Tag: Netflix

Boss Baby Sequel to be Born a Few Months Later

The current state of cinema in America has had a hand in another shift, this time involving Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and the upcoming Boss Baby sequel. Just announced this week, The Boss Baby: Family Business will move from its positioned release date of March 26 to the new date of September 17. This move also bumps another Universal/DreamWorks production, The Bad Guys, to be moved off the release schedule entirely, rumored now to drop in 2022.

The original film grossed $520 million and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. The sequel will see the return of Alec Baldwin as the voice of Ted, the titular Boss Baby as well as Tom McGrath in the director’s chair. Family Business will pick up years later with Ted as an adult dealing with his niece (voiced by Amy Sedaris), who is the new boss baby.

This move makes sense to me. I wasn’t a big fan of the original Boss Baby, but I cannot deny that it was quite successful and well-deserving of a follow-up. The IP hasn’t really left the pop culture scene, as the original film spawned a Netflix series and a special choose-your-own-adventure short film. Whether or not I like the movie, the franchise has significant potential. With all the theater problems of the last year, it’s a smart move to push this film into September and save its monetary potential.

What do you think? Was it a smart move to push The Boss Baby: Family Business into September? Or would it have been better to drop on a streaming service? Let me know in the comments below!

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Ryan Reynolds to Enter the Dragon’s Lair!

Netflix has acquired the rights to Dragon’s Lair, an adaptation of the classic 1983 arcade game of the same name. Ryan Reynolds is set to star in the film, which is being scripted by Dan and Kevin Hageman.

The game was turned into an animated series in the 1980s, and word of a movie has been passed around for awhile.

I’m very excited to see a Ryan Reynolds-starring Dragon’s Lair. To me, it isn’t a property that is holier than thou. The game is cheesy and fun and I think Ryan Reynolds could infuse a lot of enjoyment into an adaptation of that game.

Not much else is known, but I’m into it. The question is: are you? Are you excited for this at all? Let me know/Drop a comment down below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Netflix Nabs New Adam McKay-Penned Don’t Look Up

Deadline is reporting that Netflix has nabbed the rights for the upcoming Adam McKay-penned Don’t Look Up, a comedy that is set to star Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role. News of the film has circulated since late last year, and it seems that Netflix is on board now to get this film made.

The film will tell the story of two astronomers who use a media tour to warn the Earth of an meteor set to destroy all life.

The movie is set to release later this year with McKay on board as producer. There is nothing in the report about McKay directing.

The idea seems intriguing, and the Netflix nab could work well for it. I’m just really curious about the tone of the film. Adam McKay’s writing lately has been truly satirical and less campy, but this film being pitched as a comedy also makes me wonder if it will be closer in tone to Anchorman or Talladega Nights. Now, of course, the big difference between Anchorman and The Big Short is the element of improvisation. Lawrence is not known for her improv, so I would assume the satirical quality of films like The Big Short and Vice will be what we’re going to see here.

So what do you think? Is Don’t Look Up the kind of movie you would watch on Netflix or is this a hard pass? Let me know/Drop a comment below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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[#2020oscardeathrace] Life Overtakes Me (2019)

Director: John Haptas, Kristine Samuelson

Cast: Henry Ascher, Nadja Hatem, Mikael Billing

39 mins. Not Rated.

  • Academy Award Nominee: Best Documentary Short Subject [PENDING]

 

Okay, I’ll be real. I didn’t know anything about Resignation Syndrome. This was all new to me, and in that way, Life Overtakes Me was a real learning experience.

Life Overtakes Me, from directors John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson (Tokyo Waka, Barn Dance), chronicles refugees searching for sanctuary and the children dealing with the trauma caused by uncertainty. The children in these families have internally shut down into a sleep-like state, almost comatose, and the documentary shows how the families are forced to deal with the situation and pray for the best.

As I said above, I’ve never heard of Resignation Syndrome until seeing this, and it’s both an interesting view at this condition and also perhaps a little too simplistic of a look. It doesn’t delve deep enough to really be effective, but I was quite interested in the subject material. I just wanted more.

