> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theomnicosm.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Disney announced a live-action 'Moana' remake. I hate it. - URL: https://www.theomnicosm.com/disney-announced-a-live-action-moana/ - Published: 2023-04-06T11:01:50.000Z - Updated: 2024-01-13T02:33:57.000Z - Description: The Rock has entered the hierarchy of remakes. PLUS: A stunning 'Across the Spider-Verse' trailer! 'Barbie' trailer comes to play, and I have a theory about Grogu in this season of 'Mandalorian' ... - Author: Bill Kuchman - Tags: Popculturology • Friday Newsletter, Popculturology, Live-action Moana remake, Disney, Moana, The Rock Disney is working on a live-action remake of *Moana*. I hate it. I hate the idea that there is anything with *Moana* that can be improved by remaking it in live action. I hate that Disney couldn’t even wait longer than seven years to shove *Moana* into the studio’s live-action remake grinder. I hate that **Dwayne Johnson** has made himself the face of *Moana*. I hate it. I love *Moana*. It’s one of my favorite Disney movies. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. *Moana* is the crown jewel of the Disney animation revival. Despite missing it in theaters, I’ve watched it countless times at home. The scenes where Moana’s mom helps her pack to leave and where her grandmother’s spirit guides her never fail to bring me to tears. (I love a cathartic movie cry. Don’t tempt me with a good *Arrival* watch.) While we’ve known for a few years that Disney had a Disney+ *Moana* series in the works, the announcement that a live-action remake of *Moana* was in the works came as a surprise on Monday. Find something new, Disney. What about an animated sequel to *Moana*? Shouldn’t that be the next logical step? Animated movie. Sequel. Maybe another sequel. (Maybe a few more sequels if you’re the *Toy Story* franchise.) And then decades pass before you release a live-action version of that original animated film, hopefully updating the story to better suit the progress of the time it’s being released in. (And to tick off the people who are obsessed with the skin color of a fictional mermaid.) > [](https://twitter.com/mousterpiece/status/1642941217494401024?ref=theomnicosm.com) Crunching out these live-action remakes (and I’m letting “live-action” slide here since those definitely weren’t real lions in the *Lion King* remake) is easy money for Disney. The stories are already written. The audience is already there. On a purely financial basis, Disney has no reason to stop making these live-action versions of their classic films. While Disney dabbled with this process during the 1990s and early 2000s with *101 Dalmatians*, the machine truly began churning in 2010 with **Tim Burton**’s *Alice in Wonderland* remake. The studio then followed with live-action versions of *Sleeping Beauty* (through *Maleficent*), *Cinderella*, *The Jungle Book*, *Beauty and the Beast*, *Dumbo*, *Aladdin*, *The Lion King*, *Lady and the Tramp*, *Mulan*, *101 Dalmatians* (through *Cruella*) and *Pinocchio*. Disney also has live-action remakes in the works for *Peter Pan* (*Peter Pan & Wendy*), *The Little Mermaid*, *Snow White*, *Hercules*, *The Hunchback of Norte Dame*, *The Sword in the Stone*, *Robin Hood*, *Bambi*, *The Aristocats* and *Lilo & Stich*. *Moana* is by far the newest movie on this list, coming out eighteen years after *Mulan* — and even then, there was a 22-year gap between *Mulan* and its remake. Thanks to the wonders of how animated movies are treated differently than live-action movies, [a studio doesn’t necessarily have to pay the originals writers](https://collider.com/disney-live-action-remakes-dont-pay-original-creators/?ref=theomnicosm.com) in the case of the remake. Writer **Siddhant Adlakha** nailed it with his tweet about these Disney remakes. > [](https://twitter.com/siddhantadlakha/status/1642948510470250500?ref=theomnicosm.com) And then there’s The Rock of it all. If you somehow haven’t seen *Moana*, Johnson doesn’t play the title character. Moana is the daughter of a village chief who seeks out the demigod Maui to make him return the Heart of Te Fiti to save her people. The story is her journey. She is the hero. Maui is a fantastic character. Johnson nails every element of the character, even talk-singing the iconic “You’re Welcome.” It’s not his movie, though. At all. > [](https://twitter.com/uptotask/status/1642951325733511170?ref=theomnicosm.com) But somehow it’s Johnson starring in the announcement video for the live-action *Moana* remake. Somehow he is the star of this moment. Somehow he is the one representing this