Amazon's biggest hit gets 2nd spinoff
And David Zaslav is a cartoon villain at this point
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What to know
The Boys getting Mexico-set spinoff… The first live-action Boys spinoff Gen V just wrapped its first season, becoming a big hit with critics as well as fans — and topping the streaming charts in early October. So it’s no surprise Amazon would order up more. The streamer is reportedly developing a Spanish-language series based on the comic that would be set in Mexico City. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal are in talks to executive produce, and are considering taking small roles in the show as well. While Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer has been hired to pen the series. Amazon has shown interest in the past in building out international franchises. Its high budget spy series Citadel was set to have numerous global spinoffs, but what they’re doing with The Boys is much more organic. Let the show be a hit first and then do international spinoffs rather than trying to force it before the flagship series has even premiered. It has not been confirmed whether all these Boys spinoffs will coalesce into a team-up series, a la Marvel, but they would be silly not to. 🇲🇽
David Zaslav praises WBD for having “courage” to lay people off and shelf content… David Zaslav is like a cartoon villain at this point. While speaking at a recent conference he twice used the word “courage” to describe the lay offs and culling of content Warner Bros. Discovery carried out in recent years. Maybe you shouldn’t be using that word to describe firing people and erasing their work Maximizing corporate profits isn’t courageous work. Pulling people out of burning buildings is courageous. Treating pediatric cancer patients is courageous . Maybe Zaslav should have said it took cold blooded efficiency or an inhuman level of emotional ambivalence. I don’t know. Maybe take words away from this dude? 🤔
Killers of the Flower Moon is coming to VOD January 25… That’s a long time to wait still. Do they think it’s going to keep doing box office business? Cause I’m not so sure about that. Also this is an Apple movie, so um, when is tech company going to drop the film on its streaming service? 🧐
New Broadway musical Lempicka showcases art outside theater rather than production stills and reviews… Makes sense for a show about Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka to showcase her art, but will this sell tickets? I’m not too sure. Regardless, it’s a novel and refreshing strategy. 🎭
The first reactions to Wonka are surprisingly positive… As always take early reviews with many grains of salt, I’m sure the actual reviews will be more tempered. That said, critics and journalists seem to like Chalamet, the music, and the magic of this musical prequel. 🍫
Nicolas Cage and Lenny Kravitz participated in the same high school production of Oklahoma!… Cage was in the cast, Kravitz played drums in the pit. This is the type of delightful news I did not know I needed today. 😮
Rob Reiner says Spinal Tap sequel filming in February, Paul McCartney and Elton John will appear… News of this sequel isn’t new, but a production date and some big cameos certainly is. I guess this could be good, but it also feels a decade or two too late. 🎸
Sebastian Stan is going to play a young Donald Trump in a movie called The Apprentice… Also starring Jeremy Strong and Maria Bakalova. I wasn’t sure at first, but then they got me at Strong and Bakalova. 🏢
Squid Game: The Challenge is so huge, it returned the original to Netflix’s Top 10… Netflix was smart to make this reality show, despite the controversies. I haven’t watched any of it yet, but have heard good things. 🦑
Weird Al shades Spotify in Spotify Wrapped thank you message… The comedian jokes he got 80 million listens this year, meaning he made $12. Amazing protest in action. Spotify should be embarrassed! 😂
Michelle Williams to star in FX series Dying for Sex from Liz Meriweather and Leslye Headland… That’s a potent combination of talent and network. Color me intrigued. 👏
Tom Holland actively engaged in Spider-Man 4 talks… He claims he won’t do it just to do it, but I’m sure Sony is going to make him a generous offer to continue. 🕷️
Spirited Away: Live on Stage coming to Max on Dec. 24… Between this and The Boy and The Heron, Studio Ghibli fans are eating this December. 🇯🇵
Timothy Olyphant joining Noah Hawley’s Alien series… Which is apparently still happening. Olyphant is good news though! 👽
Universal is working to replenish the sold-out stock of Oppenheimer 4K Blu-rays… Oppenheimer, making 2023 2013 again. 📀
Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving is getting a sequel… Cause everyone in Hollywood is thankful for horror films. 🦃
The Oscars are going to start at 7 PM ET this year… As an old man, this is great news for my sleep. 😴
Kate McKinnon, Adam Driver to host SNL in December… Great! 🗽
What’s new
The Artful Dodger — Nov 29 | Hulu drama series | Ⓜ️ 69
Candy Cane Lane — Dec 1 | Amazon holiday comedy movie | Ⓜ️
May December — Dec 1 | Netflix drama film | Ⓜ️ 85
Godzilla Minus One — Dec 1 | Monster movie in theaters | Ⓜ️ 82
Silent Night — Dec 1 | Holiday action movie in theaters | Ⓜ️ 51
Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé — Dec 1 | Concert film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 89
Returning: Slow Horses s3, Power Book III: Raising Kanan s3
What to watch
TV Trailer: Ted — Jan 11 on Peacock
Created by Seth MacFarlane, starring MacFarlane, Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes, Max Burkholder, and Giorgia Whigham.
Seth MacFarlane’s Ted, the 2012 comedy film starring Mark Wahlberg and MacFarlane as a talking teddy bear, seems like a distant memory these days. But alas, it made $550 million worldwide off a $50 million budget — a feat that seems nearly impossible considering the state of comedy in theaters today. It would go on to have a 2015 sequel that while not the monster hit of the original, still did alright, pulling in $217M off a $68M budget. All that’s to say, this was a big franchise, but up until right now, does it feel as essential or talked about as some other comedy mega-hits of the era like The Hangover or Bridesmaids? I’m not sure. NBCU and Peacock hope the franchise’s legacy will speak for itself—not unlike the titular bear—with this new show. The good news is this trailer is funny and in the exact spirit of the films. Nothing seems to have been pared back or cleaned up in the interim years or its transfer to the small screen. I’m also quite impressed with Max Burkholder (John) from this trailer alone. He seems to have a warm and commanding presence, while also doing a slight Mark Wahlberg impression. The accent really works. This looks like so many period-set coming of age series (specifically The Goldbergs), but the way MacFarlane is subverting that genre is keeping it fresh. I’m on board.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!