Apple TV+ Movie 'The Banker' AFI Fest Premiere Canceled as Apple Investigates Film 'Concerns' [Update: Theatrical Release Delayed Too]

Upcoming Apple TV+ film "The Banker" was set to have its world premiere at the AFI Fest in Hollywood on Thursday, but its debut has been postponed by Apple, reports Deadline.

Apple is holding the show to investigate "recently uncovered and potentially damaging charges" surfaced by a family member of the late Bernard Garrett Sr, who the movie is based on.


In a statement, Apple said that "concerns" surrounding the film were brought to the company's attention, and its premiere has been delayed as Apple investigates.

We purchased The Banker earlier this year as we were moved by the film's entertaining and educational story about social change and financial literacy. Last week some concerns surrounding the film were brought to our attention. We, along with the filmmakers, need some time to look into these matters and determine the best next steps. In light of this, we are no longer premiering The Banker at AFI Fest.

"The Banker" is based on the true story of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, who devised a plan to help African Americans get access to real estate deals and bank loans during the 1960s.

The film stars Samuel L. Jackson as Joe Morris and Anthony Mackie as Bernard Garett, along with Nicholas Hoult and Nia Long.

Apple has already set a theatrical release date of December 6 for the movie, and it's not yet clear if it will still come out on that date. Following its theatrical debut, "The Banker" was set to come out on ‌Apple TV‌+.

Update: Apple has delayed the theatrical release of "The Banker" and it's not yet clear if and when the movie will see a release.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...

Top Rated Comments

konqerror Avatar
70 months ago
Apple TV+ should make a show based on itself. It seems ideal: plenty of drama and social justice at the same time.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DDustiNN Avatar
70 months ago
Let me guess... someone was offended?
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alphaod Avatar
70 months ago

I mean it says someone related to the guy the movie is about has made "serious accusations" about him, so for all you know he could be a child rapist - is that not offensive enough for you?
Did he get accused of being a child rapist, because I didn't read that anywhere.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmoliv Avatar
70 months ago
Let me guess, the social justice "hero" the movie is about is a creep after all... :lol:
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danny842003 Avatar
70 months ago

So now Apple is playing "gate keeper" for what video content we can see and not see?
Their attempt to provide original content will be an epic failure.
Why? Because you take any movie/actors and someone somewhere will ALWAYS be offended.
And once you start rolling over to the demands of the rabble, you will never have any backbone to ever stand again.
i don’t think you can accuse them of being a gatekeeper by not releasing their own movie. When they start restricting other media then you can make all the claims you want.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonblatho Avatar
70 months ago

Did he get accused of being a child rapist, because I didn't read that anywhere.
I think it’s pretty obvious that the person was speculating as to how serious the accusation could be. In any case, whatever it is, the accusation is serious enough that AFI Fest did something “virtually unprecedented” in pulling the movie as its closing-night film, per the Deadline article linked in the story, pending more information.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)