remake. > [](https://twitter.com/jwhitbrook/status/1642950000224387072?ref=theomnicosm.com) And, yes, Johnson will play Maui in the remake. Will Johnson move away from his trademark bald look? During the development of *Moana*, the creative team learned that Maui needed to have long hair and had to move away from the bald design they were working with. From *The Art of Moana*: > Before reaching his final design, Maui also underwent several hairstyle evolutions. “Early on, we fell in love with a few drawings that \[visual development artist\] **Sue Nichols** did of Maui without hair,” recalls **\[John Musker**\]. “So for a while, Maui didn't have hair. It made him distinctive, but -” \[**Ron Clements**\] interjects, “When we asked some of our consultants from Mo’orea, they told us that they envisioned Maui with a mane of Sampson-like hair. His hair is his mana, they explained. And we really like that.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2fa65a537e-eb9e-4118-9284-8007425c1387_3917x3024-jpeg.jpg) Early Maui designs. The one on the upper right is basically ****Dwayne Johnson**’s WWE hair. / Walt Disney Animation Studios Even more concerning, the press release for the remake very quickly notes that the “new feature film is produced by Johnson, **Dany Garcia** and **Hiram Garcia** via their Seven Bucks Productions.” If you’re not familiar with those other names, that’s the same group of people and production company that gave the world [the disaster that was ](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/a-pawn-in-dwaynes-failed-attempt)[*Black Adam*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/a-pawn-in-dwaynes-failed-attempt)[ and its betrayal of ](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/a-pawn-in-dwaynes-failed-attempt)[**Henry Cavill**](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/a-pawn-in-dwaynes-failed-attempt). Did **Bob Iger** and everyone else over at Disney miss how things turned out with that one? I hate this. ### Programming note **Popculturology** will be on break until Thursday, April 12. **Happy Thursday, and thanks for reading* *Popculturology*. I love writing about pop culture, and I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. *Are you a subscriber yet?* It’s the easiest way to make sure you get every edition of *Popculturology*.* [Subscribe now](https://www.theomnicosm.com/subscribe) *Wanna share *Popculturology’s* thoughts on Moana and Disney’s live-action remakes?* ![The News](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f4bee8e13-6221-4eea-a85c-ecef7b56f6ab_2028x228.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f904ab197-c032-4086-b59a-262e0ed1b44f_1280x853-jpeg.jpg) ****Emma Watson**, ****Rupert Grant** and ****Daniel Radcliffe** in **Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1*. / Warner Bros. Pictures ### HBO Max is close to a *Harry Potter* series based on the books Despite HBO Max being part of the same conglomerate that produced the *Harry Potter* movies, the streaming service hasn’t always had the rights to offer those films to subscribers. Three years ago, I pitched the solution to the problem: A new television series that adapts the entire *Harry Potter* story. > [](https://twitter.com/billkuchman/status/1219688372903522306?ref=theomnicosm.com) And now in 2023, [*Bloomberg*](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-03/warner-bros-nears-deal-for-a-new-harry-potter-television-series?utm%5Fcampaign=news&utm%5Fmedium=bd&utm%5Fsource=applenews)[ reports that Warner Bros. is close to a deal](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-03/warner-bros-nears-deal-for-a-new-harry-potter-television-series?utm%5Fcampaign=news&utm%5Fmedium=bd&utm%5Fsource=applenews) that would bring a *Harry Potter* series to HBO and HBO Max. “Each season of the series will be based on one of **JK Rowling**’s seven books,” a source told *Bloomberg*. This should’ve been a no-brainer for HBO/HBO Max since the service launched in the first place. It’s clear that the *Fantastic Beasts* movies aren’t working. A new series goes back to the source material with the opportunity to smooth over any story wrinkles while also fully incorporating anything new that’s been added to the franchise from the beginning. The way *Harry Potter* works, though, is Rowling is part of the deal. “The author will be involved in the series to ensure it remains loyal to her original material but will not run the show day to day or serve as its primary creator,” *Bloomberg*’s source told them. Any new *Harry Potter* show or movie or video game puts fans of the franchise in the position of choosing between continuing to enjoy the stories and characters they love and supporting those products in a way that puts money into Rowling’s pockets. The author’s anti-trans remarks have had [a negative effect on the money she makes from ](https://collider.com/jk-rowling-transphobia-profit-loss/?ref=theomnicosm.com)[*Harry Potter*](https://collider.com/jk-rowling-transphobia-profit-loss/?ref=theomnicosm.com). I’d imagine any deal with Warner Bros. for an HBO/HBO Max series would pay her very, very well. