COVID wreaks havoc on UK shoots
And a 'Happy Gilmore' video game?
What to know
COVID wreaks havoc on UK productions… Bridgerton season 2, GoT spinoff House of the Dragon, and the Matilda movie musical all had to shut down production in the UK this week due to on-set COVID-19 outbreaks. Could U.S. film and TV shoots be next? The delta variant is serious shit people. 🦠
Box office battles blaze on… Critics hated Space Jam 2, but audiences surprisingly turned out for it. Meanwhile, Black Widow took the biggest second-week tumble of any Marvel movie and theater owners are naturally blaming Disney+. Could this tank the future of day-and-date releases? We’ll see. Elsewhere, the Anthony Bourdain doc opened huge in limited release. 🎟
Not all of those Spider-Man: No Way Home rumors can be true… There’s A LOT of speculation around the new Spidey movie and its potential multiverseness. Cinemablend has a really clear headed story parsing out all the ridiculous rumors so you can set your expectations appropriately. Worth a read if you’re deep in the MCU 🕷
Adam Sandler was once pitched a Happy Gilmore video game… It would have combined golf and fighting — and now I’m furious it never happened. This sounds like a blast ⛳️
Grease prequel series Rise of the Pink Ladies ordered at Paramount+… I mean, why not! Rizzo, Frenchy, Marty, and Jan are dynamic enough characters to hold a high school period show. I just hope it’s a musical! 🎶
And the actors testing for Batgirl are… Zoey Deutch (The Politician), Leslie Grace (In the Heights), Isabela Merced (Dora), Haley Lu Richardson (Edge of Seventeen). Pretty solid list, I think 🦇
HBO is spending 8 figures an episode on The Last of Us… hope it’s good! 🎮
The Green Knight delights according to early reactions… get ready folks 🗡
Lionsgate is making Clerks III happen… where there’s a Kevin Smith, there’s a way 🛑
The Foo Fighters drop Bee Gees cover album… you should be dancing, yeah 🎵
Dropping this week:
Turner & Hooch premiere — July 21 Disney+ comedy series | RT
Behind The Attraction — July 21 Disney+ doc series | RT
Ted Lasso s2 premiere — July 23 Apple comedy series | RT 100%
What to watch
If I told you that Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi have been starring in a TV comedy for the last 3 years, would you believe me? Such is the case of our post-peak TV world. Two pretty big movie stars can team up for dozens of super funny episodes and fly completely under the radar. But it’s true, Miracle Workers is a TBS anthology comedy created by the brilliant Simon Rich (SNL, Man Seeking Woman, An American Pickle), starring a repertory cast that includes Radcliffe, Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni, Jon Bass, and Lolly Adefope. Like a humorous American Horror Story, each season tells a different story with the same cast. The first season is a surreal, high concept allegory about the people who run heaven (Buscemi is a bored God, Radcliffe is a grunt who withholds miracles), while season two is a Medieval times-set reflection on small town life (Radcliffe is a spoiled prince, Buscemi is a literal shit shoveler). Season 3 is a western set on the Oregon trail. Each covers themes of love, family, class struggles, purpose, and the meaning of life. You know, the small stuff. Radcliffe and Buscemi are both excellent across the show and bring believability to Simon Rich’s big ideas. All of this might sound a little preposterous, but I promise you it’s 100% real.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!