Apple will release its first major original movie, 'The Banker,' after reviewing allegations of sexual abuse against a producer
- Apple will release its first major original movie, "The Banker," to theaters and on Apple TV Plus in March after reviewing allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers.
- Bernard Garrett, Jr. - who is also the son of one of the movie's real-life subjects - was accused by his half sisters of molesting them when they were young.
- After the allegations were brought to Apple's attention, it delayed the movie's original December release.
- Apple bought the worldwide rights to "The Banker" for $20 million, according to The New York Times.
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Apple has decided to release its first major original movie, "The Banker," in March after delaying its initial December release in order to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers.
"We wanted to take the time to understand the situation at hand - and after reviewing the information available to us, including documentation of the filmmakers' research, we've decided to make this important and enlightening film available to viewers," Apple said in a statement to Variety.
"The Banker" will hit theaters on March 6 and then Apple's streaming platform, Apple TV Plus, on March 20. It was original set for a theatrical release on December 6. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie.
Apple bought the worldwide rights to "The Banker" in June for $20 million after watching an eight-minute sizzle reel, The New York Times reported. Apple then abruptly canceled the movie's AFI Fest premiere in November, saying "concerns surrounding the film" had been brought to its attention.
Those concerns regarded allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers, Bernard Garrett Jr., who is also the son of the movie's real-life subject, Bernard Garrett Sr., who is played by Mackie. Garrett Jr.'s half sisters accused him of molesting them when they were young, The Hollywood Reporter first reported.
Garrett Jr. issued a statement to Deadline in December denying the accusations, saying the alleged molestation "simply never happened."
The movie's director, George Nolfi, told Deadline in December that Garrett Jr. requested that his credit as a coproducer be removed from the movie. His name was then removed from the project.
Some filmmakers, actors, and crew members signed a statement in December defending the movie, saying, "The film itself is not based on the recollections of any of Bernard Garrett Sr's children, but rather, on recorded interviews with Bernard Garrett Sr himself, conducted in 1995, supported by congressional transcripts, court rulings, and other media articles from the era. We stand by the film, and its positive message of empowerment."
- Read more of Business Insider's coverage of Apple's "The Banker"
- Apple canceled the premiere of 'The Banker,' its first major movie, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, as it investigates 'concerns surrounding the film'
- Apple's 'The Banker' crew and actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, defended the movie after its real-life subject's son was accused of sexual abuse
- Apple reportedly paid $20 million for the 'The Banker,' its first major movie whose release is now in doubt