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-198.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f5a517ff3-0474-485d-bbf6-a0802f87c492_1920x1080-jpeg.jpg) The ScreenX poster for **Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*. / Marvel Studios ### James Gunn talks following *Avengers: Endgame*, a new tone for *Superman: Legacy* **James Gunn** is simultaneously wrapping up his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3* is about to release in theaters (bought my tickets on Monday!) while plotting the course for DC Studios and working on getting *Superman: Legacy* off the ground. [Gunn chatted with ](https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-preview-soundtrack-track-listing-1234707361/?ref=theomnicosm.com)[*Rolling Stone*](https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-preview-soundtrack-track-listing-1234707361/?ref=theomnicosm.com) and shared a few of his thoughts on both *Guardians Vol. 3* and *Superman: Legacy*. It turns out that not only was Gunn not in the loop when it came to Thor joining the Guardians at the end of *Avengers: Endgame*, he was going to ditch Thor if he had to. “They chose to have that ending in editing,” Gunn told *Rolling Stone*. “And I didn’t think it was gonna be in there. *Endgam*e came out right after I decided to do *Guardians* again. So I didn’t have much say in what was in *Endgame*, and then it came out and then I was like, ‘What the fuck am I gonna do?’” It was only **Taika Waititi** jumping in on *Thor: Love and Thunder* that solved the problem. “To be completely honest, Thor was never going to be in this movie,” Gunn told *Rolling Stone*. “Taika took a bullet for me. Because I was not going to have him in. I was just gonna start up and there’s no Thor.” “Took a bullet for me.” It’s wild how no one actually wanted to continue the story of Thor joining the Guardians. Gunn absolutely didn’t want to pick up that thread. And based on how quickly Waititi wrapped up the Guardians storyline at the beginning of *Love and Thunde*r, he had very little use for that development either. As for *Superman: Legacy*, Gunn doesn’t plan to turn the Man of Steel into a clone of his *Guardians* movies. “I learned so much from making these movies,” he told *Rolling Stone*. “But it’s not like Superman is going to have exactly the same vibe as a *Guardians* movie. It’s actually quite different. … I think I would have an interest in a live-action Krypto whether or not I had anything to do with Rocket.” I can’t wait to see what Gunn does with Superman. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-199.png) ### HBO is working on another *Game of Thrones* prequel series — that might launch with a movie *Harry Potter* isn’t the only major franchise that Warner Bros. hopes to keep expanding. [*Variety*](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/game-of-thrones-prequel-aegons-conquest-hbo-1235570239/?ref=theomnicosm.com)[ reported on Monday](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/game-of-thrones-prequel-aegons-conquest-hbo-1235570239/?ref=theomnicosm.com) that HBO is in the beginning stages of making another *Game of Thrones* prequel series happen. This series would go back even further in time than *House of the Dragons*, with *Variety* reporting that it would tell the story of Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros. There’s the possibility that the show would launch with a feature film too. While *Variety* notes that HBO and Warner Bros. would produce the film together, it’s unclear if it would be a film that runs on HBO and HBO Max or a legit theatrical release. Knowing how Warner Bros. Discovery CEO **David Zaslav** has railed against Warner Bros. movies skipping the theatrical window, I can’t imagine he would miss a chance to see how the *Game of Thrones* franchise fares at the box office. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-200.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f58d765f8-bf22-456f-8561-fbefd8b8104a_1200x800-jpeg.jpg) ****Morfydd Clark** and ****Charlie Vickers** in **The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*. / Amazon Studios ### Quick hits - **‘Me being on *SNL* would’ve killed me.’