TV Talk

Stranger Things Season 4, Part 2 Trailer Promises Things Only Get Darker

Netflix drops new trailer for Part 2 of horror series' fourth season. Plus, George R.R. Martin confirms Jon Snow series, Florence Pugh will star in East of Eden, Netflix confirms ad tier, new trailers, and more top TV and streaming news.

by | June 24, 2022 | Comments

Netflix dropped a trailer for Part 2 of Stranger Things season 4, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin confirmed the Jon Snow series pitch, Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan announced they will team for a limited series adaptation of East of Eden, Netflix confirmed that an ad-supported subscription plan is in the works, Hacks and Somebody Somewhere led the Dorian Awards Nominations, new trailers arrived for What We Do in the Shadows season 4 and streaming film Honor Society (starring Angourie Rice and Gaten Matarazzo), and more of the biggest news in TV and streaming for the past week.


TOP STORY

Stranger Things Season 4, Part 2 Trailer Teases a Powerful End to the Series’ Penultimate Season


Sure, season 4 of Stranger Things was broken into two parts to later premiere only two episodes, which seems a lot of fuss for just two installments — until you find out they equal more than three hours of viewing time and involve on a full-on war, Matthew Modine, more Kate Bush, flamethrowers and machine guns, an RV from hell, and more of this season’s big bad, Vecna!

And sure, there’s still one more season left before the Stranger Things gang rides off into the ’80s sunset, but the end of season 4 deserves all our attention for now.

Especially when, as Eleven is warned, her friends are not properly prepared for the battles that lie before them when Stranger Things season 4, part 2 premieres on July 1.


NEW TRAILERS: What We Do in the Shadows Season 4: The Vampires Return to Staten Island


What We Do in the Shadows season 4 is on the way, and it looks like the most fun, and silly, season yet. Even better news: the 10-time Emmy nominee has already been renewed for seasons 5 and 6. Stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Harvey Guillén. Premieres July 12. (FX)

More trailers and teasers released this week:
Trigger Point is a new drama about is pair of bomb disposal experts who risk their lives during a terrorist event in the of London. Stars Vicky McClure and Adrian Lester . Premieres July 8. (Peacock)
Legacy: True Story of the LA Lakers is a 10-part docuseries that captures the remarkable rise and unprecedented success of one of the most dominant and iconic franchises in professional sports. Featuring exclusive access to the Buss Family and probing, revealing interviews with players, coaches, and front office execs, the series comes from Lakers’ CEO and controlling owner Jeanie Buss and Emmy Award–winning director Antoine Fuqua. Premieres soon. (Hulu)
Lego Star Wars Summer Vacation: looking for a much-needed break from Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters, Finn arranges a surprise vacation for his friends Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewie, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO, aboard the ultra-luxurious Galactic Starcruiser, the Halcyon. But Finn’s plan to have one last hurrah together quickly goes awry when he’s separated from the group. Voice talent includes “Weird Al” Yankovic, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Weird Al performs the new original song “Scarif Peach Party.” Premieres Aug 5. (Disney+)
The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie” is a docuseries about the iconic song, featuring secrets revealed by the artist himself: “This documentary is something that will make people think, especially since so many throughout the years have asked me what certain lyrics meant or whom I was referring to, but now I finally can solve many of those mysteries,” McLean says, noting that artists from Madonna to Garth Brooks to Weird Al Yankovic have recorded the song. “So many people have their own interpretation of the song, and I love it.” Premieres July 19. (Paramount+)



