'Thrones' prequel trailer is here
And 'Squid Game's remarkable 10-year journey
What to know
How does an Adam Sandler movie miss its release date?… Hotel Transylvania 4 was supposed to come to Amazon on Oct. 1. It did not. If you go by Amazon’s tweet the movie did not get released “by the studio,” but according to /Film, Amazon, not Sony, is responsible for its delay and didn’t bother to tell anyone. Really bizarre situation over there. 🧛♀️
Squid Game is proof to never give up on your dreams… Squid Game is the most popular show on Earth right now, but series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had every door slammed in his face when he first wrote it 10 years ago. He was living with his mother and grandmother at the time and at one point, had to sell his laptop to get by. Never give up, kids 🦑
Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Audra McDonald sign onto Rustin for the Obamas’ Higher Ground & Netflix… George C. Wolfe will direct and co-write with Dustin Lance Black this biopic about gay, civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. The film will examine the obstacles Rustin had to overcome to organize the 1963 March on Washington. That’s a hot project if ever I’ve seen one. 🍿
Will Packer to produce the 2022 Oscars… Packer is best known for producing Girls Trip, Straight Outta Compton, and Ride Along, in addition to high profile television projects. I guess hiring people who make movies to make the Oscars is a thing now? Soderbergh made some good choices, but ambition and a planned narrative definitely got the best of him. It will be interest to see what Packer brings to the often stolid show. 🏆
ABC making L.A. Law sequel pilot with Blair Underwood… the only thing better than pre-existing IP? Pre-existing IP with a city and a job in the title. 👨🏾⚖️
James Gunn developing another DC project after Peacemaker… something tells me it’s going to be weird ✌️
Netflix now selling Squid Game merchandise… just don’t pawn your laptop to get some 🦑
Hear Andrew Garfield sing on the first released tick, tick… BOOM! track… then imagine him as Spider-Man singing it 🎹
A musical adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook is in the works… 🎵 we’re just a couple of damaged peoples, dancing round, let’s go Eagles 🎵
For more pop culture news, discussion, and what-to-watch recommendations subscribe to my pals over on the Kickball Friends podcast. 🎙
Dropping this week:
There’s Someone Inside Your House — Oct 6 Netflix horror film | 🍅 52%
Ghosts — Oct 7 CBS comedy series | 🍅
No Time to Die — Oct 8 in theaters action film | 🍅 83%
Muppets Haunted Mansion — Oct 8 Disney+ comedy film | 🍅
Legends of the Hidden Temple — Oct 10 CW game show reboot | 🍅
What to watch
TV Trailer: House of the Dragon — 2022
Remember Game of Thrones? That show everyone loved… until they didn’t. It’s coming back! In the form of a prequel series that looks exactly like the flagship series. I guess “if it ain’t broke” — or rather “if it wasn’t broke and then it was broke and end pretty broke, but let’s ignore that, cause remember when it wasn’t broke” — don’t fix it? Honestly, it’s extremely bold of HBO to remind Game of Thrones fans of “the fall of the throne” in this trailer, directly referencing the much maligned final season. But let’s not let the sins of the father cast too heavily on House of the Dragon. This looks like it could be good and a return to form for the franchise. If nothing else, we’ll get a brooding Matt Smith. All signs point to this being a major event in 2022. If you’d like some more context on who everyone is in the trailer, /Film has a good write up.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!