Netflix turned the second week in June into its own virtual comic-con with news that spanned genres from fantasy to horror to animation to video game adaptations and on. Elsewhere, She-Hulk cast its villain, the Sex and the City spinoff confirmed some returning faces, and more of the week’s biggest TV and streaming news.
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Meet the cast of Zack Snyder's upcoming Norse mythology-inspired series, Twilight of the Gods. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/CU9lA1JGXX
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 10, 2021
If the wait for that Vikings sequel at Netflix has you hankering for more Norseman in your life, the streaming service and Zack Snyder will be bringing even more, this time anime style. As part of its Geeked Week announcements of new programming, Netflix revealed Snyder’s upcoming Twilight of the Gods, an anime series that … well, that’s pretty much it for details, save a cast list and Snyder’s hint that, “It’s my take on Norse mythology. It’s just going to be unlike anything you’ve seen. In animation, we can do anything we want … the creatives involved have just been going nuts.”
As for the cast, it’s an impressive list, including Peter Stormare as Ulfr, Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid, Stuart Martin as Leif, Pilou Asbæk as Thor, John Noble as Odin, Paterson Joseph as Loki, Rahul Kohli as Egill, Jamie Clayton as The Seid-Kona, Kristopher Hivju as Andvari, Jamie Chung as Hel, Lauren Cohan as Inge, and Corey Stoll as Hrafnkel.
More highlights of Netflix’s week-long marathon of announcements of upcoming programming to get all geeked out about:
#TheWitcher Season 2 first look: pic.twitter.com/YQcmbm5zEi
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) June 11, 2021
• A first-look teaser at The Witcher season 2 featuring Freya Allan as Ciri. (Read more in “Everything We Know About The Witcher season 2.”)
• Animation sneak peeks: the exclusive opening scene of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, which premieres on July 8; a first look at Godzilla: Singular Point, which premieres June 24; and the release date – July 29 – for Kingdom, the final installation of the Transformers: War for Cybertron trilogy.
• And for one of the most anticipated Netflix animation events: the first teaser trailer for Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Kevin Smith’s He-Man reboot/sequel, with a Mark Hamill-voiced Skeletor battled He-Man (Chris Wood), other favorite characters like Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey), Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Cringer (Stephen Root), and Orko (Griffin Newman), and the announcement of an aftershow that will be hosted by Smith on July 23, when the first five episodes of the series premiere.
Nothing like a little sibling rivalry.
Watch the first clip from #Arcane, the @LeagueofLegends animated series coming fall 2021 to Netflix. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/m25ciGHr9M
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021
• Gaming series news including the first clip from Arcane, the animated series based on League of Legends that is coming in fall 2021. Plus, Netflix announced animated series for a Castlevania spin-off, Captain Laserhawk A Blood Dragon Remix, and Far Cry; released a first-look at the Splinter Cell animated series; and shared a photo of new Resident Evil live-action series cast, including Fringe star Lance Reddick. Watch the Day 5 stream.
• Buying merch from your favorite Netflix series just got a lot easier, and more official, at the Netflix store at Netflix.shop. Haruto clock, anyone?
• Stranger Things season 4 will have four new faces, who were introduced with – what else? – upside down photos on Instagram. There’s a band nerd, a basketball star, a cheerleader, and a beloved guidance counselor. (Read more in “Everything We Know About Stranger Things Season 4.”)
• John Cho’s “lustrous” hair was what Mindy Kaling was excited about after viewing a preview of the live-action adaptation of anime classic Cowboy Bebop. P.S.: She was not wrong.
• Speaking of Kaling, her Netflix hit, Never Have I Ever, will premiere its second season on July 15, and Netflix also announced the trailer for the new season will drop on June 17 at 8 p.m. in a special virtual event at YouTube and Twitter.
• What hints can you find in this list of just released Umbrella Academy season 3 episode titles?
• Trailers galore dropped during the week, including the Fear Street Trilogy, a trio of horror flicks – set in 1994, 1978, and the ominous 1666 – that will drop throughout July and are based on author R.L. Stine’s best-selling horror series. Stars of the three movies include Gillian Jacobs, Jordana Spiro, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman, and Maya Hawke. Premieres July 2 (Netflix)
• And The Sandman sneak peek, which finds author and executive producer Neil Gaiman taking viewers onto the set of the upcoming fantasy series.
