Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Netflix

  • ‘Russian Doll’: Do We Need a Season 3?

    ‘Russian Doll’: Do We Need a Season 3?

    When the first season of Russian Doll hit Netflix in 2019, it quickly took to the top of Netflix’s charts as the Groundhog Day-esque series proved to be incredibly popular. With Natasha Lyonne on board as Nadia, a tough, wisecracking leading woman, the series had a star that could carry its – at times – insane material. So, it wasn’t entirely surprising that a second season was quickly announced with fans more than ready to return to the lives of Nadia and Alan (Charlie Bennet). Unfortunately, though, the wait would be a long one with Season 2 not hitting the streaming service until April 2022.

    While Lyonne continues to shine as Nadia in Season 2, it’s hard to deny that it doesn’t quite ever reach the heights of Season 1. Sure, the story of this season is still one worth telling, as Lyonne continues to act her butt off. However, it’s so chaotic and at times hard to follow, that it can become hard to care about what is taking place. Which brings us to the question: Does Russian Doll need a Season 3?

    As it stands, Season 2 of Russian Doll is a rather complete story. While the first season focused on Nadia and Alan dying repeatedly, the season ultimately ended with them in parallel universes with a few loose ends. It was a fitting ending and one that could’ve simply ended there. Then again, because of how it ended, there were countless possibilities of what still could happen with a second installment. Enter Season 2.

    The latest season of Russian Doll sees the duo back together as though nothing happened. Nadia is still chaotic and messy, while Alan is still her clean-cut counterpart. Their chemistry this season was rather lacking, as was their screen time together, although the choices in their stories eventually do come to make sense by the season’s end. It’s just a lot of murky water getting there and maintaining a cohesive story.

    When Season 2 does things right, it does them right. The emotional beats are excellent and if Lyonne doesn’t get an Emmy nomination for her work, it’ll be a crime. The issue, however, is that by the end, it’s hard to imagine the story truly needs a third outing. That isn’t to say a third season wouldn’t be enjoyable. I have faith that it would, but it doesn’t make it necessary. The issue here is that we’ve become so accustomed to wanting to drag out stories longer than necessary and eventually force an ending that will (hopefully) satisfy viewers. But is it the right thing to do? A series can produce a single season with a tight story that ends with things mostly tied up neatly, and yet, it won’t be enough – fans will still demand more. And while that is understandable, to an extent, sometimes more is too much. 

    The ending of Russian Doll Season 2 ends with our characters in a good place. So, yes, while a third season could take things further, it doesn’t really need to because there is an ending of sorts. Nadia is in a good place – she’s come to terms with Ruth’s passing, as well as her mother’s past crimes. More importantly, she’s come to find a sense of peace, something we’ve never truly seen her have.

    As of this writing, a third season has not yet been announced for Russian Doll. However, Lyonne has previously suggested the team is already considering some ideas. In an interview with Variety, the actress/director/writer suggested a third season could see the duo time travel to the future. For some, the idea of seeing Nadia and Alan in the future could prove exciting, but it’s hard to imagine the series will be able to tell nearly as cohesive a story as Season 2 did.

  • New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    Joe and Anthony Russo have been busy with their new action thriller The Gray Man. They reunited with their Avengers co-workers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to adapt the 2009 novel of the same name. The film is set to release on Netflix in July and is considered the most expensive production ever produced by Netflix with a $200M budget. Now, we got a good look at the upcoming cast.

    The film is stuffed with talent which includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Billy Bob Thornton, and many more. Netflix Geeked took to Twitter to share a few photos from the cast as they start to ramp up marketing for the film. With a new look at the cast, we might expect a trailer in the coming months, as we are also nearing their usual two-month marketing period.

    The original novel follows the story of Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), who is a mercenary that accidentally uncovers a dark secret within his agency. Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former colleague of his, puts a bounty on his head and kicks off a manhunt.

    Given Netflix’s current situation, it definitely will try to hype up the marketing for this film to pull in new subscribers. Here’s hoping that the trailer is just around the corner, as we get to see this cast in action and what the Avengers director’s brought to the table to retell this classic novel. Netflix is fully investing in this project, and who knows if they pull back on their production budgets after recent events.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    We’ve long wondered what exactly happened to the sequel of Bright. The 2017 film starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton may haven’t received a lot of critical acclaims, but it was still one of Netflix’s most-streamed films at the time. Many were wondering when the sequel of the modern take on a fantasy world would end up starting production, but it seemingly kept getting dragged out. Sadly, it seems that Netflix has pulled the plug on the project.

