Apple Studios has recently experienced a significant shift in its film strategy, finally achieving a theatrical blockbuster with the release of F1 last year. The sports drama garnered over $630 million at the worldwide box office and secured a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, a major milestone for the tech giant's film division. This success, however, followed a period of big-budget theatrical disappointments, including the historical drama Napoleon, the action comedy Argylle, and the crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon. While Apple's Coda previously made history as the first streaming movie to win the Best Picture Oscar, F1's performance marked a crucial breakthrough in traditional theatrical distribution.

Amidst this backdrop, another film from Apple's recent theatrical slate, Fly Me to the Moon, has found its audience on streaming after a challenging run at the box office. Released theatrically in 2024 in collaboration with Sony, Fly Me to the Moon is a period romantic comedy starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. Directed by Greg Berlanti, with a screenplay by Keenan Flynn, Bill Kirstein, and Rose Gilroy, the film was not in a genre typically considered a box office behemoth.

Despite the considerable star power of Johansson and Tatum, Fly Me to the Moon struggled to connect with theatrical audiences, grossing only around $40 million worldwide against a reported $100 million budget. Critics offered mixed reviews, resulting in a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus acknowledged the lead actors'