David Farnor | On 03, Feb 2020

Apple TV+ has now confirmed that The Banker will be released this March.

The drama, based on true events, is directed by George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) and centres on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racially oppressive establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire – while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built.

The film was originally set to premiere at AFI Fest last November, marking Apple’s debut as a theatrical distributor. Just before the premiere, though, Apple pulled the film after allegations against Bernard Garrett Jr – the son of Garrett Sr (played by Mackie in the film) – was accused by his half-sisters of historical sexual assault.

Garrett Jr denied the accusations and Apple TV+ conducted an investigation. In the meantime, Garrett Jr’s name was removed from the credits.

Now, Apple TV+ has confirmed that the film will be released online on 20th March.

“We created Apple TV Plus as a home for stories that matter and believe The Banker, inspired by the brave actions of Bernard Garrett Sr. and Joe Morris, two African American businessmen who brought about positive social change, is one of those stories,” a spokesperson told Variety.

“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,”

 

What’s going on with Apple TV+ film The Banker?

3rd January 2020

With awards season stepping up a gear at the start of a new year, one would-be contender is absent from the race: Apple TV+’s The Banker. While the tech giant’s streaming service has earned deserved nominations for The Morning Show at the Golden Globes, its plan to spotlight its original movies with the release of its first major film has run aground.

The drama, based on true events, is directed by George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) and centres on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racially oppressive establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire – while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built.

Originally set to premiere at AFI Fest in November, The Banker was then meant to go on to hit US cinemas on 6th December, before arriving on the streaming platform this month.

With a star-studded cast and intriguing premise, the film looked set to drawn some acclaim. Instead, it has disappeared from Apple TV+’s immediate line-up. So what’s happened?

The answer goes back to the end of 2019, when co-producer Bernard Garrett Jr – the son of Garrett Sr (played by Mackie in the film) – was accused by his half-sisters of sexually abusing them when they were young.

Garrett Jr has denied the accusations, although his name has been removed from the film’s credits. The cast and crew, meanwhile, have stood behind the movie, releasing this statement in December 2019:

“We set out to tell a story we were very passionate about, recounting the remarkable lives of Bernard Garrett Sr and Joe Morris, and their ground-breaking achievements combating racial inequality in the 1950s and 60s. Though we have no way of knowing what may have transpired between Mr Garrett’s children in the 1970s, including the allegations of abuse we have recently been made aware of, our hearts go out to anyone who has suffered. 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.”

Apple TV+ has now pulled The Banker’s release, as it investigates the allegations. Whether it will eventually get a future release is not yet clear.

 

The Banker: Trailer lands for Apple TV+ film

13th November 2019

While most of the attention surrounding the newly launched Apple TV+ has focused on the streaming platform’s TV originals, the tech giant has also been lining up a string of movies to debut exclusively on its service. Hot on the heels of The Elephant Queen, which was the sole film available at launch, comes another well-known creature: The Banker.

Based on a true story, The Banker centres on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racially oppressive establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire – while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built.

The drama is directed by George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) and produced by Joe Viertel. Brad Feinstein produced under his Romulus Entertainment banner, along with producers Nolfi, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Baker, David Lewis Smith and Anthony Mackie. The executive producers are Joseph F. Ingrassia, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Greenfield, David Gendron and Ali Jazayeri. “The Banker” is written by Niceole Levy, George Nolfi, David Lewis Smith and Stan Younger from a story by David Lewis Smith, Stan Younger and Brad Caleb Kane.

The Banker will be released in US cinemas on 6th December and arrive on the streaming platform in January 2020.

Here’s the trailer:

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