Honor Society is an original YA comedy movie about Honor, an ambitious high school senior whose sole focus is getting into an Ivy League college — assuming she can first score the coveted recommendation from her guidance counselor, Mr. Calvin. Willing to do whatever it takes, Honor concocts a Machiavellian plan to take down her top three student competitors, until things take a turn when she unexpectedly falls for her biggest competition, Michael. Stars Angourie Rice, Gaten Matarazzo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Armani Jackson, and Amy Keum, Premieres July 29. (Paramount+)
Solar Opposites season 3 centers around a team of four aliens who are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Justin Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty, while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love TV, junk food, and fun stuff. In season 3, the alien team strives to be less of a team and more of a family team. Premieres July 13. (Hulu)
Five Days at Memorial is a limited eight-episode series based on actual events and adapted from the book of the same name by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Sheri Fink which chronicles the impact of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on a local hospital. When the floodwaters rose, power failed, and heat soared, exhausted caregivers at a New Orleans hospital were forced to make decisions that would follow them for years to come. From Academy Award–winner John Ridley and Emmy Award–winner Carlton Cuse, the series stars Vera Farmiga, Robert Pine, Cherry Jones, Julie Ann Emery, Cornelius Smith Jr., Adepero Oduye, Molly Hager, and W. Earl Brown . Premieres Aug. 12. (Apple TV+)

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CASTING: Florence Pugh Starring in Zoe Kazan’s East of Eden Limited Series Adaptation at Netflix

Florence Pugh

(Photo by Karwai Tang/Getty Images)

Florence Pugh — the MCU’s Yelena Belova — will star in an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden for Netflix. The limited series will be written by Wildlife screenwriter and The Big Sick star Zoe Kazan, who will also co-produce with Pugh. The book tells a multigenerational story of two families in the farmland of California’s Salinas Valley. The 1955 feature film, produced and directed by Kazan’s grandfather Elia Kazan, introduced 24-year-old actor James Dean, was nominated for four Academy Awards (winning one for Jo Van Fleet for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), and is Certified Fresh at 85% on the Tomatometer. (Deadline)

One-time Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi and The Good Wife and The Good Fight star Cush Jumbo will co-star as London murder detectives in Apple TV+’s eight episode thriller Criminal Record. (Deadline)

On the next season of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, Grylls’ adventurous guests will include Natalie Portman, Simu Liu, Ashton Kutcher, Florence Pugh, Anthony Anderson, and Rob Riggle. The season premieres July 25 on National Geographic.

Rian Johnson’s Peacock mystery drama Poker Face has added new cast member Ellen Barkin, Deadline reports, joining Natasha Lyonne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Bratt, Chloë Sevigny, Dascha Polanco, Lil Rel Howery, Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda. Variety reports Tim Meadows, Jameela Jamil, Nicholas Cirillo, Audrey Corsa, and Niall Cunningham will also join the line-up of the much buzzed about series, details of which remain largely a mystery.

Kevin Zegers has joined the cast of ABC’s The Rookie spin-off, The Rookie: Feds, playing Brendon, a former actor (on a TV series called Vampire Cop) who’s now just out of Quantico training and having a hard time being taken seriously with his Hollywood past. The series also stars Niecy Nash-Betts, Frankie Faison, Felix Solis, and Britt Robertson. (Deadline)

Paramount+ has announced the cast and begun production on a series adaptation of the book series Wolf Pack (by author Edo Van Belkom), about four teens who, after a wildfire, come together to unravel the secret that connects them: the bite and blood of a werewolf. The teens are played by Armani Jackson (Chad), Bella Shepard (The Wilds), Chloe Rose Robertson (Wildflower), and Tyler Lawrence Gray (Our Town).

Steve Zahn (The White Lotus) has joined the season 3 cast of the HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones, and will play a militia leader named Peter. (TheWrap)

China Beach Emmy-winner Dana Delany has joined the Sylvester Stallone Paramount+ mob drama Tulsa King, created by Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan. Delany will play a local equestrian and influential horse farm owner in the titular Oklahoma city where Stallone’s recently released from prison mob boss is transferred to by his New York cohorts. (Variety)


Will Forte

(Photo by Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)

Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte will star in the dark comedy thriller Bodkin, the first scripted series from White House alums Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground productions. The seven-episode series about podcasters investigating a missing person case. (THR)

Amir El-Masry (The Night Manager) will play billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, the former Harrods owner and father of Princess Diana’s boyfriend al-Fayed, on the fifth season of The Crown on Netflix. (Variety)

