One of the most notable titles to hit the 2024 movie schedule was Wolfs, the action comedy that reunited George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The Jon Watts-directed flick reportedly proved to be a success when it debuted on Apple TV+. So it wasn’t all that surprising when it was reported that Watts, Pitt and Clooney would return for a sequel. However, this past week, Watts said the film was canceled. Now, the Cop Car helmer is getting candid and sharing his account of why the movie is apparently not in development anymore.
News of the sequel’s demise came just the other day, when Jon Watts revealed to Collider that he didn’t know what his next directing gig would be and that he didn’t believe the aforementioned film would happen. At that point, it was believed that this was due to decisions made by the powers that be at Apple. But, now, Watts himself appears to be taking responsibility for the movie falling apart. He explained that the biggest reason for his departure has to do with the streamer’s decision to cancel the OG film’s theatrical release:
I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year. They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion. I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot.
As the director mentioned in the statement he shared with Deadline, the George Clooney and Brad Pitt-headed flick was originally set to run in theaters for a while before making the jump to streaming. News of the pivot to a limited theatrical release was accompanied by the reveal that Jon Watts was penning the script for the follow-up. The exact reason for the change remains unclear but, as the trade mentioned, the decision did follow the underwhelming theatrical performance of Fly Me to the Moon, a fellow Apple production.
Jon Watts seemed to also take issue with the fact that the sequel was announced so early and paired with the release strategy change. The Spider-Man director also explained why he’s only now chosen to speak out about his displeasure with the rollout of the film:
And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner.
Per what the public knows, the relatively well-reviewed Wolfs crushed from a digital perspective. The movie, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival, ultimately made history by becoming the most streamed movie in Apple TV+’s history. So one may wonder whether the entertainment company would consider producing a sequel without the Clown helmer. Well, per Deadline’s sources, the brand remains open to the prospect, considering the performance of the movie.
It remains to be seen whether George Clooney and Brad Pitt will reunite under another filmmaker’s watchful eye for a follow-up. As of right now, the streamer has yet to provide any formal comments on the apparent cancellation of the film or the sentiments shared by the director. What can be gleaned from this latest development, at the very least, is that if another movie in the series is made, some changes will need to be made behind the scenes.
You can still stream Wolfs now using an Apple TV+ subscription.
