TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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The best pre-Super Bowl deals for 4K TVs and streaming
With the big game right around the corner -- I mean Super Bowl LIV, in case that isn't clear -- it's once again time to consider making a TV upgrade. If you need a little something extra to make sure football fans stop by your party instead of staying home, a bigger and brighter setup will go further than pushing your array of snacks. Plus, while many of these deals are online, shopping locally can give you an opportunity to see the screen in person, or make for a quick return if you find out that it's just too wide for the stand you wanted to put it on. (I should've measured first.) With prices nearly as low as we saw during the Black Friday push, and likely as low as they'll get until sets start hitting clearance shelves, you have your choice of equipment. Also worth considering is the fact that this year, for the first time, you can watch a Fox Sports 4K/HDR feed. It's upconverted from 1080p, but judging from my experience watching Thursday Night Football earlier in the season, it's sharp and vibrant enough to justify switching over if you can. Fox's plan to capture the game includes eight 4K cameras, as well as three 8K cameras trained on the sidelines and benches -- you'll want every super slow motion zoom-in to look as good as possible.
Netflix widens deal with 'Big Mouth' animation studio
Netflix is showering more affection on the teams involved with Big Mouth. The service has signed a "multi-year" deal with animation studio Titmouse to both create multiple adult animated shows and get a first crack at any similar series the studio produces. The two didn't hint at what would come next, but it's a big deal when Titmouse has also been involved with well-known productions like Venture Bros. and Metalocalypse.
Amazon is having a sale on all of its Fire TV streamers
Amazon has dropped prices across its Fire TV range. These aren't the lowest prices ever, but it's a consistent cut across the board, making it a good time to buy in if you're updating your TV setup. First up, the second generation Fire TV Stick which packs in Alexa voice remote, HD and on-remote volume controls, which is the feature we didn't even know we needed in the Fire Stick's original form. Amazon's got this on offer for $25, instead of the usual $40. The Fire TV Stick 4K version, which supports Ultra HD and Dolby Vision, also has a solid 15 bucks off, on sale now for $35 instead of $50.
Marvel axes two of its Hulu animated shows
Hulu's animated Marvel show lineup won't be quite as extensive as you might have hoped. Hollywood Reporter understands that Marvel has cut two of the shows, Howard the Duck and Tigra & Dazzler, in favor of focusing its energy on the remaining MODOK and Hit Monkey as well as the live-action Helstrom. There's no known reason why (the involved companies have declined to comment), but it follows a reported attempt at a complete rethink of Tigra following "creative differences" with Marvel.
'Uncharted' movie delayed to March 5th, 2021
So much for the Uncharted movie having a reasonably firm release date. Sony's Columbia Pictures has delayed the release of the game-inspired swashbuckler from its earlier December 18th, 2020 slot to March 5th, 2021. There wasn't a specific explanation, but it came just weeks after the project lost director Travis Knight. It would've been no mean feat to find his replacement and complete the whole movie within less than a year. The March timing suggests that it won't be a huge blockbuster, but it's at least not destined for the January/February slot frequently reserved for movies with low expectations.
A 'The Witcher' anime film is coming to Netflix
Netflix clearly knows its adaptation of The Witcher is a hot property (shifting metrics aside), and it's determined to milk that success for all it's worth. The service has confirmed rumors that it's working on an anime movie offshoot, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. It's not saying much about the plot besides talk of a "new threat facing the Continent," but fans may like the talent attached to the project. The Witcher series' Beau DeMayo and Lauren Hissrich are involved, and Legend of Korra's Studio Mir is producing the title.
The Hayden Planetarium’s new show celebrates unmanned space probes
The astronomy I learned as a kid was pretty limited — the Earth revolves around the Sun and, of course, the whole "My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" thing. Of course, that expression no longer applies because our understanding of the solar system is a lot more nuanced these days. Not just because we're adults now, but because the entire field has been revolutionized by probes, plumbing the depths of distant bodies and returning that data to us over decades. That deeper understanding of our solar system is at the heart of the American Museum of Natural History's new space show, Worlds Beyond Earth, but its unsung hero is the technology that made it possible.
Apple unveils animated musical series from the creator of 'Bob's Burgers'
Apple is determined to pump up its TV+ service mere hours before the Screen Actors Guild Awards. It started by unveiling Central Park, an animated musical comedy series from Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard, fellow BB producer Nora Smith and Frozen's Josh Gad (who also helps produce). The series follows a family who lives in a castle in New York City's legendary park while resisting pressure from an heiress who wants to turn the greenery into condos.
Apple TV+ documentary series will profile Oprah, Lin-Manuel and Big Bird
Apple is leaning even further into documentaries than you might have expected. The company has unveiled plans for a Dear... Apple TV+ documentary series that, in an odd (if logical) twist, will use the "Dear Apple" ads as inspiration for the basic format. The show will profile "iconic" people through letters written by people whose lives were changed by a given cultural leader's achievements. The figures included in the 10-episode initial run are eclectic, to put it mildly. They'll range from existing Apple pal Oprah Winfrey to Lin-Manuel Miranda, ballet dancer Misty Copeland and even Big Bird.
