I don’t think there’s anyone out there talking up the idea that Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon Pt 2 has been a complete disaster for Netflix. But the two-part film has been put in the spotlight as the sort of big-expensive production that Netflix is moving away from with new leadership in its film division.
In the first week, Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver brought in just over 21 million viewers. Over the coming weeks, it’ll build in viewership (Netflix use a 91 day release window to determine a films launch viewership), but it is not likely to meet even half the viewership of the first part (released back in December, the film saw almost 73m viewers).
But at a budget of around $160m, split across both films, that prices both at about $80m each - around the top end of a mid-priced feature these days). If viewership for both films reaches around 100/110m viewers, that’s not terrible. It’s not a disaster.
But when you compare it against the viewership for Woody Woodpecker Goes To Camp, likely brought in for under $15m…
Home and Away actor Orpheus Pledger is on the run from police. A warrant for Pledger’s arrest has been issued after he failed to appear in court over an “assault-related matter.” Read: Deadline
Anne Heche’s estate cannot cover the three $2 million property claims from those impacted by her final public appearance. Read: The Wrap
Steve Carell is going to appear opposite Tina Fey again. This time in her Netflix limited series remake The Four Seasons. Read: Deadline
Rogers Communications has signed a 10-year deal with Comcast to license its technology. Among them is a platform that sounds a lot like the outset like the Xumo Box (known in Australia as Hubbl). Read: Next TV
The 9th season of UK comedy Inside No 9 will be its last. Read: Radio Times
Elisabeth Moss fractured her spine while filming upcoming FX drama The Veil. Read: Variety
Sports streamer DAZN is set to launch FAST channels on Tubi featuring women's soccer and boxing and MMA. Read: THR
Also launching FAST channels on Tubi is PBS, which will bring old-school kids shows to PBS Retro. Read: The Verge
Jim Henson Idea Man debuts on Disney+ 31 May.
Golden Kamuy debuts on Netflix 19 May.
On the Hokkaido frontier, a war veteran and Ainu girl race against misfits and military renegades to find treasure mapped out on tattooed outlaws.
The Big Cigar debuts 17 May on Apple TV+.
Based on the magazine article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman ("Argo"), who also serves as executive producer, "The Big Cigar" tells the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution. It's a wild caper about Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan - involving a fake movie production - that goes wrong every way it possibly can.
That’s the newsletter for today. Sorry the newsletter was quite a few hours later than usual. The ANZAC Day public holiday has thrown out my schedule.
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As always directors are forced to produce a PG13 version for American audiences, Synder is already talking an R version for release. Just release the R version. It’s up to parents to ‘police’ what children watch.