Ridley Scott’s 11-Year-Old Sci-Fi Classic Is Officially Taking Over Apple TV
Apple TV has begun adding acclaimed films from outside its usual library of Apple-produced originals, including Ridley Scott's 2015 sci-fi film The Martian. The move marks a shift for the streamer, which has traditionally focused almost exclusively on exclusive, in-house productions, and appears aimed at broadening its appeal amid competition from rival streaming services.
The additions appear under a new catalogue section called "Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV," which currently features 19 titles spanning the 1990s through to 2015, all available to subscribers at no extra cost. The Martian, based on Andy Weir's novel and starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars, is among the standout inclusions and has already climbed to number six on Apple TV's charts within days of becoming available. It remains unclear whether this represents a lasting strategic shift or a temporary expansion of the platform's library.
- Apple TV now offers acclaimed non-original films, including The Martian
- New "Great Movies" section features 19 titles at no extra cost
- The Martian has already risen to number six on Apple's charts
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Apple TV, the streaming service Apple launched in 2019, has historically been known for a relatively small library of its own original films and shows, rather than the vast back catalogues offered by rivals such as Netflix or Disney+. That approach appears to be changing, with the platform now adding well-regarded films it didn't produce itself into a dedicated new section of its catalogue.
One of the films included in this expansion is The Martian, Ridley Scott's 2015 science fiction film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded alone on Mars, based on the novel by Andy Weir. It was a commercial and critical success on its original release and is being cited as a notable example of the kind of established, popular title Apple is now making available to subscribers at no extra cost.
This matters because streaming services are under constant pressure to attract and keep subscribers in a crowded market, and the range of content on offer, original or otherwise, is a major factor in that competition. Apple TV's move to broaden its library beyond in-house productions could signal a change in strategy, though it is not yet clear whether this is a permanent shift or a short-term addition.