Life Overtakes Me was effective in breaking my heart, and I think it’s a very timely piece. Especially now, in America, looking at the way our country treats newcomers and people looking for safety and security in a new land, this short absolutely sickened me. I keep thinking about our borders and all the children dealing with trauma and it haunts me.

This short film, while not as in-depth as I would have liked, was still a strong viewing experience. Hell, it’s on Netflix, you have no excuse to ignore this 40-minute lesson in something I doubt many people even know of. Check this one out when you can. It’s worth you time, and it may just get you thinking.

 

3/5

-Kyle A. Goethe

 

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Beverly Hills Cop 4 Heading to Netflix!

Netflix seems to be enjoying their relationship with Eddie Murphy. Their recent collaboration with him on Dolemite Is My Name has been quite beneficial, and it may end up with a few Academy Award nominations as well.

Now, Variety is reporting that Paramount has licensed Beverly Hills Cop 4 to Netflix. Right now, IP is gold, and this is a big win for Netflix. While the first two Beverly Hills Cop films were solid releases, the third film did not perform to expectations, and with the 25 years since that release, there is concern that the long-awaited fourth film may not be able to attract a big theater-going audience, whereas the home viewing experience should result in more clicks and views.

Netflix seems to be pushing for IP, and not just BHC4. They seem to be going all-in on Eddie Murphy. Their partnership with Adam Sandler has done quite well for them, and this all looks like a solid move for the streaming giant as they try to acquire enough IP to fight studios that have been around for decades.

So what do you think? Is this a smart move for Netflix? Is this a smart move for Paramount? Let me know/Drop a comment below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Will Smith is Nicky Barnes in The Council

Will Smith, hot off his success with this year’s Aladdin with Gemini Man garnering high praise in its early reactions, has joined the upcoming Netflix film The Council, which will see Smith re-teaming with his Concussion director Peter Landesman. Landesman, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, will focus on the crime syndicate which controlled Harlem in the 70s and 80s. Smith will play crime boss Nicky Barnes.

This is just another solid add for Smith, who will also be seen soon in the animated film Spies in Disguise as well as the anticipated sequel Bad Boys For Life early next year.

Not having seen Concussion, I can’t speak much for the upcoming re-team, but I like the idea of Will Smith taking equal measure fun popcorn movies and serious artful films, and I think especially coming off the zaniness that will likely flourish from Bad Boys For Life, this is a solid move, and one that he’s smart to take. Reviews for generally good from Concussion, and if he enjoyed the work, then all the better.

The question that now gets raised is who else will fill the roles of The Council? There were several members at the top of the organization, and it’ll be interesting to see who joins the project next.

So what do you think? Are you excited by the idea of The Council and is Will Smith the right choice for Nicky Barnes?

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Is The Office Getting a Reboot?

Peacock, perhaps the silliest name of an official studio streaming service, is considering a reboot of The Office as a distinct possibility for their upcoming slate.

Not much is known out of this idea, and the question has to be raised: will we see any returning faces? A good number of the main cast of The Office has been moving onto bigger things, but could we see some of the secondary members of Dunder Mifflin back on screens?

I’m not saying that this is a bad idea for the studio. People love The Office. It’s likely the most-watched property ever on Netflix (though we’ll likely never know for sure because Netflix won’t tell), and even through the generally mixed reaction of the final two seasons, the show kept its numbers up.

More than anything, I’m going to be a little selfish and just think about what I want, and I’m concerned that a reboot might sully the good name of the property for me. For me, I find that the series finale to The Office is one of the best series finales in television history, and why consider going back to the well on that?

Oh, that’s right, money. I get it.

So what do you think? Should The Office get the old reboot treatment, and how do you think it should be handled if it is? Let me know/Drop a comment down below.