Jason Alan Carvell (NCIS: New Orleans) has joined the third season of the Epix Forest Whitaker drama Godfather of Harlem, where he’ll play civil rights leader Malcolm X. The role was played by actor Nigél Thatch in seasons 1 and 2. Giancarlo Esposito and Vincent D’Onofrio are also among the cast. (Deadline)

Paul Giamatti has joined the season 2 cast of the Spanish horror series 30 Coins, about an exiled exorcist and fellow citizens of a small town in Spain who are involved in a battle for the 30 silver coins paid to Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Giamatti will play a tech billionaire whose real intentions in the story are unknown. (Deadline)

Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer, and Eve Ridley have been added to the cast of Netflix’s sci-fi drama 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s Hug Award-winning trilogy of the same name about when humans discover they’re not alone in the universe. Previously announced cast include Pryce’s fellow Game of Thrones alums Liam Cunningham and John Bradley. The series was co-created by GoT showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss along with True Blood’s Alexander Woo, and Rian Johnson is also an executive producer. (THR)

Apple TV+ has ordered an eight-episode drama, The Buccaneers, based on the unfinished final novel of the same name by Edith Wharton. Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, and Mia Threapleton will star in the story of a group of young American women who join the London social scene in the 1870s, setting off a culture clash. The series is created and being written by Katherine Jakeways (Tracey Ullman’s Show). (THR)


PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT: George R.R. Martin Confirms the Game of Thrones Jon Snow Sequel

Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones season 8, episode 6, series finale "The Iron Throne" (HBO)

(Photo by HBO)

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has confirmed all that chatter from last week about a GoT sequel, revolving around Jon Snow. GoT alum Emilia Clarke told the BBC that Jon Snow himself, actor Kit Harington, has been involved with the spin-off from the beginning, so the series is, as Clarke puts it, “certified by Kit Harington.” Martin, who wrote about the project on his blog, adds that the working title of the series is Snow. “Various rumors are floating around about my involvement, or lack of same. I am involved, just as I am with [sequel series] The Hedge Knight and The Sea Snake and Ten Thousand Ships, and all the animated shows. Kit’s team have visited me here in Santa Fe and worked with me and my own team of brilliant, talented writer/ consultants to hammer out the show. All four of these successor shows are still in the script stage…Please note: nothing has been green lit yet, and there is no guarantee when or if it will be… on any of these shows.”

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirms his company will be adding an ad tier for subscribers who want a cheaper option. The move comes after Netflix lost more than 200,000 subscribers earlier this year.

1923: That will be the title of Paramount+’s Yellowstone prequel series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. The title reflects that the series will take place around the time period of the end of World War I in 1918 and the beginning of Prohibition in 1920.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton and Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Community writer Andrew Guest are creating a live-action TV series based on the Marvel hero Wonder Man. Little is known about what direction Disney+ would take with the character, which is still early in development and was first introduced in the comics as a villain, before becoming a hero who was a celebrity actor by day and had ties to the Avengers and Vision and Wanda/Scarlet Witch. (THR)

HBO Max will debut all six parts of the Ethan Hawke–directed docuseries The Last Movie Stars, about the love story and careers of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, on July 21.

Hulu will host the July 12 streaming debut of The Bob’s Burgers Movie, which made its big-screen premiere on May 27.

Epix has picked up the BBC music docuseries My Life as a Rolling Stone, a four-part series which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones. The series will air on Epix on Aug. 7.
Netflix has announced Bill Burr: Live at Red Rocks, the fifth hour-long stand-up special for the comedian with the streaming network. Live at Red Rocks premieres on July 12.

Pose Emmy winner Billy Porter has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions, developing content via his new production company Incognegro with producing partner D.J. Guggenheim.

Showtime has ordered the half-hour scripted comedy pilot Seasoned, starring married actors Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, who became social media stars when they started to share moments from their personal life on their Twitter accounts during the pandemic. The pilot is written by writer-director Ewen Wright and the couple’s son Gideon Grody-Patinkin.


