Jony Ive executive produced an upcoming Apple TV+ animated short starring Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne and Jude Coward Nicoll.
- What’s happening? Ive, Apple’s former chief of all design across the company, can add “Apple TV+ Producer” to his resume—he collaborated with Woody Harrelson and director J.J. Abrams on a new Apple TV+ animated short.
- Why care? Because Ive had been Apple’s design tzar for 27 years.
- What to do? Mark your calendar. The upcoming animated film titled “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” will debut on Apple TV+ this Christmas Day.
Meet Jony Ive, Apple TV+ producer
Apple’s press release says the upcoming film is executive produced by Jony Ive and actor Woody Harrelson. “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” is based on a book of the same name by Charlie Mackesy [Apple Books link | Amazon link]. The animated film stars Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne and Jude Coward Nicoll.
Apple’s description of the project:
A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heartwarming, classically animated film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.” The poignant and heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse travelling together in the boy’s search for home.
The BBC will premiere “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” in the UK this Christmas. It will debut outside of the UK on Christmas Day via Apple TV+.
Why you should care
The most beloved Apple products were designed by Ive and his team. He even narrated most of Apple’s product videos (created by Ive’s team, not some agency).
Outside of Apple, the famed designer is said to have influenced the design of the lightsaber in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” It only seems natural to expand his video talents by helping bring “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” to Apple’s streaming service. Read: How to live stream to YouTube from iPhone, iPad and Mac
Even if adding Executive Producer to Ive’s list of post-Apple jobs doesn’t sound exciting, we’ll be making sure to give “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” a watch when it debuts on Apple TV+ because of Ive, a man of many talents.
Ive and fellow industrial designer Marc Newson started design consultancy LoveFrom after leaving Apple in 2019. It’s unclear if LoveFrom still counts Apple as a client, but Ive and LoveFrom were hired to help design new Ferrari vehicles.