The Exec Who Greenlit Game Of Thrones Is Joining Apple

iPhone company Apple is making a big hire for its newly launched TV and film business. It has been reported that former HBO CEO Richard Plepler will be heading up a production company within Apple to create new content for the nascent Apple TV+.

According to Deadline, Plepler considered other, unspecified companies before agreeing to go with Apple. His specific deal with Apple is still being negotiated, according to reports.

Apple TV+ launched on November 1 with new shows including The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and See featuring Aquaman star Jason Momoa. Another show, Dickinson, stars Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson.

Plepler spent close to 30 years at HBO before stepping down earlier this year during AT&T's takeover of HBO parent company WarnerMedia. In his decades-long career at HBO, Plepler greenlit a number of high-profile shows, including Game of Thrones and Veep. He was also instrumental in getting new platform projects off the ground such as HBO Go and HBO Now.

According to Deadline, "Plepler's goal is to deliver as a producer the kind of high-quality series he championed as a top executive at HBO, including Game of Thrones."

The news about Plepler moving to Apple comes just as Disney launches its own streaming service, Disney+.