    Will Smith has been losing one project after another due to the infamous slap during the Oscars. It turns out, however, that Bright’s cancelation has nothing to do with it. In a post by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw in relation to an article where National Geographic delayed their nature series starring Smith, he highlighted that Bright was abandoned for unrelated reasons.

    Of course, this opens up the question of why they’d pass on the project. They just released Bright: Samurai Soul last year, which was an animated spinoff of the film. Perhaps they are looking to continue the franchise through that medium, as demand and costs for Smith would otherwise blow up the production costs.

    Yet, you’d think that one of their most successful films would end up getting a sequel. Sadly, Netflix has developed this habit of swiftly canceling its projects which may have played a part in its current troubles.

    Source: Bloomberg, Twitter

  • Duffer Brothers on Potential ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs After Season 5

    Duffer Brothers on Potential ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs After Season 5

    Stranger Things is set to end with its upcoming fifth season. It’s been quite the ride and while we still have some time before the final episodes arrive, we still know an end is on the horizon. They split up the fourth season into two parts but knowing that the series will soon end feels like the end of an era. For the actors that joined the project, it’ll be the end of a big part of their childhood of bringing these lovable characters to life. So, it’s not been an easy task for Duffer Brothers to decide when to let go.

    In an interview with SFX, they talk about how ending it with Season 5 still feels “a little early” but they still felt like it was “the right move.” Yet, it seems that they may already be thinking about the future, as they do hint that they have some kind of plan but nothing concrete enough that Netflix isn’t even aware of where the journey will go moving forward.

    We haven’t told anyone our plans! Not even Netflix! We have some ideas. In terms of if we were to do any sort of a spin-off, or any continuation of Stranger Things, for us the bar was always, ‘Is the idea exciting enough that we feel the pull of wanting to do it again?’ I want to feel the pull of, ‘God, I really want to do this. I feel really, really excited about this.’ So that’s why we’re being careful about what that is and whether we move forward with it or not.

    Matt Duffer

    As we still have some time until the fifth season releases, we might see their visions become clearer as we near its release. So, we’ll see what they may have planned for us moving forward and if the finale may even give us a clearer look at where Stranger Things will move after its wrapped up the series that started in 2016.

    Source: SFX

  • New ‘One Piece’ Set Video Offers a Closer Look at Baratie

    New ‘One Piece’ Set Video Offers a Closer Look at Baratie

    A surprising new video has found its way online from Netflix’s live-action One Piece series. Now, what makes this video stand out is that it’s the closest look we’ve ever had at one of the boats for the One Piece production. Not too long ago, we got our first look at it in the distance but a new set of video reveals the entrance to the Baratie, the famous ship where Sanji and Zeff feed traveling merchants, marines, and pirates. While it seems they are still working on the boat, it is our best look yet at the details they’ve put into these ships.

    You can clearly see the fish mouth on the left side, which is surprisingly accurate to the manga. The eyes stand out as they seem to be small windows. It even has its own entrance. So, maybe we have a chance to see it work as a separate little boat like it did in the manga. There’s a lot of detail put into the boat to bring it to life and it definitely looks like they’re sticking to it remaining a floating restaurant.

    What’s unclear is if they’ll also include the additional floats on the outside, as it seems they’ve provided a few smaller areas for people to enter. It wouldn’t be surprising, especially with rumored set photos for the interior making the rounds, that they’ll have some of the fights take place inside. If they’ve built multiple stories for a few shots of people eating, it would seem like a waste not to use it. So, perhaps Sanji’s fight with Gin might mainly take place inside.

    There are a lot of opportunities in how they could approach the project, as they might see it start in the restaurant before Luffy takes on Don Krieg while avoiding falling into the water. Whatever direction they might take, the first looks are quite impressive and really showcase how much work is being put into this series to offer a very distinct look that combines the manga with real-world influences.

    Source: Twitter

  • Zack Snyder Starts Production on ‘Rebel Moon’ With First Set Photos

    Zack Snyder Starts Production on ‘Rebel Moon’ With First Set Photos

    There’s been a lot of excitement for Zack Snyder‘s next project for Netflix, as he is taking a break from a zombie-filled world to embrace a space opera. What was originally pitched as part of the Star Wars franchise has now become its own potential franchise started titled Rebel Moon. The Justice League director took to Twitter to share that they’ve not only started production on the project but also included a few set photos teasing what they’re up to on the first day of production.

