Apple Acquires ‘Luck,’ ‘Spellbound’ From Skydance Animation

Apple has unveiled an overall deal with Skydance Animation for feature films and TV series for its AppleTV+ streaming service.

The agreement, which follows Apple holding initial talks to acquire movies for its streaming service, will see Apple Original Films debut the animated movies Luck and Spellbound alongside a two season order for The Search for WondLa series.

The deal promises more feature films and TV series to come from Apple’s multi-year pact with Skydance Animation. Luck and Spellbound were originally set up at Paramount, which has a movie deal with Skydance.  That studio deal allowed the David Ellison-run Skydance to move the films at his discretion.

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Launched in 2010, Skydance is best known for tentpole projects including the Mission Impossible, Star Trek and Terminator franchises. Its television output includes Grace and Frankie and Altered Carbon on Netflix, Jack Ryan on Amazon and Dietland on AMC, among other shows.

John Lassetter oversees the animation division of Skydance, which is pursuing a larger strategy to move beyond traditional platforms to make movies for streamers after finding success with two Netflix hits, 6 Underground and The Old Guard.

Luck, directed by Peggy Holmes and written by Kiel Murray, centers around the unluckiest girl in the world, who after stumbling upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.

Spellbound as an animated musical follows a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two, and is directed by Vicky Jenson and written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Linda Woolverton. The original score for the film is by Oscar-winner Alan Menken, with lyrics by Glenn Slater.

And The Search for WondLa is an original animated TV series based on the book series by Tony DiTerlizzi. The Apple Original series will be written and executive produced by showrunner Lauren Montgomery, with Chad Quant, DiTerlizzi, and Gotham Group also serving as executive producers.