'Barbie' first reactions in — but hold on
And a first look at Wolverine's return
What to know
Barbie first reactions are strong, but weren’t from critics… There’s been a bit of speculation among film pundits that Barbie might not be great. It’s still going to do amazing at the box office, but WB doesn’t want to kill its strong momentum with bad word of mouth. So what we’re seeing from the premiere are rave reactions from a hand-selected crowd of fans and influencers but nothing from any real critics. I’ve written previously about how studios cherry pick people that will give them favorable early reactions ahead of the actual reviews. Sometimes the critics end up being in line with the first reactors but usually they’re, well, more critical. WB wants you to think Barbie is amazing, but know the consensus is not out yet. 💄
Get the entertainment news, reviews, and recs you need to know — not just what’s trending.
Wall Street analyst upgrades Netflix’s stock outlook due to the success of password sharing crackdown… Good for Netflix, there doesn’t seem to be a big backlash to the crackdown but instead more people paying $7-$20 a month. That said, Netflix didn’t exactly make it easy for everyone. In my experience, figuring out how to get Netflix for 4 households all previously using one account at the cheapest cost was a logistical nightmare. 🍿
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland working on 28 Years Later… After numerous subversions, meta takes, long-running shows, and fungul reinventions, the zombie renaissance that started with 28 Days Later has all but run its course. That said, if I trust anyone with one last fresh idea it’s Boyle and Garland. 🧟♀️
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in classic X-Men suit in first Deadpool 3 image, Jennifer Garner returning as Elektra for cameo role… It appears the multiverse shenanigans are still afoot in the MCU, but I’m hopeful that it will be fun and not tiresome because this is Deadpool after all. ⚔️
A Transparent Musical eyeing Broadway in 2024… Yes, based on the TV show. Creator Joey Solloway co-wrote the book for the musical. While there are plenty of Broadway musicals based on movies, there is only one in history of Broadway based on a property that originated as TV show, Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical. 🎭
Neon will put out Michael Mann’s Ferrari starring Adam Driver this year… At last we’ll get to see the movie behind this dapper picture. 😎
The Coen brothers will reunite for a future project… Much to our benefit, they couldn’t stay apart for long. 👍
The Flash is the worst superhero box office failure ever… Gone in a flash. 😬
Upgrade to a full Pop Culture Brain Daily subscription for $1/month or $6/year.
What’s new
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One — July 12 | Action movie | 🍅 99%
Full Circle — July 13 | Max Soderbergh drama series | 🍅 83%
Bird Box Barcelona — July 14 | Netflix sci-fi thriller film | 🍅 80%
Returning: What We Do in the Shadows s5, Foundation s2, The Summer I Turned Pretty s2, Miracle Workers s4, The Afterparty s2
What to watch
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!