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: The Mystery of Mrs. Booth “Will Be Answered”

[WARNING: Contains Spoilery Talk for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood]

So everyone working in Hollywood appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering, which is currently in theaters. One of the quicker appearances involved Rebecca Gayheart, who showed for a scene playing Cliff Booth’s wife in a flashback. The flashback happens to revolve around the question of whether or not Cliff, played by Brad Pitt, murdered his wife. It’s a bit of a legend around the Hollywood stunt scene that Mr. and Mrs. Booth were not happy, and we are meant to wonder if Mrs. Booth was murdered on the high sea or if it was just an accident.

By the end of the film, we still have no idea, but Gayheart, and apparently Pitt, do know.

Gayheart spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the film, and she said:

I tend to believe that that question will be answered at some point.

She didn’t elaborate on how or where, but there has been speculation of a Netflix miniseries version of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and there’s also that mystery tenth film. Or, maybe she’s bullshitting us. Who knows?

I don’t want the question answered unless it’s fluid to another story. If, for example, Tarantino decided his tenth film should feature Cliff Booth or his wife, then sure, let us know, but I don’t see a version that will make me want to know. It’s like the totem in Inception. I actually don’t want to know.

So what do you think? When, if ever, will we find out the answer to this mystery? Should we ever find out or is this mystery better left mysterious? Let me know/Drop a comment below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein (2019)

Director: Daniel Gray Longino

Cast: David Harbour, Kate Berlant, Alex Ozerov, Mary Woronov, Alfred Molina, Heather Lawless, Marion Van Cuyck

Screenplay: John Levenstein

32 mins. Rated TV-14.

 

I came across Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein on Netflix during a random searching, and I had to watch it. I’m a sucker for mockumentaries and short form comedy, so this was an easy choice.

David Harbour III (a fictional version of David Harbour of Revolutionary Road and Hellboy) is on the search to discover the mystery behind his father, David Harbour Jr., and the play that obsessed him. That play is Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein. By recreating his father’s office and visiting with his father’s agent and the play’s producer, David deconstructs the convoluted and extremely confusing video footage of the play while attempting not to drive himself insane in the process.

The short film is made by David Harbour’s performance. He plays a fictionalized version of himself as well as playing his father, in an Orson Welles-esque role, and the film works because of him. There’s a lot of strange comedy to the film, and that comes from a bonkers screenplay from John Levenstein (Illegally Yours, TV’s Kroll Show).

It’s simple to say that I’ve watched this short twice and still couldn’t completely unravel the confusion in its many layers, from the confusion between who is playing Dr. Frankenstein and who is playing the Monster in the play, to which lines in the play are actually in the play versus which lines are monologues about acting forcibly added in to elevate his father’s pride. It’s watching the story and letting yourself by unraveled by it that makes it funny, though not something that I would call classically comical. It’s a stupid short film but it is worth watching at least once.

Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein is not great cinema, and it certainly isn’t for everyone. I enjoyed it for what it was and I think the run time is perfect as it would have made a terrible feature, but I cannot begin to explain how it all fits together, and that’s kind of the point. Give it a try yourself and see what you can make of it.

 

3/5

-Kyle A. Goethe

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[Comic-Con] Russo Brothers Discuss Magic: The Gathering Animated Series Potential

Anthony and Joe Russo had a panel at Comic-Con this week where they discussed a multitude of topics, of course some of it centered on Avengers: Endgame, but surprisingly, we got some insights on other projects they’ve been working on, including the upcoming Netflix animated Magic: The Gathering series.

The two talked about how Magic had an impact on their youth (something we share), which is great to hear that this is more than a payday for them and they likely have some passionate ideas on where to take it.

There was also talk that the animated series could potentially spin-off into live-action. Not much more was elaborated, but I’ve always felt that, while the series makes sense as an animated one, I would love to see a crack at live-action with a Game of Thrones or The Witcher vibe to it. There’s so much content to pick and choose from with Magic: The Gathering that I feel would be very easily translatable into either a live-action or animated format, but the idea that they are playing with all options is very cool.

So what do you think? Does Magic: The Gathering work better as live-action or animated? Let me know/Drop a comment below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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