Why Apple’s ‘Amazing Stories’ Showrunner Bryan Fuller Bowed Out Of Project

The showrunner on Apple’s upcoming “Amazing Stories” reboot, Bryan Fuller, has apparently decided to bow out of the project. Fuller reportedly made his decision after Apple requested that the series be made more family friendly.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed Wednesday that Fuller exited the anthology citing creative differences. The split was said to be amicable, so Apple and Universal Television are now looking for someone to replace Fuller, who originally developed the reboot for NBC before moving to the Cupertino giant with a series pickup.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Fuller parted ways with Apple because he wanted to turn “Amazing Stories” into a “Black Mirror”-type of show. The iPhone X maker, on the other hand, wants the series to have family friendly content to ensure that it will appeal to a wider audience and be tame enough to be shown in an Apple Store.

The original version of the science fiction and horror series created by Steven Spielberg originally ran from 1985 to 1987 on NBC. “Amazing Stories” followed a format that’s similar to “Tales From the Crypt” and “Twilight Zone” by featuring a new topic each episode. During its two-year run on NBC, the show bagged five Emmy Awards.

Fuller was first attached to the revival in October 2015 while it was being set up at NBC. He was supposed to write the original script for the reboot before Spielberg became involved in the revival. When Spielberg joined the project, he moved it to Apple after reaching a deal with the tech giant. The move then made Fuller the showrunner and an executive producer alongside Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and Hart Hanson, who has also left the project as of writing.

This isn’t the first time that Fuller is exiting a project before it could reach fruition. MacRumors reports that Fuller also cut ties with several other projects in the past, including “Star Trek: Discovery” and “American Gods,” due to creative and financial differences.

Despite Fuller and Hanson’s exit, Apple will move forward with its plan to create 10 new episodes of the “Amazing Stories” reboot. The company is reportedly spending $5 million per episode, but production has yet to start. It’s also not clear when the series will launch.

Meanwhile, Apple is said to be spending $1 billion on scripted originals. The roster of shows it is making includes a morning show drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, a space drama from Ron Moore (known for being the creator of “Battlestar Galactica”), a futuristic drama by renowned screenwriter Steven Knight and a comedy starring “SNL” alum Kristen Wiig.