Steve Martin and Martin Short will team up again in a new Hulu series
Hulu has just scored what will likely be a huge show for long-time comedy fans. The Disney-owned service has ordered a series starring comedy giants Steve Martin (his first leading TV role, apparently) and Martin Short. There's no title yet, but Martin and This is Us creator Dan Fogelman developed the story. It revolves around three true crime obsessives who find themselves entwined in a crime story of their own. The as-yet unnamed third star is expected to be a young woman.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus signs multi-year deal with Apple TV+
Julia Louis-Dreyfus had her greatest success since Seinfeld with HBO's Veep. After seven seasons of producing and starring in the hit show, she's moving onto new projects -- the actress signed a multi-year overall deal with Apple, according to Deadline. Louis-Dreyfus will serve as an executive producer and star in future Apple TV+ projects. Whether she'll be creating a TV series, movies or both isn't clear, but given Deadline's description of the "sweeping" deal, we'll probably be seeing plenty of content from one of the funniest women in media.
NBC's Peacock lineup includes Mindy Kaling, Norman Lear and 'MacGruber'
NBCUniversal is only revealing core details of its Peacock streaming service today, but that isn't stopping it from thinking about the project's long-term future. It just outlined a string of shows that will come sometime after the April launch, many of them from very familiar names. Mindy Kaling is executive co-producing Expecting, a story of a woman who enlists a gay friend to be a sperm donor and suddenly finds herself crafting a biological family. And fans of MacGruber can rejoice. Will Forte is producing and starring in a revival series that has the titular hero confronting his old villain Enos Queeth... or at least, he thinks so.
Director sues Apple for allegedly copying her movie with 'Servant'
Apple TV+ is still establishing lots of firsts in its early months, but this is one it likely won't crow about. Director Francesca Gregorini has sued Apple and M. Night Shyamalan for allegedly copying the plot of her 2013 movie The Truth About Emanuel in the thriller series Servant. The streaming show supposedly has "strikingly similar" plot elements, including an "almost irrational reciprocal devotion" between a mother and her nanny following the loss of a child, with that same mother funneling her energy into a doll.
Apple TV+ snags Spike Jonze's documentary on the Beastie Boys
Apple TV+ is about to venture into uncharted territory for the service: music documentaries. Apple has acquired Beastie Boys Story, a documentary co-produced by the remaining two Beastie Boys (Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz) and directed by friend and collaborator Spike Jonze. The movie will follow the stories of Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D both as a band and as close pals. It premieres online April 24th, although it'll come to some IMAX theaters for a "limited engagement" on April 3rd.
‘The Morning Show’ nets Apple TV+ its first industry award
Apple nabbed its first award for an Apple TV+ show last night at the Critics' Choice Awards. Billy Crudup beat out Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Asante Blackk (This Is Us) to take home the prize for Best Supporting Actor thanks to his performance in The Morning Show. While this is a relatively minor award, it's still noteworthy that The Morning Show received industry recognition less than a month after its first season finale and just three months after the launch of Apple TV+.
Netflix receives more than 20 Oscar nominations
After flopping at the Golden Globes, Netflix may have a chance to redeem itself at the Oscars. The 2020 Oscar nominations are in, and Netflix has received more than 20 nods.
Stephen Colbert is producing an animated news spoof for CBS All Access
CBS thinks it has a clever way to draw more people to All Access besides more Star Trek: have one of its best-known personalities produce a show with a unique format. The talk show host is executive producing Tooning Out the News, an animated series that will both riff on current events and interview real guests. There will be weekly episodes like you'd expect, but there will also be daily segments that ridicule the news from mere hours earlier. The magic of "computers" will help get that done, as the trope-heavy announcement video makes clear.
NBC may revive 'Quantum Leap' for its Peacock streaming service
NBC's Peacock is already set to rely heavily on nostalgia with planned Punky Brewster and Saved By the Bell shows, but it might not stop there. Program strategy head Jeff Bader told SlashFilm that the broadcaster is considering a revival of Quantum Leap, the series that saw scientist Dr. Sam Beckett travel through time to right historical wrongs. While Bader didn't say how likely the show was, he noted that "everyone is discussing" it.
'Star Trek: Picard' has already been renewed for a second season
CBS clearly has a lot of confidence in Star Trek: Picard. The broadcaster has already renewed the sci-fi series for a second season, suggesting that it expects a hit when the show premieres on January 23rd. There's no mention of when that season will premiere (we're certainly not expecting plot details), but it's safe to presume Patrick Stewart will be back as the titular star.
Take a first look at Alex Garland's tech-focused 'Devs' Hulu series
Following the Disney-Fox merger, content from the formerly-Fox channel FX is making its way onto Hulu. Not only will Hulu be hosting older FX shows, but it will also be the streaming home for upcoming 2020 shows including Devs from Alex Garland, writer and director of genre hits Ex Machina and Annihilation.

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