Have you ever noticed how bad guys in movies never use iPhones? Well, it's not a coincidence. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Star Wars director Rian Johnson revealed that Apple doesn’t allow bad guys in movies to use iPhones. Yes, really.
Johnson spoke to the outlet about his latest movie, the murder mystery Knives Out. Around the 2:50 mark in the video, he reveals a head-scratching fact about Apple’s restrictions on product placement. “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.”
According to Johnson, this restriction impacts storytelling, because it inadvertently reveals which characters are good and bad. "Every single filmmaker that has a bad guy in their movie that's supposed to be a secret wants to murder me right now," he joked.
MacRumors also noted that as part of Apple’s guidelines for using Apple trademarks and copyrights, the company says its products should only be shown "in the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favorably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc.”
Honestly, the entire revelation is an extremely lame move on Apple's part — everyone knows that movie villains are generally the best characters.
Watch Rian Johnson's interview below.
