Broadway's supply and demand problem
And rom-com reboot breaks HBO Max record
What to know
Broadway’s got too many shows, not enough audience members… Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical are all closing. Broadway came roaring back with more shows than ever, there just aren’t enough audience members (specifically tourists) to support them all. Soaring ticket prices aren’t great either. Indeed, the economic system of Broadway is all farkakte. Will going “mask optional” in July be the solution? 🎭
Stranger Things season 4 is still 767 million hours short of breaking Squid Game’s watch time record… This is an astonishing headline by Variety. Stranger Things s4 is big, but Squid Game is on an entirely different level across the globe. It’s funny to think about what we assume to be monoculture, up against the cold hard reality of what actually is. One can only imagine how huge Squid Game season 2 will be when it finally arrives. 🦑
Father of the Bride becomes HBO Max’s biggest streaming-only movie debut ever… Very clever of HBO Max to release this on Father’s Day weekend. This also supports the notion that when nostalgic IP is reheated correctly, it can make a big impact. Call it the Top Gun: Maverick rule. 👰♀️
Christian Bale wanted his Thor 4 character to have a Kate Bush dance scene… As if Kate Bush wasn’t having a big enough moment already. That would have really put her over the top. Alas, it was not meant to be. We’ll always have the upside down. 🎶
Obamas seek higher ground at Audible after ditching Spotify… I wonder if this had anything to do with the Joe Rogan drama? 🤔
The Bob’s Burgers Movie to hit HBO Max and Hulu July 12… We thank you, 45-day window, for your bountiful gifts. 🍔
Tom Holland’s Uncharted charts a course for Netflix next month… And we thank Netflix for picking up studio scraps. 🎮
Nielsen claims average adults still watch 3 hours of live TV a day… Did they only poll people in waiting rooms? 📺
What’s new
The Bear - June 23 | Hulu comedy series | 🍅 100%
Loot - June 24 | Apple TV+ comedy series | 🍅 80%
The Black Phone - June 24 | Horror in theaters | 🍅 88%
Elvis - June 24 | Musical biopic in theaters | 🍅 81%
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - June 24 | Indie comedy in select theaters | 🍅 100%
What to watch
TV Trailer: Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 — July 1 on Netflix
I’m a little more than halfway through Stranger Things 4 volume 1 and am really digging the show’s darker, more adult vibe. It’s reminiscent of how the Harry Potter books went down a more serious (Sirius?) path as its heroes aged. The Duffer Brothers stayed in the ‘80s pastiche but expanded past the show’s heavy Amblin influence to now include echoes of other genre titans from the era, like John Hughes and John Carpenter. The show is growing and maturing in fascinating and cathartic ways. I’ve heard some complaints about Stranger Things 4 being bloated, with criticisms pointed at the lengthy episode run times. This hasn’t bothered me much, as I enjoy all of the characters (and actors) enough to roll with the meandering subplots. I’m confident the Duffers will pull all the strings together. I’m all in on ST and am excited to see how it wraps up this season before heading into season five, which will be its last.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!