Apple said to be seriously pursuing Netflix-style scripted TV and movies

It’s no secret that Apple has had its eye on original programming for a while. The hardware giant has already dipped its toes in the water with the purchase of James Corden’s perennially trending Carpool Karaoke, along with a smattering of documentaries for Apple Music. There’s also that biographical series based on the life of DJ/rapper/producer/headphone mogul Dr. Dre in the works for later this year.

But the company’s reportedly looking to get a whole lot more serious about content. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is actively courting veteran producers in an attempt to start offering up scripted shows and movies, akin to successful plays by media companies like Amazon and Netflix.

The offering would start with “a handful of carefully selected shows, and potentially films” – nothing akin to the scale of the aforementioned platforms – not at first, at least. Apple hasn’t closed any deals on scripted content of that nature reportedly due to some questions surrounding precisely how it will disseminate the shows.

Interestingly, such a deal could be aimed at making its existing streaming service more competitive, rather than launching a full-on assault on the likes of Netflix or Amazon Video. The company could offer up programming through its Apple Music service, which has been steadily growing in subscription numbers, but has failed to overtake Spotify.