** [**Donald Glover**](https://www.gq.com/story/donald-glover-global-creativity-awards-cover-2023?utm%5Fsocial-type=owned&utm%5Fbrand=gq&utm%5Fsource=twitter&utm%5Fmedium=social&mbid=social%5Ftwitter)[ discussed with ](https://www.gq.com/story/donald-glover-global-creativity-awards-cover-2023?utm%5Fsocial-type=owned&utm%5Fbrand=gq&utm%5Fsource=twitter&utm%5Fmedium=social&mbid=social%5Ftwitter)[*GQ*](https://www.gq.com/story/donald-glover-global-creativity-awards-cover-2023?utm%5Fsocial-type=owned&utm%5Fbrand=gq&utm%5Fsource=twitter&utm%5Fmedium=social&mbid=social%5Ftwitter) the very different path his career could’ve taken. Anyone else remember the rumors that *Saturday Night Live* was going to bring him on to play **Barack Obama**? - **Um, did anyone finish watching *Rings of Power*?** [Accord](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/inside-amazon-studios-jen-salke-vision-shows-1235364913/?ref=theomnicosm.com#recipient%5Fhashed=dbcbe591d3e8635f592dfcf12ed3a112e937c4e1bad9b8722263c6617bc637cc&recipient%5Fsalt=3d2b320f2f3bb195838476e8d0d4e9b58fd9601855eec5d2c925427fd82514d8)[*ing to The Hollywood Reporter*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/inside-amazon-studios-jen-salke-vision-shows-1235364913/?ref=theomnicosm.com#recipient%5Fhashed=dbcbe591d3e8635f592dfcf12ed3a112e937c4e1bad9b8722263c6617bc637cc&recipient%5Fsalt=3d2b320f2f3bb195838476e8d0d4e9b58fd9601855eec5d2c925427fd82514d8), the series has a 37 percent completion rate. That means that for every ten people who began watching *The Lord of the Rings:* *The Rings of Power*, less than four of them actually kept watching until the end. Yikes. - ***Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom* moves up.** Will the *Aquaman* sequel be a disaster? How will it fit in with the DC Studios reboot? We’ll get to find out on Dec. 20 instead of Dec. 25 now. - **The third *Paddington* movie is finally in production.** [*Variety*](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/paddington-in-peru-production-july-1235571895/?ref=theomnicosm.com)[ confirmed the news on Monday](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/paddington-in-peru-production-july-1235571895/?ref=theomnicosm.com), reporting that *Paddington in Peru* will get going in July. **Douglas Wilson** will make his feature film directorial debut, taking over for **Paul King**, who directed the first two installments. - ***Heat* sequel eyes Adam Driver.** [Deadline reported on Monday](https://deadline.com/2023/04/michael-mann-heat-2-warner-bros-adam-driver-young-neil-mccauley-1235316777/?ref=theomnicosm.com) that director **Michael Mann** sees the film as his next project and Driver is in talks to join him. **Enjoy reading Popculturology?** Share it! ![Trailer Watch](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f6aa54423-83c2-4cc8-8d69-443edd9d3f9a_2028x228.png) ### *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* Love this. Love this so much. *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* should have been nominated for Best Picture the year it won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film (and **Daniel Pemberton** should’ve been nominated for Best Original Score), so my hopes are insanely high for *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse*. This new trailer doesn’t disappoint. The creative team behind this film appears to have taken everything about the original and cranked up the levels of creativity and, um, groundbreakingness. Groundbreakingness is word, right? It is now. Here’s a fun Easter egg in this trailer: When Miguel O’Hara mentions “Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999,” he referring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what we saw happen in *Spider-Man: No Way Home*. The Marvel multiverse featured in the comics has long been Earth-616, and while *Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness* tried to claim that designation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe too, Earth-199999 was the previously accepted naming convention for the MCU. *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens on June 2.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-201.png) ### *Barbie* If it wasn’t for the *Across the Spider-Verse* trailer, the *Barbie* trailer would easily be the first trailer in this section. Like with *Across the Spider-Verse*, I’ve watched it several times and cannot wait to see the movie. I’m still not quite sure what director **Greta Gerwig** has put together here, but it looks original and wild. And who can pass up **Ryan Gosling**’s deadpan seriousness when it comes to whether or not he brought he rollerblades? *Barbie opens on July 21.