• And Kate, which stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as an assassin who has been poisoned and has just 24 hours left to live, unless she can find a cure on a dangerous dash through the streets of Tokyo. Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, and Michiel Huisman also star in the movie, which premieres Sept. 10.
• And Blood Red Sky, a horror movie in which a gang hijacks a plane for money, but doesn’t count on a passenger who will do anything to protect her son, using her abilities as a vampire/werewolf-kinda hybrid. Dominic Purcell stars in the movie, which premieres July 23.
For a week of highlights of all of Netflix’s Geeked Week announcements, check out the Netflix Geeked Week guide.
No Sudden Move is a crime thriller film, set in 1955 Detroit, about a group of small-time criminals hired to steal a new auto technology, and their search for who hired them when the plan goes very, very wrong. The all-star cast, directed by Steven Soderbergh, includes Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Julia Fox, Amy Seimetz, Benicio del Toro, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, and David Harbour. Premieres July 1. (HBO Max)
More trailers and teasers released this week:
• The Good Fight season 5 sees Diane deciding whether or not it’s appropriate for her to help operate an African American law firm with Liz, while Hal Wackner – played by new cast member Mandy Patinkin – enters the orbit of the firm when he, a regular Chicago citizen, decides to open a courtroom in the back of a copy shop. Stars Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald. Premieres June 24. (Paramount+)
• tick, tick … BOOM! is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature film-directing debut, an adaptation of an autobiographical play by the late Rent composter Jonathan Larson, who was questioning his decision to pursue a life in the performing arts. Stars Andrew Garfield, Judith Light, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, MJ Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter, and Vanessa Hudgens. Premieres fall 2021. (Netflix)
• The Gossip Girl reboot goes back to school, the same Upper East Side NYC private school of the original, but with a whole new generation of teens who will be getting into all kinds of new drama, often courtesy of the new social media available to them. Stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak and Savannah Lee Smith. Premieres July 8. (HBO Max)
• Power Book III: Raising Kanan is the second spin-off from Power, this one set in the 1990s and focusing on the backstory of Kanan, played by 50 Cent in the original series, and Mekai Curtis in Raising Kanan. Also stars Omar Epps. Premieres July 18. (Starz)
• In Betty, Season 2, the New York skateboarders are back, and their plan to make a new video to show off their talents is being edged out by the hunt for love, jobs, and figuring out all sorts of bigger picture issues. Stars Kabrina Adams, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Rachelle Vinberg, and Ajani Russell, and directed by Crystal Moselle. Premieres June 11. (HBO Max)
• Bosch Season 7 marks the end of the road for LAPD detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), but a spin-off of the Michael Connelly-created series is coming to IMDB TV, and may include co-stars Lance Reddick and Jamie Hector as Chief Irving and Harry’s partner Jerry. Bosch’s final season premieres June 25. (Amazon Video)
• The Last Mercenary stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a retired secret service agent who has to return to the job 25 years later when his estranged son is accused of some major crimes by the French government. Premieres July 30. (Netflix)
• Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail is the third season of the TBS comedy, and this time stars Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni and Jon Bass are moved to the American Old West, as a small-town preacher (Radcliffe) and an outlaw (Buscemi) lead a wagon train across the titular trail. Premieres July 13. (TBS)
• Dave became FXX’s most-watched series ever, and Season 2 returns with further debauchery and guest stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Hart, Kendall Jenner, Doja Cat, and Lil Nas X. Stars Lil Dicky. Premieres June 16. (FXX)
• Outer Banks Season 2 finds John B. and Sarah on the lam in the Bahamas. Stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline. Premieres July 30. (Netflix)
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(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
The Good Place star Jameela Jamil has joined the cast of Disney+’s She-Hulk, where she’ll play She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) rival Titania, a supervillain with super strength. (Variety)
Annie herself has yet to be cast, but Taraji P. Henson will play Miss Hannigan in NBC’s upcoming Annie Live musical. Producers have launched a nationwide virtual search to find the youngest star for the special, which is expected to air near the end of 2021.
Danny Trejo has joined the cast of American Horror Stories, Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story spin-off, reports Deadline. Murphy confirmed several castings for the anthology series, including Kevin McHale (Glee), Dyllón Burnside (Pose), Charles Melton (Riverdale), and Nico Greetham (The Prom).
