What to know
WB and AMC agree to 45-day release window… OK so, the day-and-date release is likely dead after 2021, but I’ll take a 45-day window! That’s shorter than it used to be and on par with what Paramount is currently doing. 45 days doesn’t seem like such a long time to wait to watch new movies at home 📆
Rowan Blanchard and Auli’i Cravalho to star in queer teen rom com at Hulu… Disney is graduating these young stars from Girl Meets World and Moana to Hulu and more grown-up material, positioning them bot for big careers. With Natasha Lyonne and Maya Rudolph producing, this project is for sure one to watch. Bonus points to Hulu and company for casting queer women in queer roles. ❤️
Idris Elba to voice Knuckles in Sonic 2 movie… Wait, what?! That’s some inspired casting right there. If The Suicide Squad is any indication, it’s clear Elba is ready to let loose and play with his persona 👊
Queen is considering a Bohemian Rhapsody sequel… umm, how? Here’s a free idea for Brian May: Make your gonzo post-apocalyptic jukebox musical We Will Rock You into a movie 🎸
The Green Knight gets one-night-only digital screening… If you’re free on August 18 at 9 PM, you can watch this buzzy new fantasy pic at home. I’m glad A24 is doing this again as its digital screening room for Minari was very convenient and a pretty cool experience for movie fans 🗡
Robin comes out as bisexual in new Batman comic… mazel tov, Robin! 🏳️🌈
How I Met Your Father meets its ensemble… and no surprise, it’s much more diverse than the first time around 🍎
Margot Robbie joins Wes Anderson’s next pic… unfortunately she won’t be playing Harley Quinn in it 🎬
Barb and Star to play Alamo Drafthouse theaters in September… bring your culottes 👖
Dropping this week:
Reservation Dogs — Aug 9 FX on Hulu comedy series | RT 100%
Marvel’s What If — Aug 11 Disney+ animated series | RT 89%
Brooklyn Nine-Nines8 premiere — Aug 12 NBC sitcom | RT
CODA — Aug 13 Apple drama film | RT 95%
Free Guy — Aug 13 in theaters Ryan Reynolds action comedy | RT 85%
Brand New Cherry Flavor — Aug 13 Netflix horror series | RT 100%
Heels — Aug 15 Starz wrestling drama series | RT 100%
What to watch
I probably don’t need to be recommending a Star Wars show, and yet The Bad Batch, about to air its season one finale on Disney+ Friday, deserves a bit of a special shoutout. For 15 weeks, the animated follow up to The Clone Wars has been consistently excellent, better than it has any right to be really. I kept expecting there to be a weak episode or filler installment (the previous Star Wars animated series had plenty) and it never showed up. If you watch The Mandalorian, you’re probably familiar with Dave Filoni’s force hold on what makes Star Wars tick and his mastery of crafting multi-episode arcs. He along with Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau bring everything they’ve learned up to this point to Bad Batch. Though most of the ensemble cast is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, each character has a deep and rich inner life. Their journey reflects and intersects with the greater Star Wars universe both literally and figuratively. On a thematic level, Filoni and company again revisit the grizzled veteran(s) apprenticing a young wide-eyed prodigy. It shows up in every Star War prior and is tweaked just slightly here to feel familiar but fresh. On a literal level, this series fills in canon background between the prequels and original trilogy while also crossing over with Rebels and Mandalorian. All of that has been very exciting for diehard fans, but as a more casual Star Wars goer I can confirm that the series works just as well if you don’t have every droid, creature, and planet memorized. It’s not just for completists. What it boils down to is superb science fiction-action storytelling and well-drawn (forgive the pun), relatable characters — you know, the reasons so many were drawn to Star Wars in the first place.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!