Ezra Miller picks option A

And the early buzz on 'She-Hulk'

What to know

• Ezra Miller apologizes, says they are seeking mental health treatment… The controversial star appears to be putting their life back on track. As you’ll recall this was the first of WB’s three options for dealing with The Miller Problem. I’m sure the studio is happy that it won’t have to scrap The Flash for now. You never know what could happen before next summer. I hope Miller does get the help they appear to need, but I won’t be surprised if they’re mostly absent from the DC movie’s publicity tour. ⚡️

• Robert De Niro to play competing two mafia dons in Barry Levinson’s Wise Guys… Bobby D is returning to the organized crime genre, reuniting with Barry L on Warner Bros.’ theatrical-aimed Wise Guys. The 1950s-set feature is reportedly about warring patriarchs Vito Genovese and Frank Costello — and get this, De Niro “will be taking on both key roles.” He’s a regular Lindsay Lohan! The cherry on top? Goodfellas scribe Nicholas Pileggi wrote the script. Mamma mia! 🍝

• New Academy CEO signals the Oscars will return to form… Why? Did something happen this year??? Bill Kramer is signaling that all categories will return to the broadcast in 2023, that the show will have consistent “multiyear” producers, and that the Oscars should “feel like a massive celebration of cinema and the awards.” So a swing back to tradition, as I predicted the day after this year’s telecast. It was the only likely outcome. 🏆

• Almost 60% of Americans’ entertainment time is spent on ad-supported platforms… Which might be partly why all the streamers are adding ad tiers. Alas, the utopic future of ad-free TV was not meant to be. 📢

• Early reactions to She-Hulk episodes tout wacky comedic tone… Looks like Marvel’s got another winner, but let’s wait for the critics to weigh in before making any smash decisions. 🍅

• Coalition of 1,425 showrunners and directors raises $2.5M for abortion access… Nice! Now it’s time for the streamers and studios to step up! 👏

• The Tonight Show hits 30M subscribers on YouTube… In response, Jimmy Fallon threw his head back, laughed, and clapped. ▶️

• Disney taps Hawkeye directors for Big Thunder Mountain feature… Can they tame the wildest ride in the wilderness? 🚂

• Air Force One and Das Boot director Wolfgang Petersen has died at 81

What’s new

• On the Count of Three — Aug 17 | Netflix dark comedy film | 🍅 85%

• She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — Aug 18 | Disney+ Marvel comedy series | 🍅

• Bad Sisters — Aug 19 | Apple comedy thriller series | 🍅 100%

• House of the Dragon — Aug 21 | HBO drama series | 🍅

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What to watch

If you’re looking for a new show that you can binge in a day, Starstruck is sitting on HBO Max just waiting to be discovered. Created by and starring Kiwi comedian Rose Matafeo, this London-based episodic romcom is in the tradition of recent women-led, auteur-driven, London-based series like Fleabag, I Hate Suzie, Feel Good, and I May Destroy You. But Matafeo sets her show apart with a high concept (what if a regular girl accidentally beds a movie star?) and her hilarious, dry, very New Zealand sense of humor. Starstruck doesn’t forget the com in rom-com, providing at least a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments each episode. This genre has become the 2020s version of the 1990s’ comedian-driven sitcom (Roseanne, Seinfeld, Raymond etc), and Matafeo uses it to showcase herself as well as the best of those old sitcoms did for its stars. Matafeo’s character is magnetic, flawed, and really funny. Her personality shines and though the character is far from perfect, you’ll want to hang out with her and her friends — and you’ll root for her to make it work with her unlikely beau. It’s ironic then that Matafeo positions herself as the one being “starstruck” in the show, when in reality, we’re the ones being starstruck by her.

For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!