    What naturally sticks out is our first look at Djimon Honsou, who is in a piece of armor that was teased with some artwork for the series early on. We can see that they are filming in a desert with a tease of the interior of whatever their flightcraft is that’ll bring them from one planet to another. Going by the wound and sand on his face, he likely ends up in a battle once arriving on this desert planet.

    We’ve gotten a few teases on the film’s story, as it’ll take some inspiration from the classic Seven Samurai film to follow an unlikely group that has to face off against the biggest threat they probably have no chance to defeat. It’ll be interesting to see what Snyder brings to the film with his usual style and flair, especially with the backdrop given for this project. Perhaps some Star Wars references also still managed to stick in the story as a nice nod to what almost was.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix Planning on Launching an Ad-Supported Version

    Netflix Planning on Launching an Ad-Supported Version

    It was a rough day for Netflix, as not only did their subscribers drop for the first time in over ten years but also saw their share drop by over 25%. Yet, it seems that the company has plans to counter ct its recent developments and plans, as Co-CEO Reed Hastings has revealed they are planning on releasing an ad-supported version of the service. In a new statement, he has revealed their decision to push forward with this offering, and they plan to release it in the next “year or two.”

    Those who have followed Netflix know that I have been against the complexity of advertising, and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription. But as much as I am a fan of that, I am a bigger fan of consumer choice. And allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price, and are advertising-tolerant get what they want, makes a lot of sense.

    Reed Hastings

    the move makes sense to push its development forward, especially as there’s a big market that obviously hit its pay gap with the recent raise. So, this ad version not only offers them an alternative income stream but gives viewers an option to watch their favorite shows at a more affordable price. Though trying to pull the sharing aspects may backfire, as while it seemingly has a potential of up to 100M sharers, it doesn’t mean they will translate that number directly to new subscribers if they take away a function they’ve been used to for years. We’ll see if this pays off long-term for the service.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Netflix Faces First Loss of Subscribers in 10+ Years

    Netflix Faces First Loss of Subscribers in 10+ Years

    Here’s a somewhat surprising development, but ever since Netflix started its online streaming service, it has been in a state of constantly growing. Yet, for the first time in over ten years, the streaming giant faced a stark drop in its shares by 20% after losing 200K subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. That’s not all, as they suspect another drop in the next quarter as large as 2 million at this rate.

    The cause for this development is mostly associated with two key factors. On the one hand, the recent increase in costs due to the ever-growing amount of originals being added to the project has swayed customers away from their subscriptions. As competition continues to grow in the market, it seemingly backfired on them in the short term but hope to see it work out in the long term. It may be the first hint at a potential shift for the company to embrace an ad-supported model moving forward to counteract the price increase.

    On the other, there’s also the big move to pull out of Russia due to the recent event involving Ukraine. Naturally, that also left an impact on its subscriber basis moving forward. Once things potentially calm down and they can once again one, the question remains if they can get those subscribers back. Vladimir Putin‘s answer to companies pulling from the country came in the form of allowing legal piracy, which could hurt releases in the country.

    While some are seeing this as an end of an era, there was always going to be a point where they won’t manage to consistently grow as the market potentially saturates with new competition. Of course, losing 20% of your stock is going to hurt and the bigger question remains if the streaming market will start cannibalizing itself moving forward. As of right now, we’ll have to see if they see a continued loss going through 2022. Whatever the future holds, it’s certainly a rough start to the year for the company.

    Source: CNBC

  • Amazon Leading the Bidding War for Rawson Marshall Thurber’s ‘Voltron’

    Amazon Leading the Bidding War for Rawson Marshall Thurber’s ‘Voltron’

    Not too long ago, we learned that Red Notice director, Rawson Marshall Thurber, has been busy finding a home for this live-action adaptation of the popular anime series Voltron. While it still hasn’t found a home, Deadline shared the update that Amazon Studios is currently the front runner. There were quite a few studios involved to get their hands on the series that’ll adapt the classic 80s series Voltron: Defender of the Universe where multiple lion bots would fuse together to become one bigger bot.

    It’s surprising that it didn’t directly go to Netflix considering the director’s background with the streaming service. Not only that but they were also the home for a long-running animated series that gave the classic anime a modern twist. So, they would seem like a fitting home but it seems like it is mostly a first-come, first-serve scenario during the bidding war.