HBO Max’s Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That …, has added even more returning cast members, including Mario Cantone as Charlotte’s friend Anthony, David Eigenberg as Miranda’s husband Steve, Willie Garson as Carrie’s pal Stanford, and Evan Handler as Charlotte’s husband Harry. The nearly full house of cast members reprising their roles is a boon for SATCfans, but it also makes the absence of Kim Cattrall even more glaring.
Mary-Louise Parker will play Mysterious Woman in the HBO movie adaptation of author Elena Ferrante’s bestseller The Days of Abandonment. The movie stars Natalie Portman as Tess, whose supposedly stable home life is thrown into turmoil when her husband abandons the family. Mysterious Woman starts appearing to Tess everywhere, and makes her begin to doubt her sanity.
Dennis Quaid will play producer Rick Kirkham in Peacock’s Joe Exotic miniseries. Kirkham is the memorable reality TV producer who recalled in Tiger King trying to make a documentary about Exotic’s Oklahoma tiger park. The Peacock series will feature John Cameron Mitchell (Shrill) as Exotic and Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon as Exotic’s foe, Carole Baskin.
Judy Greer has joined the cast of HBO’s The White House Plumbers, a limited series about the Watergate scandal. She’ll play Fran Liddy, the wife of G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux). Theroux and Woody Harrelson, who plays Liddy’s fellow Richard Nixon adviser E. Howard Hunt, are executive producers on the five-part series. Liddy and Hunt were the architects of the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972, the scandal that led to the end of Nixon’s presidency. (Deadline)
Mickey Rourke has joined the cast of Peacock’s eight-episode MacGruber series, for which Will Forte will reprise his titular role from the skit and spin-off movie that originated on Saturday Night Live. Rourke will play the villainous Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth, a MacGruber enemy who was presumed dead, but who has resurfaced to carry out a nefarious plot and get revenge against MacGruber. Also in the all-star cast: Sam Elliott as MacGruber’s estranged dad, Perry; Laurence Fishburne as the respected General Barrett Fasoose, who’s married to MacGruber’s ex-wife; and Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, who reprise their MacGruber movie roles as Vicki St. Elmo (who MacGruber marries at the end of the movie) and MacGruber cohort Dixon Piper.
Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner joins the cast of HBO Max’s limited series The Staircase, based on the story of Michael Peterson, the author who was accused of killing his wife and whose case was covered in the documentary of the same name. Turner will play Margaret Ratliff, one of Peterson’s adopted daughters. Colin Firth plays Peterson, while Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, and Rosemarie DeWitt also star.
Orange Is the New Black and Star Trek: Voyager star Kate Mulgrew has joined Showtime’s The First Lady series, playing Susan Sher, Michelle Obama’s chief of staff. Oscar-winning Crashproducer Cathy Schulman will serve as showrunner for the anthology series. (Deadline)
With Chris Harrison permanently out as host of all things The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Tituss Burgess, Lance Bass, and Lil Jon will join David Spade as rotating guest hosts in the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Matthew Goode (The Good Wife) will play legendary producer Robert Evans in Paramount+’s The Offer, the 10-episode limited series about the making of The Godfather. (Deadline)
Curtiss Cook Jr. (The Day Shall Come) and Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Deuce) will star in Season 2 of Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga series. Cook Jr. will play Mathematics, the group’s DJ, producer, and creator of the iconic Wu-Tang logo, while Akinnagbe will play John “Mook” Gibbons, the group’s first manager. (Deadline)
Ugly Betty star Mark Indelicato will star in Amazon’s hour-long romantic comedy With Love, from One Day at a Time producer Gloria Calderón Kellett. Indelicato plays Jorge, who, along with sister Lily (Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments’ Emeraude Toubia), is looking for love, and thinks he has found the man of his dreams … but he’s afraid to take him home to his family. (Deadline)
Meanwhile, One Day at a Time star Justina Machado has signed on for the Amazon drama pilot The Horror of Dolores Roach, which is based on the podcast of the same name. Dolores is a woman released from prison after 16 years, who returns to her gentrified Washington Heights NYC neighborhood with nothing but $200 and the clothes she’s wearing. She knows no one and nothing, except her friend Luis and a local empanada restaurant.
