Now that's how you do an award show
And 200 industry leaders sign gun pledge
Programming note: If you thought you missed some newsletters last week, fear not! PCB Daily was on a brief hiatus as I moved across the country. We’re back this week with regularly scheduled updates.
What to know
A Stranger Loop wins Best Musical Tony; World meet Joaquina Kalukango… The second most entertaining award show of the year was last night and it was a blast. Host Ariana DeBose crushed it with her hard work yet breezy vibe. The Spring Awakening reunion upstaged all the new shows, that is until Paradise Square best actress winner Joaquina Kalukango came along and blew the roof off Radio City. Jennifer Hudson became the 17th person ever to EGOT (by producing Strange Loop). Billy Crystal and Lin Manuel Yiddish scatted my name. A lot happened. And the ratings were up from last year too! Good job Broadway! 🎭
200 Hollywood writers and producers sign gun safety and restraint pledge… Important figures like Shonda Rhimes, Bill Lawrence, and Judd Apatow have signed on to a pledge promising better gun safety on set as well as a scrutiny of how they use firearms in their storytelling. While it will take more than this to divorce American culture from guns, it’s a good baby step from those who might have power to change things. 👏
Neil Patrick Harris joins Doctor Who 60th anniversary special as villain… NPH will play “the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced.” No pressure, or anything! This is kind of a big deal as you don’t see American actors appear on Who all the frequently, especially in such a high profile role. Harris must have formed quite a bond with returning Who showrunner Russell T. Davies on It’s a Sin. 🇬🇧
Squid Game has finally been officially renewed for a second season… We all knew this was coming as creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has been talking about it for months, but it’s nice to have an official confirmation from Netflix. 🦑
Tony-winning play The Lehman Trilogy getting TV adaptation… Freemantle is producing the adaptation, thought a streamer or network has yet to be found. This feels like a BBC or HBO Max project in the making. 💸
Sony introduces Spider-Verse sequel villain The Spot, voiced by Jason Schwartzman… Something tells me he’ll have a dry wit. 🕷
Knives Out 2 officially titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery… Huh. You can’t say it’s not original. The SEO people must be thrilled. 🧅
Paddington 3 titled Paddington in Peru… But will it maintain the series’ perfect Tomato score? 🧸
What’s new
Halftime — June 14 | Netflix music doc | 🍅 100%
Father of the Bride — June 16 | HBO Max comedy film | 🍅
The Old Man — June 16 | FX/Hulu drama series | 🍅 88%
Cha Cha Real Smooth — June 17 | Apple TV+/theatrical indie film | 🍅 91%
Lightyear — June 17 | Pixar animated film in theaters | 🍅
What to watch
They don’t make romantic comedies like Amazon’s I Want You Back any more. Except, maybe they do because I Want You Back exists? Logic problems aside, this lovable rom-com—that actually includes a fair amount of com with its rom—is a throwback to movies that used to dominate multiplexes and bargain DVD bins. It doesn’t have huge aspirations other than entertaining you, making you laugh, and giving you some warm fuzzies. All of which director Jason Orley and writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger accomplish with style. Large part in thanks to romantic leads Jenny Slate and Charlie Day, who prove they are no mere sidekicks. They’re as funny as you’d hope and have an abundance of the requisite “chemistry.” Then Orley rounds out the cast with Scott Eastwood, Gina Rodriguez, and Manny Jacinto — all of whom are game for the shenanigans. Sprinkle in Pete Davidson and is that Ben McKenzie??? for an extra punch. The plot (two people who just got dumped use each other to win back their exes) might seem familiar to fans of the genre, but it’s executed with such ease and finesse here that you’ll hardly notice. Why aren’t there a million more movies like this? They should absolutely make more rom-coms like I Want You Back.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!