Not all of us can say that we turned down $500 million. However, that's exactly what filmmaker J.J. Abrams did when he decided to walk away from an offer made by Apple during the epic bidding war for his production company Bad Robot. Amazingly, the reason why Abrams chose a more modest deal is pretty simple.
In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, it was revealed that Apple was offering the hefty sum for exclusivity. This would mean that Abrams will have to produce content solely for Apple. Unfortunately, the deal would restrict Abrams from working on outside projects like (maybe) another Star Wars film or shopping new shows to other networks.
It's a simple reason and there's a possibility that WarnerMedia is giving Abrams more freedom in exchange for a smaller sum. At least we can still look forward to more Bad Robot productions being offered by other studios and networks.
Abrams expressed his excitement over the new deal he signed with WarnerMedia in a statement.
We feel the same way, J.J. In the meantime, Abrams' next project Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters on December 20.
Related: J.J. Abrams Signs Exclusive Multi-Year Deal With WarnerMedia