitions.
According to US media, several broadcasters were engaged in a bidding war for the as-yet unnamed project - a drama that will offer a peek into the lives of American television's morning presenters.
Stars Aniston and Witherspoon are also co-owners and co-executive producers, alongside production company Media Res, which will lead the project, according to the Reporter.
While Witherspoon enjoyed success this year with the HBO[3] series Big Little Lies[4], Aniston's role will be her first recurring part in a series since the end of Friends[5].
It is the second television production project announced by Apple in recent weeks.
In mid-October, Apple announced an agreement[6] with NBC Universal and director Steven Spielberg's production house to work on ten new episodes of Amazing Stories, a five-time Emmy Award winning show broadcast on the American channel NBC between 1985 and 1987. According to the Wall Street Journal, the series' budget will exceed[7] $5 million per episode.
Apple intends to invest $1 billion in program production, according to US media reports. Currently, it only offers third party content for purchase on its Apple Music[8] and Apple Store platforms...