Apple TV+ Offering Jennifer Lawerence Films for Free Around ‘Causeway’ Release; Is This Streamer’s New Promotional Strategy?
Apple TV appears to be developing a new promotional strategy around some of its biggest recent films. In recent weeks, the streamer has been making titles related to its major releases free for all customers. As pointed out by 9to5Mac, to promote its new film “Causeway,” which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Apple has licensed several other films featuring the Oscar winner, including “The Hunger Games franchise” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”
The additional titles appear when users navigate to the “Causeway” page on Apple TV. There, a row titled “Jennifer Lawrence’s Biggest Hits” will appear in which they can find the additional films. The movies are free to watch with an Apple TV+ subscription, which runs $6.99 per month. The JLaw films will be available on Apple TV+ until Nov. 30.
This is not the first time that Apple has used such a strategy to promote one of its original films. Per 9to5Mac, the company also licensed five movies starring Sidney Poitier to show for free when it released its documentary film centered on the actor’s life titled “Sidney.” The company also ran a similar promotion for its release of the Zac Efron-headed film “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.”
This pattern suggests that Apple may be testing out a new tactic to keep users drawn to the platform by marquee releases engaged via other content. Upcoming films like the holiday musical “Spirited” offer ample opportunities for Apple to repeat the promotion, as well. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, so it’s not hard to imagine the streamer licensing movies like “Elf” or “Free Guy” to help boost the movie’s profile.
That, of course, depends on which streaming platforms currently hold the rights to movies Apple would want to license. “Elf” currently resides on Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium streamer HBO Max, while “Free Guy” lives there and on Disney+ thanks to a complicated rights agreement. But such temporary licensing deals are common in the industry. For example, WBD allowed Prime Video to stream “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy in September to promote Amazon’s new show “The Rings of Power.”
The promotion is a win-win for Apple and whichever company decides to license its movies for similar releases in the future. The original company gets a nice licensing fee and the added benefit that customers may come looking for the film when it is no longer free on Apple. In return, Apple is able to increase the value proposition for customers attracted by high-profile releases.
“Causeway” — which was released on Friday, Nov. 4 — stars Lawrence as Lynsey, a soldier who returns to her New Orleans home after being injured on deployment. She struggles to reconnect with the life she knew and to deal with the traumatic brain injury that she will carry for the rest of her life. It is a quiet but devastating, and ultimately uplifting, story about coming to terms and moving forward.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.