The Walking Dead Museum Exhibit Opens

Norman Reedus in The Walking Dead _ Season 6,

(Photo by Gene Page/AMC)

Opening on June 25 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City: Living with The Walking Dead, a major, multi-month exhibition that will explore key aspects of the show’s origins, production, and impact.

The exhibition will be accompanied by multiple screening series and other public events over a six-month span, closing on January 1, 2023. The third floor of the Museum will probe the issues at the heart of the series: the related threats of the murderous undead and the collapse of the social order. It will explore the cinematic and literary antecedents of The Walking Dead, including its origin in Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, and present the unique innovations that the AMC Networks series has contributed, with its wide-ranging story of survival, diverse cast of characters, and devoted fans.

The exhibition will include original costumes and props, concept art, storyboards, scripts, and prosthetic makeup material created by Special Effects Makeup Supervisor and Executive Producer Greg Nicotero and his team at the award-winning KNB EFX studios. Tickets for the exhibition at available at the Museum of the Moving Image.


Hacks and Somebody Somewhere Lead Dorian Awards Nominations

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in Hacks Season 2 (HBO Max)

(Photo by HBO Max)

The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, now comprised of 385 professional critics and journalists covering film and television, has announced its 14th Dorian TV Awards nominations for the best in all of TV, mainstream to LGBTQIA+ content. Leading GALECA members’ short list of TV’s best, with five nominations each, are HBO’s freshman comedy Somebody Somewhere and HBO Max’s Hacks.

COMPLETE LIST OF DORIAN TV AWARD NOMINEES*

BEST TV DRAMA
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Heartstopper (Netflix)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Succession (HBO)

BEST TV COMEDY
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

BEST LGBTQ SHOW
Hacks (HBO Max)
Heartstopper (Netflix)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

BEST TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Dropout (Hulu)
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
The White Lotus (HBO)

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW
Elite (Netflix)
Lupin (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST UNSUNG SHOW
Better Things (FX)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
Russian Doll (Netflix)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

BEST TV PERFORMANCE
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kit Connor, Heartstopper (Netflix)
Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)
Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Amanda Seyfried, Dropout (HBO)
Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
Zendaya, Euphoria (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE
Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus (HBO)
Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO)
Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus (HBO)
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO Max)
Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Matthew Macfadyen Succession (HBO)
Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (AMC)
Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO)

BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Beyonce, “Be Alive,” 94th Academy Awards (ABC)
Kristin Chenoweth and cast, “Tribulation,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, “Don’t Give Up,” Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Jean Smart, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” Hacks (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong and cast, “Corn Puddin’,” Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham and cast, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

BEST TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
The Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix)
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+)
How to with John Wilson (HBO)
Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (HBO)
We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
ZIWE (Showtime)

BEST ANIMATED SHOW
Arcane (Netflix)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Q Force (Netflix)
Tuca & Bertie (Adult Swim)
What If…? (Disney+)

BEST REALITY SHOW
Legendary (HBO Max)
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef: Houston (Bravo)
We’re Here (HBO)

MOST VISUALLY STRIKING SHOW
Euphoria (HBO)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
Loki (Disney+)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)

CAMPIEST TV SHOW
Diana: The Musical (Netflix)
Euphoria (HBO)
Girls5Eva (Peacock)
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)

WILDE WIT AWARD
To a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse
Joel Kim Booster
Quinta Brunson
Jerrod Carmichael
Jennifer Coolidge
Bowen Yang

THE INAUGURAL “YOU DESERVE AN AWARD!” AWARD
To a uniquely talented TV icon we adore
Gillian Anderson
Christine Baranski
Lynda Carter
Kim Cattrall
Cassandra Peterson

GALECA LGBTQIA+ TV TRAILBLAZER
for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Jerrod Carmichael
Margaret Cho
Russell T Davies
Kate McKinnon
Bowen Yang


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