Apple is considering a move into original TV and film production, and had tried to sign up Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear team, according to Variety.

Their "unprecedented bid" was not successful, however: in July Amazon signed Clarkson and his crew for their new streaming service, Amazon Prime.

Early speculation put the sum for Jeremy Clarkson and co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond as high as $250m for a 36-episode, three year deal.

Although rumours about Apple's interest in Hollywood have been circulating for a long time, this move is still in its early stages. Variety reports that Apple has been having conversations with a range of Hollywood producers about content creation.

It is not clear whether the focus will be on film, TV or a mix of both.

Headhunting talent is said to be a priority, and Apple has plenty of money to spend — even if it didn't manage to sign the Top Gear crew.

It's reported that Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue is in charge of the move into streaming TV and movies for Apple users. The company's current offering, Apple TV, is set to be refreshed at the new iPhone launch this month.