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-202.png) ### *Blue Beetle* Here’s hoping for the best for *Blue Beetle*. It’s hitting theaters before the official Gunn reboot hits the DCU, but [Gunn has said](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/01/31/james-gunn-and-peter-safran-on-building-a-new-dc-universe?ref=theomnicosm.com) that the film is “totally disconnected” from the DCEU films that have already been released. I guess that means if it’s a critical and/or box office hit, *Blue Beetle* can be incorporated into the future plans for DC Studios? *Blue Beetle opens on Aug. 18.* *💬 💬 💬 *Comments, questions or recommendations?* Let me know!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ![Playlist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f0383f204-1a32-4863-b02b-60f09d2affe4_2028x228.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2fee6c4c67-061b-41a9-a43b-d6c958bf4d24_1750x911-png.jpg) ****Katee Sackhoff** in **The Mandalorian* episode “Guns for Hire.” / Lucasfilm ### *The Mandalorian* **“Guns for Hire”** Gonna put this theory out there about Season 3 of *The Mandalorian*: Grogu was not originally a part of it. Maybe the final few episodes of this season will prove me wrong, but nothing Grogu has done has been integral to the plot in a way that only he can deliver. Getting Bo-Katan in order to rescue Din? R5-D4 could’ve done that. The Jedi Temple flashback? Extremely cool but zero impact on this season. In multiple episodes, Grogu just hangs back, whether it’s with the Armorer or **Lizzo**. What if the decision to include Grogu in Season 3 came late in the game? Too late to properly reunite him with Din without having to massively rewrite the beginning of the season? Tucking that reunion — the Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano bits too — into *The Book of Boba Fett* tidied up that change and allowed Season 3 of *The Mandalorian* to jump right in. [I asked last week if ](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/is-the-mandalorian-a-cohesive-show)[*The Mandalorian*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/is-the-mandalorian-a-cohesive-show)[ was a cohesive show or just a collection of cool ](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/is-the-mandalorian-a-cohesive-show)[*Star Wars*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/is-the-mandalorian-a-cohesive-show)[ elements](https://www.theomnicosm.com/p/is-the-mandalorian-a-cohesive-show). We drifted further toward the latter after this episode. A quick recap of everything in this episode: - A Quarren/Mon Calamari couple - A team of Mandalorians in possession of an Imperial starship - Aliens. All the aliens. This episode saw *Andor* pass on creature effects and scooped them all up for itself. - Lizzo and **Jack Black** as the rulers of a new planet - **Christopher Lloyd** - Battle Droids! Super Battle Droids! More droids! A bar for droids! - References to Count Dooku What this episode was missing was any kind of narrative arc for Din Djarin. You know, the guy who’s allegedly the titular Mandalorian. After quickly redeeming himself in the Living Waters on Mandalore earlier this season, Din really doesn’t have a purpose. At least he still has the Darksaber, the weapon that’ll probably lead to him reluctantly assuming rule over Mandalore. What’s that? Din gave the Darksaber back to Bo-Katan? I assume it was through a cool battle between the two? No? He used the logic that Bo-Katan defeating the creature on Mandalore that defeated him counts as her winning the Darksaber from him? Oh. Sure, Bo-Katan wields the Darksaber like a badass while Din can barely lift the thing, but this show isn’t his story anymore. He’s just a bystander now. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-203.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ffeecef50-3393-4bd0-ab9c-01142e590766_1920x1280-jpeg.jpg) ****Kieran Culkin**, ****Alan Ruck**, ****Sarah Snook** and ****Jeremy Strong** in the **Succession* episode “Rehearsal.” / HBO ### *Succession* **“Rehearsal”** How did Roman wind up the only Roy offspring living in reality? Kendall and Shiv have been chasing whatever shiny new venture comes in front of them and putting all their focus on crushing Logan. And while Logan is absolutely manipulating Roman, capitalizing on his son’s love for him, Roman appears to see how things will shake out. Ditching The Hundred to buy a legacy media organization just to spite Logan? Not a great idea. Overpaying for it? Nope. And delaying the Waystar Royco deal for a few extra million dollars (and to needle Logan) while everyone knows Lukas will walk? Horrible idea. Roman’s understood all of this, and he’s done getting dragged along by his older siblings. “The Rehearsal” was full of classic *Succession* quotes and moments, and while watching Greg describe his uncle as “if Santa Clause were a hitman,” it was Connor who delivered the episode’s most cutting lines. “The good things about having a family that doesn’t love you is you learn to live without it,” he told his siblings at the end of his rehearsal dinner from Hell. “I don’t need love. It’s like a superpower.