Jennifer Lawrence's new movie sparks bidding war
And why 'The Suicide Squad' stumbled in theaters
What to know
Why The Suicide Squad stumbled at the box office… could it be the Delta variant? The R rating? The lack of really big stars or really recognizable characters? The HBO Max release? Probably all of the above. I watched it, it was good. Not 91% on RottenTomatoes good, but still. Guardians was better, but that’s OK 😱
Apple and Netflix are in a bidding war for Jennifer Lawrence’s new movie… Lawrence will play legendary agent Sue Mengers in what’s being called “Oscar bait.” Wherever this project ends up, it’s going to cost them a pretty penny ($95 million potentially). I’m just excited for J Law to return to the circuit, it’s been a while. 💵
A Stranger Things spinoff might happen… In “no, duh” news, of course Netflix would want to keep one of its most popular tent poles going. You don’t leave homegrown IP like that on the table once the series ends 🙃
Apple orders Vince Vaughn drama series from Bill Lawrence… If Ted Lasso is any example, it’s good to be in the Bill Lawrence business and Apple isn’t about to ditch him now. While this is being billed as a drama and seems to have crime elements, something tells me that Vaughn and Lawrence will make it snappy. 🍎
Sterling K. Brown books Amazon action movie from John Wick writer… Yo, Sterling K. Brown action star is exactly what this world needs right now! This is very good news! 👏
Movie theater owners are reportedly all about vaccine mandates… That’s one way to get butts back in seats 💉
Catherine Zeta-Jones to play Morticia Addams in Tim Burton’s Wednesday series… sounds about right ⚰️
Nicole Byer books Netflix comedy special… Netflix nailed it with this one 🧁
Take a look at Muppets Haunted Mansion… Disney is cranking out Halloween specials for all its properties 🎃
Dropping this week:
Reservation Dogs — Aug 9 FX on Hulu comedy series | RT 100%
Marvel’s What If — Aug 11 Disney+ animated series | RT
Brooklyn Nine-Nine s8 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 86%
Brand New Cherry Flavor — Aug 13 Netflix horror series | RT
Heels — Aug 15 Starz wrestling drama series | RT 100%
What to watch
Vivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s second of four movie musicals this year, dropped on Friday to not much fanfare — and yet this Sony-produced animated feature quickly climbed the Netflix charts, landing in the top 10. Audiences caught on to what film Twitter missed: It’s a heartwarming, vivid romp that borrows from the best of Pixar while infusing Miranda’s predictably powerful music.
Imagine Up crossed with Finding Nemo by way of Cuba and you start to understand the essence of Vivo. The emotional first act and third act work wonders, while the sillier middle part, driven mostly by talking animals, drags just a bit. Thankfully, the handful of tuneful new Lin-Manuel Miranda songs keeps the river raft afloat the entire run time. Fans of Miranda’s work will recognize his rapping techniques, Latin musical influences, intricate rhyme schemes, and catchy melodies — but will be surprised to hear it filtered through a more pop production sensibility.
Miranda also voices the titular kinkajou, adding “nuanced voice actor” to his never-ending list of hyphens. And speaking of voice actors, 13-year-old newcomer Ynairaly Simo does a remarkable job grounding Gabi, our absurdly exaggerated young heroine. Vivo doesn’t do much reinventing but with its charming beat and surprisingly deep core, you’ll hardly notice.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!