    For now, it’s not a confirmation but it wasn’t uncommon for those hinted at as the “front runners” to get their hands on the new project. Amazon Prime has been following a similar strategy to Netflix, as they try to get their hands on franchise after franchise to build their brand with well-known IPs. So, we’ll see if we might even get other larger additions in the future.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Bubble’ is a Beautiful Film With a Messy Pacing

    REVIEW: ‘Bubble’ is a Beautiful Film With a Messy Pacing

    Netflix’s latest anime film to grace the streaming service is Bubble. Tetsurō Araki‘s latest film after his work on Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato is based on a script by Gen Urobuchi and its character designs are from the mind behind Death Note, Takeshi Obata. So, the film has gathered quite a talented group to explore a world where strange bubbles have scattered across the world and turned Tokyo into a strange post-apocalyptic world that has been flooded after a mysterious explosion created a new world for the young people to turn into their personal playground. Can the latest film by WIT Studio offer a compelling mystery and heartfelt story?

    Our story mainly focuses on a young boy named Hibiki, who is voiced by Jun Shison, and a group of kids that made the best of the strange gravity phenomenon that has reshaped Tokyo. Various groups have formed that started their own game to capture the flag while running around the overgrown and flooded city. Hibiki is his team’s ace as he has the strange ability to use bubbles as a way to get across dangerous rifts, but prefers working on his own. That is until a mysterious girl saves him and he starts to open up to others.

    Hibiki’s story is generally the strongest aspect of this film, as we see this longer slowly open up and fully embrace the importance of working with his team. Uta, the name given to the girl, becomes a key part of that journey and there also are some underlying romantic teases added in to further build their relationship. At the core of the story, it’s more a character study than anything else and it’s given a beautiful package, as the animation is definitely a stand-out in this project.

    It really needs to be praised for just how beautifully animated the film is. The bubbles from the title are visually stunning and there’s a great combination of 3D with traditional animation. Yet, when the series decides to close in on a character’s face, especially Uta, they push their animation budget to its limit. The finale especially had some stunning visuals that were quite memorable, as they make the most out of a simple concept of a bubble-filled world. It also has some creative camera work to add some tension to the Parkour that is heavily present in this film, as they jump from one collapsed building to the next.

    With all this praise, I sadly have to say that the overall experience with the film didn’t quite land for me. The world they live in is quite memorable, and while I do wish I spent more time with it, the way it ties its world-building to the core narrative feels quite disconnected. We set up a grand mystery on why Tokyo ends up being flooded, especially as it’s the only location that is going through this scenario. The youth seemingly used it as a safe haven to live their life and barter resources through competitions of capture the flag. All sounds good and helps flesh out this world, but the problem is that it acts more like a distraction than an integral aspect of the story.

    The games feel like a great bridge to introduce characters at a fast pace, while also giving us some genuine fun action sequences. At first, the parkour inclusion felt natural but as the film went on, you slowly get this sinking feeling that the film was built around that concept rather than vice versa. The film takes a sudden break for a music video of parkour and bubbles. It looks great, but sometimes it just turns into a music video or the biggest threat is the environment. We get introduced to concepts that should add, but we never get a feeling of just how dangerous it really is. At times, there’s a lack of really letting sink in just how dangerous this post-apocalyptic environment truly is.

    Throughout the film’s runtime, it feels like two separate stories are meshed together rather than them weaving in and out of each other. There’s a moment that comes out of nowhere to paint and briefly derails the story for a bit before introducing the actual threat for the finale. There’s no real build-up throughout the film to really sink in what their life is like, which isn’t helped by the pacing throughout. The only real connective tissue from one event to the next is Uta and a musical theme that introduces a rather abstract concept into the story.

    Bubble‘s strongest moments are when we just get some slice of life. Every time this cast of characters interacts or talks, it’s a fun film as they play off of their dynamic. You get a feeling of how they live in this world. While I do think it could’ve used more showcase of how dangerous it is, especially as later moments suddenly amp up the dangers which weren’t present earlier, it was great to see this group make the best of the situation. We get some adorable moments, and great character development but sadly just not a strong enough focus on what exactly the story wants to be about.

    It’s definitely a visual spectacle and the team behind it must be huge fans of parkour for how many movements they threw in. Sadly, it does seem like that takes over and downplays a really interesting world to play around with. I would gladly revisit a story in this world, but I do feel like the one presented here struggled to really bring its ideas together. So, even with my complaints the film is worth checking out but may be a one-time watch.