Despite underwhelming performance thus far, Apple isn't giving up on its original programming ambitions. According to a report from The New York Times, the tech giant's entertainment plans are slowly but surely taking shape. Apple could reportedly push out a number of original series and films any time between March 2019 and summer of that same year.

The process may seem slow, but Apple isn't wasting time building out its projects. Since last fall, the company signed 12 content deals. Nine of those are "straight-to-series" shows, meaning they skip the traditional pilot-episode stage and will immediately become full series. New hires and former Sony execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg lead Apple Worldwide Video and are expanding the staff to about 40 people. They've also ordered separations within the entertainment division devoted to adult dramas, children's shows, and Latin American and European programming.

Only broad details about Apple's overall entertainment strategy have been revealed. According to the New York Times report, producers and executives that have met with Apple claim the company is partial to programming that's in line with "its bright, optimistic brand identity," signaling that we probably won't see any dark, Game of Thrones-esque shows coming from the iPhone maker.

Apple teased details about a few of its green-lit projects. The company recently signed Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston to star in a series about a morning TV show; Apple will also reboot Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories, and it will make a new space drama with the help of Battlestar Galactica and Outlander producer Ronald D. Moore. Apple also signed Damien Chazelle, director of La La Land and Whiplash, to work on a secret project, and it will come out with an animated series from the creator of Bob's Burgers.

So far, all of Apple's original programming lies behind a paywall. The few series Apple has produced, including Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke, are only available to Apple Music subscribers. However, no details have been released about what Apple plans to do with its forthcoming content. It's unclear if all content will live behind a paywall or if Apple will sequester its content in a TV app.

Apple won't have time on its side if its plans to debut original content in 2019 come to fruition. The original programming battle has already been raging among competitors, including Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, all of which have a number of original programs out already. But the company has the funds to compete (it has about $285 billion at its disposal), and it will likely surpass its promised $1 billion budget for original content this year.

Also aligned with Apple's 2019 timeframe is Disney's forthcoming streaming service, a wrench that all streaming companies will have to account for once it debuts. In September last year, Disney announced it will pull all of its content from Netflix and put it into a Disney streaming service that will come out in 2019. Disney- and Pixar-made shows and movies will live on this service, as will Star Wars and Marvel content and any new, original programming to come out of Mickey Mouse's parent company. Disney will likely also have a lot of 21st Century Fox content at its disposal, as long as its move to buy a huge chunk of the company for $52.4 billion goes through.