The 'Wakanda' problem no one is talking about

And big Disney+ show to air on ABC

What to know

• Uproxx critic: “Wakanda Forever is a triumph of production design in search of a story”… This is exactly how I feel about the movie, and I’m shocked more people aren’t addressing the story issues. The sequel is beautifully made, both in visual and its emotional core. The tributes to Chadwick Boseman are sincere and moving — and all of the movie’s performances live up to that demand. Yet, as Vince Mancini writes, the movie’s conflict is needlessly contrived, paper thin, and nowhere near deserving of an almost 3-hour runtime. It made me long for the economy of the original and raw power of Michael B. Jordan’s contributions therein. Wakanda Forever has an A CinemaScore, so it sounds like the plot didn’t bother most people. Maybe that’s why no one is talking about it? 🍅

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makes November history… With its $181M domestic take, the Marvel sequel became the #1 November opener of all time and the #2 opener of 2022 (behind Marvel’s Doc Strange 2). Deadline notes that Wakanda will have longer legs than Strange and an extended theatrical window. So don’t expect it on Disney+ any time soon. A Marvel movie doing big business is hardly news these days, but it’s nice to see anything pop off at the box office. No doubt, Avatar: The Way of Water will be the next big weekend. 💰

• Andor to become first Disney+ show to air on ABC… The Mouse will show the first two episodes of the Star Wars series on ABC, Hulu, FX, and Freeform during Thanksgiving week. Andor is absolutely fantastic. It’s one of the best TV shows of the year, easily the best Star Wars show, and maybe among the best Star Wars content ever made. I’m wondering if this extra promo is to get more viewers because the numbers are softer than Disney would like? Anything that gets more eyes on Andor is a good thing in my book. 📺

• Pay TV subscribers decline faster as pressure mounts for streaming profits… Remember you payed hundreds for cable? The media industry certainly does as it looks to fill the revenue chasm that’s opened up between the old cable model and a la carte streaming services. Streaming needs to get more profitable and soon for the conglomerates — so if I had to guess, expect higher fees, more ads, and further mergers. 🤔

• Warner Bros. canceled the 95%-done Scoob! sequel — and then had its creators finish it anyway… It’s unclear if WB mandated the animated film be completed or just allowed its creators to finish it up. It sounds like co-director Michael Kurinsky is glad his team got to cross the finish line, but of course disappointed the movie is going straight to a shelf. So weird. 🐕

• The Lucasfilm-Studio Ghibli collab is a 3-minute Grogu short… It’s cute and the animation is cool, but overall quite inconsequential. ✨

• Margot Robbie says her Pirates of the Caribbean movie is dead… And as we all know, dead men tell no tales. 🏴‍☠️

• RRR might be getting a sequel… I’m ashamed that I haven’t seen RRR yet. Gotta get on that. 🇮🇳

• NBC brining back The More You Know as a Peacock series… Da da da daaaa 🌈

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What’s new

• The Santa Clauses — Nov 16 | Disney+ holiday series | 🍅

• A Christmas Story Christmas — Nov 17 | HBO Max holiday movie | 🍅

• 1899 — Nov 17 | Netflix horror drama series | 🍅

• Fleishman Is in Trouble — Nov 17 | Hulu drama series | 🍅 75%

• The People We Hate at the Wedding — Nov 18 | Amazon comedy movie | 🍅

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What to watch

Spooky season might be over but Guillermo del Toro and Netflix have given us a timeless anthology series with Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Horror fans, del Toro fans, or those with even a passing interest in the macabre, will relish the 8 stories curated by the master director.

In each episode, del Toro has brought on top notch writers, directors, and actors to flex their freak muscles. Peak installments include Ana Lily Amirpour’s The Outside, featuring twisted performances from Kate Micucci, Dan Stevens, and Martin Starr; Lot 36, co-written by GDT himself, directed by his longtime cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, and starring a grounded Tim Blake Nelson; as well as The Viewing, a woozy ‘70s puzzler, written and directed by Panos Cosmatos, starring Peter Weller, Steve Agee, Eric André, and Charlyne Yi. (In a nice touch, del Toro introduces each episode personally a la Rod Serling or Alfred Hitchcock.)

Like the best of The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, Cabinet of Curiosities use heightened horror and fantasy elements to speak truth to the human condition. The metaphors can often be overt, but they’re effective and chilling. As you watch, you’ll notice recurring themes, like the corrupting force of greed or the horror of losing yourself. While each episode tells a unique story, these thematic connections give you a satisfying and full sense of what’s inside Guillermo del Toro’s curious cabinet.

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