> ## 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. # The Monthly February 2025 - URL: https://www.theomnicosm.com/the-monthly-february-2025/ - Published: 2025-03-02T14:00:40.000Z - Updated: 2025-03-05T21:39:54.000Z - Description: Three things to know. Two trailers to watch. One article to read. Here’s what you need to know for this month. - Author: Bill Kuchman - Tags: Popculturology • The Monthly, Popculturology, James Bond, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Marvel, Kendrick Lamar OK, yes, it’s March. But not by a lot. In an alternate universe, today is February 30\. It’s not fair that February gets only 28 days, and **Popculturology** is making a stand. (Or, I just lost track of the calendar last weekend and forgot to finalize **The Monthly**.) Anyways, here’s all the news you need to know since the last edition of **The Monthly** hit your inbox. ## Sign up Join the hundreds of ****Popculturology** and ****Snackology** subscribers who already get the free newsletter every Friday — plus The Box Office Report, Deep SNL Thoughts, The Monthly, special editions and Snackology. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ➕ Already a ****Popculturology** subscriber? ****Please consider becoming a supporter** by [****upgrading your account**](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/). 🍪 Wanna add ****Snackology** to your subscription? ****Update your email preferences** [****on your account page**](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/). --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/02/030225-banners.jpg) ****Daniel Craig**, ****Morfyyd Clark** and ****Kathleen Kennedy**. / MGM, Amazon MGM Studios, Creative Commons ## 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ### Jeff Bezos drops *James Bond* into his shopping cart In a world of cinematic universes (and attempts to replicate them), the *James Bond* franchise was a relic of a simpler past. MGM released a movie whenever **Barbara Broccoli** and **Michael G. Wilson** felt like it. There were no spinoffs. There were no streaming series. That all changed last month when Broccoli and Wilson, whose family had long controlled the *Bond* franchise, gave Amazon creative control over the property. In a flash, *Bond* had shifted from Broccoli complaining about the “fucking idiots” at Amazon to those very folks now being able to do whatever they wanted with the franchise. [(This power shift may have a had a $1 billion price tag.)](https://deadline.com/2025/02/james-bond-amazon-mgm-studios-deal-1236296104/?ref=popculturology.news) Fans and Hollywood insiders took the news as if there was a death in the family, mourning the loss of the Broccoli family as *Bond*’s protectors and wary of what **Jeff Bezos**’ studio had planned for the franchise. [***(Amazon)***](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-mgm-studios-james-bond?ref=popculturology.news) • • • ### *The Rings of Power* officially renewed While the *Bond* news was the biggest story over in Amazonland, we also got an official third-season renewal for *The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*. Has Prime Video’s *Lord of the Rings* series been the powerhouse that Bezos had hoped it would be when he made it the most expensive show in TV history? Nope. But that’s an unrealistic standard for any show to live up to. While I know that some Tolkien fans aren’t happy with the tweaks *The Rings of Power* have made to the Middle-earth chronology established in **J. R. R. Tolkien**’s appendices and notes, I’ve just been happy to have some Lord of the Rings stories to watch. (Except for the Harfoots. The Harfoots can get lost.) Season 3 of *The Rings of Power* doesn’t have a release date yet, but Prime Video revealed that the season will “\[jump\] forward several years from the events of Season 2, \[taking\] place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.” [***(Amazon)***](https://press.amazonmgmstudios.com/us/en/press-release/prime-video-confirms-season-three-of-ithe-lord-of-?ref=popculturology.news) • • • ### Rumors fly over Lucasfilm president **Kathleen Kennedy** is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. At least that’s what you would believe [based on a *Puck* report](https://puck.news/kathleen-kennedy-to-step-down-at-lucasfilm/?ref=theomnicosm.com) earlier last week. If you listen to what [Kennedy told *Deadline*](https://deadline.com/2025/02/kathleen-kennedy-clarifies-lucasfilm-exit-star-wars-future-1236304421/?ref=theomnicosm.com) later in the week, she’s not officially leaving — and has no plans to retire from making movies themselves. When the day comes when Kennedy is no longer president of Lucasfilm, I’m sure a specific brand of online troll will celebrate her departure and think they had a hand in it. That day will come after more than a decade of Kennedy leading the studio that brought the world *Star Wars*. Her run began before **George Lucas** sold Lucasfilm to Disney and brought us a new *Star Wars* trilogy (yay, *The Last Jedi*; boo, *The Rise of Skywalker*), two standalone films (*Solo* isn’t as bad as you remember) and the franchise jump to live-action television (diminishing returns for *The Mandalorian*). Who will replace Kennedy when she does retire? Will Disney hand the keys to Lucasfilm to an in-house director/producer/writer like **Jon Favreau** or **Dave Filoni**? Will Marvel Studios’ boss **Kevin Feige** jump to Lucasfilm? Or will Disney go outside to hire a president for the studio? --- 💰 Like what you’re reading on ****Popculturology**? [Send ****a one-time tip to show your support** for the newsletter. ](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/support) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/02/030225-banners2.jpg) ****Ebon Moss-Bachrach** in **The Fantastic Four: First Steps* and ****Tim Robinson** in **Friendship*. / Marvel Studios, A24 ## 2 TRAILERS YOU NEED TO WATCH ### The Fantastic Four: First Steps Going in to 2025, [I wrote that Marvel Studios needs this year’s slate of movies](https://www.theomnicosm.com/will-the-new-year-be-a-good-year-for-the-mcu/) — *Captain America: Brave New World*, *Thunderbolts\** and *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* — to critically and financially right the MCU. With the latest *Captain America* film being [a hollow entry into the MCU](https://www.theomnicosm.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-is-a-disappointing-disjointed-mcu-entry/) with its box office numbers already faltering, that pressure now shifts to the latter two films in that group. *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* will bring the iconic Fantastic Four family into the MCU for the first time. (Not counting **John Kraskinski** playing a Reed Richards variant in *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* and **Chris Evans** playing a Johnny Storm variant in *Deadpool & Wolverine*.) Feige and Marvel Studios need to get these characters right, especially with the weight of *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars* looming in the near future. • • • ### Friendship **Tim Robinson** in an A24 film. That’s really all you need to know about *Friendship*. Oh, you need more? Mad man **Conner O’Malley** is in this movie too. --- 📱 Follow me on [****Bluesky**](https://bsky.app/profile/billkuchman.bsky.social?ref=theomnicosm.com) and [****Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/popculturology/?ref=theomnicosm.com). --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/02/030225-banners3.jpg) ## 1 ARTICLE YOU NEED TO READ ### The subversive genius of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance **Kendrick Lamar**’s Super Bowl halftime performance was a moment that we’ve been building to over the past year. After decisively winning his feud with **Drake**, this was Lamar’s victory lap. “The pressure was palpable. Lamar was tasked with setting the standard for rap at the Super Bowl while also kicking down doors for more solo acts to follow in his wake,” **David Dennis Jr.** wrote for *Andscape*. “He was also under pressure to execute the global death knell to his most public adversary, Drake — but not too nasty of a way as to not deter from his historic performance.” [***(Andscape)***](https://andscape.com/features/genius-of-kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-halftime-performance/?ref=theomnicosm.com) --- ## CATCHING UP Here’s what you might have missed from **Popculturology** and **Snackology** this month ... ### Friday Newsletter - [*Andor* Season 2 trailer premieres while rumors swirl around Lucasfilm boss](https://www.theomnicosm.com/in-andor-season-2-trailer-out-star-wars-boss-kathleen-kennedy-2/) - [It’s the 300th edition of Popculturology!](https://www.theomnicosm.com/its-the-300th-edition-of-popculturology/) - [*Captain America: Brave New World* is a disappointing, disjointed MCU entry](https://www.theomnicosm.