I thought we were done with ads
And classic comedy series eyes Broadway
What to know:
Warner finally has a way to get ads on HBO Movies, Netflix CEO says “never say never” to ads… The advertising dam appears to breaking all over Hollywood. First Disney+ announced an ad-supported tier and now Warner (and maybe Netflix) are eyeing a future with commercials. For now, privileged subscribers with enough funds can still pay up to avoid ads — but those costs start to tally up. Will the ad-free future promised by HBO in the late twentieth century and Netflix in the twenty-first last? 📺
The Griswold’s Broadway Vacation stage musical sets Seattle debut… “Movies make good musicals? Well, they make musicals.” — title of show. Alas, I’m optimistic about the Broadway-aimed musical adaptation of National Lampoon’s Vacation series only because it appears to be a new story featuring the characters rather than a straight adapt. That tells me they’re doing something interesting here. Time will tell. 🎭
Giancarlo Esposito to lead AMC drama The Driver… I feel kind of bad for AMC. It was on top of the world for half a decade there, but its lack of connection to a major streamer seems to have made it an afterthought in the modern peak TV landscape. It’s exciting that Esposito will lead a show, but it also feels like AMC just trying to keep Breaking Bad viewers engaged. 🤔
Rose Byrne barely recognizable as Elvis in new musical comedy film about celeb impersonators… Headline MADLibs alert! 🚨
Nick Offerman joins William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Skyer Gisondo in Peacock’s The Resort… More Nick Offerman is good Nick Offerman. 🦚
Florence Pugh in talks to join Dune 2… More Florence Pugh is good Florence Pugh. 👏
Man who used COVID loan to buy Pokémon card sentenced to prison… Was it worth it? 👮♀️
What’s new this week:
The Thing About Pam — Mar 8 | NBC drama series | 🍅 46%
Turning Red — Mar 11 | Disney+ Pixar movie | 🍅 94%
The Adam Project — Mar 11 | Netflix sci-fi movie | 🍅
For more pop culture news, discussion, and what-to-watch recommendations subscribe to my pals over on the Kickball Friends podcast. 🎙
What to watch:
TV Trailer: DMZ - March 17 on HBO Max
Created by Roberto Patina, exec produced and pilot directed by Ava DuVernay, starring Rosario Dawson, Benjamin Bratt, Rutina Wesley, Mamie Gummer, Nora Dunn, Henry G. Sanders, Venus Ariel, Jade Wu, Rey Gallegos, Agam Darshi, and Juani Feliz.
I’ve been on record as having dystopia fatigue. For example, I believe The Handmaid’s Tale was unwatchable after season one. But I’ve got some cautious optimism about DMZ. It start with Rosario Dawson and her grounded humanity, then extends to the rest of the smart casting choices including Benjamin Bratt and Mamie Gummer. Even the premise, in which the U.S. has been torn apart by civil war, feels oddly resonant. I appreciate that this series doesn’t appear to just be about surviving in dystopia, but instead focuses on the factions and shadow organizations that rise in a vacuum of power. That at least makes things a little more interesting. Additionally, I’m here for the evocative imagery (the fallen Empire State Building, the urban cheetah) even though it’s likely ripped from the graphic novel on which this is based. Something tells me DMZ will come and go on HBO Max without much fanfare, but if you’re into this genre — set your calendar.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!