I don’t know how it’s possible, but we’ve reached the end of September. Gone are the hot days of summer, replaced by the ... um ... hot days of fall. Let’s jump into this edition of The Monthly and cover the three stories you need to know, two trailers you need to watch and one article you need to read.
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The Warner Bros. water tower, Superman and Lex Luthor, and Animal, Jason Segel, Gonzo and Kermit. / Creative Commons, James Gunn, Walt Disney Pictures
3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Someone’s gonna buy Warner Bros. Discovery
A few weeks ago, it looked like Warner Bros. Discovery was on its way to splitting in two, with the movie and TV studios forming one company and CNN and the conglomerates collection of cable networks forming another company. But now potential suitors are circling the company, possibly looking to gobble it up before CEO David Zaslav even has the chance to execute that spilt.
While it looks like the newly formed Paramount Skydance — led by David Ellison and backed by the growing financial power of his dad, Larry Ellison — is the likely winner when it comes to which studio might buy the entirety of WBD, it also sounds like Netflix might in the mix too.
No matter who winds up buying WBD, it’ll result in yet another seismic shift in the media landscape, collapsing studios into studios, wiping out existing jobs and continuing to shrink the voices that decide what makes it into theaters and onto TV. (The Wall Street Journal)(Puck)
• • •
James Gunn looks to Man of Tomorrow
James Gunn and DC Studios are moving quickly on the follow-up to Superman, revealing earlier this month that Man of Tomorrow — which Gunn insists is not a direct sequel to Superman — will fly into theaters on July 9, 2027.
“It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat,” Gunn told Howard Sternwhile appearing on his show.
And while we haven’t gotten an official announcement, it looks like that threat might be Brainiac, finally bringing that iconic member of Superman’s rogue gallery to the big screen. (Although Gunn did play coy later in the week, telling Entertainment Weekly, “Listen, of course I wasn't unaware that when I posted the cover of the script that there was going to be discussion around that particular topic.” (James Gunn)
• • •
Is this finally the Muppets’ moment?
It shouldn’t be hard to keep the Muppets in the public eye. They’re one of the most recognizable groups of characters in pop culture history. They’ve been in movies, TV shows and specials for decades. Yet Disney just can’t seem to figure out how to do this.
They’re going to give it another shot, with Seth Rogen and Sabrina Carpenter executive producing a revival of The Muppet Show, which Carpenter — who’s everywhere these days — also starring in the special. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu and Tim Robinson in The Chair Company. / Lucasfilm, HBO
2 TRAILERS YOU NEED TO WATCH
The Mandalorian and Grogu
So, um, we can all admit that the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu is bad, right? There’s zero substance to it, just a flash after flash of a Star Wars character, creature or vehicle we’re supposed to excitedly point at like the Leonardo DiCaprio meme. Is this what Disney and Lucasfilm think of Star Wars fans now?
• • •
The Chair Company
I’m so excited for The Chair Company. Watching Tim Robinson do his thing — whether it’s in I Think You Should Leave, Friendship or even “Roundball Rock” — gives me so much joy. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do with an HBO series.
Is The Pitt Really an ER Spinoff? Michael Crichton’s Estate Says It Is.
Everyone loves The Pitt. It won a bunch of Emmys a few weeks ago. People were psyched to see the trailer for its upcoming second season. But we still haven’t settled the question of whether or not The Pitt is, at its core and origins, a spinoff of ER.
This matters if you’re the estate of Michael Crichton and you nixed the idea of bringing Noah Wyle back for a revival of the beloved medical drama that ran for 15 seasons on NBC. (The New York Times)
CATCHING UP
Here’s what you might have missed from The Omnicosm this month ...
The Omnicosm founder. Popculturology, Deep SNL Thoughts and Snackology writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
The first trailer for the new ‘Star Wars’ movie puts in a minimal amount of effort. PLUS: Trailers for ‘Wicked: For Good,’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ Villeneuve’s Bond to be a ‘fresh face,’ and ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ shifts release date.
Will this lead to a Muppet revival? PLUS: The first trailer for Tim Robinson’s ‘The Chair Company,’ ‘SNL’ announces hosts, and Paul Rudd and Jack Black remake ‘Anaconda.’
