The Banker: Apple abruptly cancels premiere of its first major film

Apple has caused a stir by abruptly canceling the world premiere of its film The Banker at the AFI Festival in Hollywood on Wednesday.

The Banker is based on the true-life story of two black entrepreneurs who amassed a fortune by pretending their company was run by a white man, and features top-names including Samuel L Jackson and the Marvel star Anthony Mackie.

The film was set to premiere on Thursday night as the closing film for the festival.

The news throws into question the future of a film that was supposed to be a major debut for Apple. The Banker was set to be the tech company’s first film release on its new streaming platform, Apple+.

After launching Apple+ this month, insiders theorized that Apple hoped the film would become a critical darling and a possible Oscar contender, competing with other streaming platforms’ growing film presence. (Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, was a hit for Netflix last year, receiving an Oscar best picture nomination.)

Apple released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:

“We purchased The Banker earlier this year as we were moved by the film’s entertaining and educational story about social change and financial literacy. Last week some concerns surrounding the film were brought to our attention. We, along with the film-makers, need some time to look into these matters and determine the best next steps. In light of this, we are no longer premiering The Banker at AFI Fest.”

While the details of the “concerns” remain vague, Deadline reported that the decision to cancel the film’s premiere comes amid “potentially damaging” allegations against one of the film’s subjects, according to sources.

AFI Festival will now screen Netflix’s Marriage Story, which stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, during The Banker’s time slot.