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-204.png) ### *Mae Martin: SAP* While scrolling through Netflix earlier this week, Caitlin found *Mae Martin: SAP*. I was vaguely familiar with the comedian, seeing a few tweets about their new standup special on Twitter. I’m happy Caitlin found it, since it was fantastic. Netflix was clearly happy with **Mae Martin** and their special too, as [news broke this week](https://deadline.com/2023/04/netflix-orders-tall-pines-limited-series-mae-martin-objective-fiction-ryan-scott-1235317056/?ref=theomnicosm.com) that the comedian is working on an eight-episode limited series for the streamer. --- ![The Links](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f7f1dd043-0aeb-4f20-a18a-171d2bc47cf8_2028x228.png) - [*Hot Ones*](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/arts/television/hot-ones-youtube-show.html?utm%5Fcampaign=later-linkinbio-hotones&utm%5Fcontent=later-34179613&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=linkin.bio)[ Was a Slow Burn All Along](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/arts/television/hot-ones-youtube-show.html?utm%5Fcampaign=later-linkinbio-hotones&utm%5Fcontent=later-34179613&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=linkin.bio) (**Maya Salam**, *The New York Times*) - [Succession: How Bad Was Kerry’s ATN Audition, Really? We Asked Chris Hayes](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/04/succession-how-bad-was-kerrys-atn-audition-really-we-asked-chris-hayes?ref=theomnicosm.com) (**Chris Murphy**, *Vanity Fair*) - [Klaus Teuber, Creator of the Board Game Catan, Dies at 70](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/05/business/klaus-teuber-dead.html?ref=theomnicosm.com) (**Neil Genzlinger**, *The New York Times*) - [Will ](https://www.ign.com/articles/will-the-super-mario-bros-movie-be-2023s-biggest-film-we-asked-the-analysts?ref=theomnicosm.com)[*The Super Mario Bros. Movie*](https://www.ign.com/articles/will-the-super-mario-bros-movie-be-2023s-biggest-film-we-asked-the-analysts?ref=theomnicosm.com)[ Be 2023's Biggest Film? We Asked the Analysts](https://www.ign.com/articles/will-the-super-mario-bros-movie-be-2023s-biggest-film-we-asked-the-analysts?ref=theomnicosm.com) (**Alex Stedman**, *IGN*) - [The deepest-ever fish has been caught on camera off Japan by scientists](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/deepest-ever-fish-filmed-japan-scientists-rcna77858?ref=theomnicosm.com) (**Aina J. Khan**, *NBC News*) **Spread the news!* Share *Popculturology* on social media.* ![Odds and Ends](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2fb9283e5b-c33b-4ae6-918d-ecd7acdecbb6_2028x228.png) ### Molly Shannon hosts *SNL* **Molly Shannon** returns to *SNL* this weekend for her second hosting stint. The *Other Two* star has apparently been gone long enough to forget what day the show is on … ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-205.png) ### More on that *Weekend Update* prank Last Saturday’s edition of *Weekend Update* kicked off with one of the most brutal pranks in *SNL* history. After watching joke after joke fall flat with the audience, **Colin Jost** broke when someone in the audience yelled, “you stink!” **Michael Che** then revealed that he told the audience to not laugh at Jost’s jokes. The folks over at *Saturday Night Network* broke down how the prank happened in studio, revealing that it was Please Don’t Destroy’s **John Higgins** who yelled, “you stink!” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2024/01/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2ff05828a6-e0fc-456e-8d31-5f6fbd8e943f_3333x65-206.png) ### From Read-Thru to Air: ‘Traffic Altercation’ Guess we’re ending this edition of Popculturology with an *SNL* triple header. I love watching how these sketches come together. *That’s the end of this issue of *Popculturology*. Thanks for reading. If you don’t already subscribe, please hit the “Subscribe now” button. Tapping the ♥️ at the bottom of each post also helps the newsletter.* [Subscribe now](https://www.theomnicosm.com/subscribe)