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-is-a-disappointing-disjointed-mcu-entry/) - [A fantastic first trailer for *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-is-a-disappointing-disjointed-mcu-entry/) - [‘That ain’t your brother’: Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s *Sinners* looks like a chill time](https://www.theomnicosm.com/that-aint-your-brother-ryan-coogler-and-michael-b-jordans-sinners-looks-like-a-chill-time/) ### Deep SNL Thoughts - [‘Fifty years of the best times of our lives’: The *SNL* family looks back for *SNL50*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/fifty-years-of-the-best-times-of-our-lives-the-snl-family-looks-back-for-snl50-2/) - [Timothée Chalamet (and *Hamilton*?) return to *SNL*](https://www.theomnicosm.com/timothee-chalamet-and-hamilton-return-to-snl/) ### The Box Office Report - [*Captain America: Brave New World* meekly wins the weekend](https://www.theomnicosm.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-meekly-wins-the-weekend-2/) - [*Captain America: Brave New World* hulks out for an $88.5M weekend](https://www.theomnicosm.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-hulks-out-for-an-88-5m-weekend/) - [*Dog Man* fetches a second box office win](https://www.theomnicosm.com/dog-man-fetches-a-second-box-office-win/) - [*Dog Man*, champion of the box office and friendship for everyone](https://www.theomnicosm.com/dog-man-champion-of-the-box-office-and-friendship-for-everyone/) - [Enough of you wanted to see a bald Mark Wahlberg to give *Flight Risk* a No. 1 opening](https://www.theomnicosm.com/enough-of-you-wanted-to-see-a-bald-mark-wahlberg-to-give-flight-risk-a-no-1-opening/) ### Special Edition - [The Avengers aren’t coming, but a new *Thunderbolts\** trailer premieres during the Super Bowl](https://www.theomnicosm.com/the-avengers-arent-coming-but-a-new-thunderbolts-trailer-premieres-during-the-super-bowl/) ### Snackology - [I got brain freeze trying both Girl Scouts Thin Mints Frosty flavors for you](https://www.theomnicosm.com/i-got-brain-freeze-trying-both-girl-scouts-thin-mints-frosty-flavors-for-you/) - [Taco Bell and Milk Bar party like it’s your birthday](https://www.theomnicosm.com/taco-bell-and-milk-bar-party-like-its-your-birthday/) - [Coke swears that Orange Cream Coke Zero is different from Orange Vanilla Coke Zero](https://www.theomnicosm.com/coke-swears-that-orange-cream-coke-zero-is-different-from-orange-vanilla-coke-zero/) - [Gonna eat this bag of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Kisses all at once](https://www.theomnicosm.com/gonna-eat-this-bag-of-cinnamon-toast-crunch-kisses-all-at-once/) - [No, the Post Malone Oreos don’t have real chunks of Post Malone](https://www.theomnicosm.com/no-the-post-malone-oreos-dont-have-real-chunks-of-post-malone/) - [It’s your lucky day. The Shamrock Shake and Oreo Shamrock McFlurry are back.](https://www.theomnicosm.com/snackology-template-s/) ****Popculturology** is written and produced by ****Bill Kuchman**. Copyediting by ****Tim Kuchman**. 💰 Like what you’re reading on ****Popculturology**? [Send ****a one-time tip to show your support** for the newsletter. ](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/support) ➕ Already a ****Popculturology** subscriber? ****Please consider becoming a supporter** by [****upgrading your account**](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/). 🍪 Wanna add ****Snackology** to your subscription? ****Update your email preferences** [****on your account page**](https://www.popculturology.news/?ref=theomnicosm.com#/portal/). You can also follow me on [****Bluesky**](https://bsky.app/profile/billkuchman.bsky.social?ref=theomnicosm.com) and [****Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/popculturology/?ref=theomnicosm.com). ![The Omnicosm](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/size/w1000/2025/03/the-omnicosm-wordmark-modified.png) **Popculturology** is a publication of The Omnicosm. ***Issue No. 303*** Want to remove the **The Monthly** from your **Popculturology** subscription? **[Please click here](mailto:popculturology@gmail.com?subject=The%20Monthly%20unsubscribe&body=Please%20remove%20the%20The%20Monthly%20from%20my%20Popculturology%20subscription.)** to notify **Popculturology** via email.