Apple doesn’t let villains in movies to use iPhones, Knives Out director reveals

Everyone must have regularly seen iPhones being used in movies. But would anyone recall if iPhones were ever used by villains? Turns out Apple has a strict rule for filmmakers that iPhones featured in their movies should not be used by the villains.

This comes from Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson who revealed it in an interview with Vanity Fair. Talking about a scene from Knives Out, Johnson in between the interview reveals that Apple lets them use iPhones but on camera the villains can never have iPhones.

"Another funny thing, I don't know if I should say this or not. Not 'cause it's lascivious or something, but because it's gonna screw me on the next mystery movie that I write. But forget it, I'll say it, it's very interesting. Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies, but, and this is very pivotal, if you're ever watching a mystery movie, bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera," Johnson said.

Johnson also joked about how people will now find out the villain in mystery movies based on the phone they're using.

"So, there you, oh, no! Every single filmmaker who has a bad guy in their movie that's supposed to be a secret wants to murder me right now."

Johnson however did not get into the details of this deal with Apple. But it appears that Apple's deal is with not just him but other filmmakers as well. It would be fair to say that iPhones are the most easily recognizable in movies or TV shows. And they don't really need an introduction. But according to a CNET report, Apple is very dependent on product placement for its iPhones in movies and is even willing to let them have it for keeps.