Hulu’s Elizabeth Holmes limited series The Dropout has added William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Stephen Fry, Elizabeth Marvel, Michael Ironside, Bill Irwin, Michel Gill, and Josh Pais to the cast led by Amanda Seyfried portraying Theranos founder Holmes. (Variety)
Beau Bridges and Ludacris have joined the cast of the Queen Latifah Netflix thriller End of the Road. Latifah plays a recent widow who’s moving her family cross country to start a new life, only to become the target of a killer along the way. No details are being revealed about Bridges’ and Ludacris’ roles … could one of them be the mysterious murderer?
(Photo by ©Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)
Peacock has ordered a 10-episode series adaptation of Seth MacFarlane’s movie franchise Ted, the talking teddy bear. The 2012 original movie and its 2015 sequel made a quarter of a billion dollars at the box office, with MacFarlane voicing Ted and Mark Wahlberg starring as Ted’s BFF. The series would be a sequel, with MacFarlane in talks to reprise his voicework of Ted.
Mike Myers has created, and will star in and produce a new Netflix comedy series called The Pentaverate, in which he will play seven new characters. Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West will also star in the story, about a secret society of five men who have been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347. One unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, viewers are warned … “the Pentaverate must never be exposed!” Six 30-minute episodes of the limited series are now in production.
Pose Emmy winner Billy Porter will write and produce Fruits of Thy Labor, a family drama to be produced with Greg Berlanti and in development at Peacock. Porter will co-write the script with playwright Dan McCabe, telling the story of three generations of a Black showbiz family through love, politics, and careers.
After the success of Mare of Easttown, the show’s creator Brad Ingelsby has signed a three-year deal to create new projects for HBO. There is no squel currently planned, but Mare star Kate Winslet has said she is interested in revisiting the character, so Ingelsby’s deal could help make that possible.
Across its many properties, NBCUniversal announced it plans to broadcast 7,000 hours of coverage from the Tokyo Olympics. NBC, USA, CNBC, Peacock, the Golf Channel, and the company’s other outlets will all be involved, including 24 hours a day coverage on USA. Among announcers for the games: Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, and, as skateboarding makes its debut at the Olympics, Tony Hawk.
Little Fires Everywhere creator Liz Tigelaar, who adapted that Hulu limited series from author Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel of the same name, is adapting another bestseller – Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising – also for Hulu. The book, about the children of a famed rocker and the trouble the whole family gets into at their annual summer bash, was a pick of the month on Jenna Bush Hager’s popular Read With Jenna book club on the Today show. (THR)
Jamie Lee Curtis and Blumhouse Television are developing a drama series based on the bestselling Kay Scarpetta novels by author Patricia Cornwall. Cornwall is scheduled to release her 25th novel about forensic pathologist Scarpetta, Autopsy, this fall. Curtis will be an executive producer on the series, but doesn’t currently plan to have an on-screen role.
Paramount+ has added more than 1,000 movies to its library, including the new sci-fi thriller Infinite, starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Antoine Fuqua. The Paramount+ offerings will include more than 2,500 films by the end of the summer, just as it’s set to launch its new $4.99/month (with ads) plan next week. Among the other flicks just added to Paramount+: Skyfall, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; I Love You, Man, School of Rock, The Addams Family, Charlotte’s Web, Pet Sematary, Rocketman, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Birdcage, and Little Women.
Even though he said he was done with Madea movies, Tyler Perry’s 12th Madea film, A Madea Homecoming, will start production for a planned 2022 debut on Netflix. Perry, of course, will write, direct, and put on the Madea dress, wig, and ‘tude for Madea’s return.
Jennifer Lopez has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, via her Nuyorican Productions company, to develop movies and scripted and unscripted series for the streaming service. Her projects will focus on showcasing diverse female performers, writers, and filmmakers.
Heavy metal rock star-turned horror movie director Rob Zombie will be directing a movie adaptation of The Munsters. Zombie, a long-time fan of the 1964-66 comedy, will write the script for the movie, which he says he has wanted to make for decades. (The Wrap)
Kevin Hart’s Die Hart, which originated at Quibi (R.I.P.), has been so successful in its new Roku home that Roku has ordered a second season. Called Die Harter, the series will continue to follow Hart playing a fictional version of himself pursuing a plan to turn his comedy career into action hero stardom. Roku purchased all of Quibi’s assets, more than 75 series, after Quibi shut down last year. Die Hart is the first Quibi series to get an order for a new season from Roku.
