Hi everyone! Good news: I’m shifting the publishing schedule to weekday evenings. Monday & Tuesday edition will still be free, with Wednesday-Friday being available for subscription.
What to know
Raya and the Last Dragon underperformed at the box office and theaters are worried | Deadline
Disney’s newest toon debuted to $8.6M in theaters (it was also offered on Disney+ for a $30 surcharge). For context, Tom and Jerry did $12.5M last week (while also being free on HBO Max). Deadline attributes Raya’s soft opening to the movie not being in Cinemark theaters, but exhibitors are reportedly seeing this as a short-term bad omen. I’d really like to see the Disney+ numbers for Raya, but won’t hold my breath.
The Queen’s Gambit is being developed as a stage musical | Deadline
🎶 On the chess board, this redhead kills, now please give me those pills 🎶 No composers or writers yet, but a production company has acquired the rights and is in active development. Musicals take a VERY long time to happen, if they do at all, so it could be a while before we see Beth Harmon on stage. That said, I think the source material is perfect for a musical and would follow in Chess’ footsteps.
Colin Trevorrow’s canceled Star Wars Episode 9 is becoming a fan comic book | CinemaBlend
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow was initially supposed to write and direct Star Wars Episode 9. His script leaked last year, to the delight of certain fans who hated JJ Abrams’ Rise of Skywalker, and now it’s becoming a fan-made comic book. I personally don’t think fans would have liked Trevorrow’s eventual movie much more than Abrams’ — but sure, let’s imagine what could have been.
“WandaVision failed to deliver things that were never promised to me” | Collider
A lot is being said and written about WandaVision. I’m on record liking its very Marvel finale, but understand the story qualms some have. The thing I can’t get behind is anger over it under delivering based on people’s imagined expectations. This sarcastic piece from Collider perfectly sums up that sentiment.
Also...
Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan drew bigger ratings than the Emmys and Golden Globes combined … have you heard about this?! 😛
Pepe Le Pew won’t be in Space Jam 2 … cause he’s a sexual predator, remember? 🏀
Producers Guild nominates Borat 2 among other usual suspects … very nice! 🏆
Mayim Bialik has been trying to get a Blossom reboot greenlit for years … Whoa! 🌼
Kim’s Convenience is ending after 5 seasons … how inconvenient for fans 🇨🇦
The actual town from Eurovision really wants a Best Song Oscar nod … unfortunately not for “Ja Ja Ding Dong” 🇮🇸
What to watch
Pamela Adlon’s Better Things, available on Hulu, is the perfect binge watch. The semi-autobiographical comedy series in which Adlon plays an actress raising three daughters is always hilarious and often heartwarming, but what sets this show apart is how individual episodes are intentionally disjointed. Its 22-minute installments are typically written around a theme and less around plot. It’s very slice-of-life — but that’s exactly why it’s so good as a binge. Its disparate pieces come together to paint a beautiful and brutally honest mosaic of parenthood, career, love, friends, and family. I seriously regret only getting around to its 42 episodes until now.
Note: Adlon created the show with Louis C.K. He left after his sexual misconduct scandal and was not involved in seasons 3 and 4.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!
New notables this week:
Last Chance U: Basketball (Mar 10) — Netflix sports documentary series | No RT yet
South Park vaccination special (Mar 10) — Comedy Central | No RT yet
Generation (Mar 11) — HBO Max teen drama series | No RT yet
Cherry (Mar 12) — Apple TV+ drama feature with Tom Holland | 39% RT
Kid 90 (Mar 12) — Hulu doc feature from Soleil Moon Frye | No RT yet
Assembled: The Making of WandaVision (Mar 12) — Disney+ doc | No RT
The Grammys (Mar 14) — Music awards show
Before you go… more Alan Kim acceptance speeches, please 😭
Thanks for reading! If you like this and aren’t already subscribed, please consider signing up or forwarding this email.
As always, Tuesday and Wednesday editions are free, while the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday editions are accessible via monthly or the more-affordable yearly subscription. You can subscribe or upgrade via the ‘Subscribe Now’ button below.
Thoughts? Reply to this email or hit me up @alexrab on Twitter.
About the author: Alex Rabinowitz has led the way on social media and story packaging at media outlets big and small. With his acclaimed Tumblr site PopCultureBrain.com, Alex became a leading figure in emerging social networks and entertainment news. Sourced by many top destinations, including New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, and Videogum, Pop Culture Brain was featured by BuzzFeed and TIME as the best pop culture blog on Tumblr. Alex's writing has appeared on The Huffington Post, GQ.com, Mic, and Time Warner Cable.