Apple acquires rights to two films: documentary "The Elephant Queen" and cartoon "Wolfwalkers"

Apple has acquired worldwide rights to "The Elephant Queen", a documentary film about an elephant matriarch who is leading his flock in search of a new Deadline.

Athena is a mother who will do everything in her power to protect her flock when she is forced to leave her water point. This epic journey, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, takes the audience across the African savannah and into the hearts of an elephant family. A story of love, loss and return home.

"The Elephant Queen" was screened Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, where executives from Apple's Worldwide Video Programming division would be looking for movies. The documentary is directed by award-winning filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble.

Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, two former Sony Pictures Television executives who directed the global video at Apple, reportedly conducted negotiations to retrieve the documentary from Endeavor Content and Mister Smith Entertainment.

In addition, before the TIFF, Apple has obtained rights to the animated film "Wolfwalkers" from Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions, according to Deadline. The film, directed by Oscar nominees Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, focuses on a young apprentice hunter named Robyn in a world of superstition.

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are considered demonic and nature is a tamer, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn, comes to Ireland with her father to eliminate the last bag. But when Robyn saves a wild native girl, Mebh, their friendship leads her to discover the Wolfwalker world and transform it into what her father is responsible for destroying.

Bloomberg News He first reported an agreement on an animated film between Apple and Cartoon Saloon in June.

Apple has regularly expanded its catalog of original content, but these transactions are particularly noteworthy, as they represent the first two films acquired by the company, which complete nearly two dozen television series.

Apple should distribute its original content via a new video streaming service, like Netflix, starting in 2019.