FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc. logo is shown outside the company's 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S. June 13, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo

(Reuters) - Apple Inc AAPL.O has inked a multi-year deal with A24, the studio behind Oscar-winning projects "Moonlight" and "Amy", a source familiar with the plans told Reuters, as the iPhone maker pushes deeper into original content and movies.

Apple, which had allocated an initial $1 billion for programming, earlier inked deals with Hollywood celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and ordered two seasons of a series starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston to bring in more content for its users.

Other projects Apple had announced include a remake of Steven Spielberg’s 1980s science fiction anthology series “Amazing Stories,” based on Isaac Asimov’s influential “Foundation” science fiction novels, and a drama from “La La Land” movie director Damian Chazelle.

New York-based A24’s Academy Award nominations include “Lady Bird” and “Room”.

The deal comes at a time when top online streaming service providers including Netflix Inc NFLX.O, Amazon.com Inc's AMZN.O Prime Video and Time Warner Inc's TWX.N HBO are spending billions to create original content.

(This story has been refilled to correct fourth paragraph to say “Lady Bird” and “Room”)