Happy Succession day to all of us who are celebrating, the show returns tonight and I look forward to being welcomed back by the dissonant piano chords of its theme song and the utter lunacy of the Roy family.
Yesterday at DC FanDome we got to see a slew of new trailers for games, TV shows, and movies; the biggest of course was the latest trailer for The Batman, with the Black Adam teaser a close second. Plenty of non-superhero trailers this week as well, including a new teaser for The Tragedy of Macbeth, a new season for Narcos: Mexico, another peek at Hawkeye, a time-traveling flick with a corny name, and a look at the “new” Beatles documentary.
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The Beatles: Get Back
As the story goes, a film crew got access to document The Beatles at work in 1969, but the footage has been locked in a vault until now, and has been restored by filmmaker Peter Jackson (with the blessing of the surviving Beatles and their families). The group had three weeks to write and record a new album and it’s really fascinating to see the four of them work through what were half-written songs then, that we now know well, and argue over whether to do a live show. And as usual, Paul McCartney looks unbelievably young. It’s really poignant when you realize the film is leading up to what will be their last live performance, on a London rooftop. The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, will roll out over three days —November 25th, 26th, and 27th— on Disney Plus.
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Hawkeye
This second look at the Marvel/Disney series is really leaning in to the whole “this is a Christmas show” bit. Clint Barton/Hawkeye and the family head to New York to see a show: “Rogers, The Musical,” according to the marquee (we get a glimpse of Thor and Captain America on stage with a puzzled Clint in the audience). A one-minute teaser set to Andy Williams’ Most Wonderful Time of the Year doesn’t tell us a whole lot more about the show, which is a little disappointing. Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, and Florence Pugh star in Hawkeye, which comes to Disney Plus November 24th.
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The Batman
The second trailer for the Matt Reeves/Robert Pattinson version of the Dark Knight dropped during FanDome and it’s very moody and grim and has cool explosions and gunfire effects and rain, but I wished we could have seen a tiny bit more of Paul Dano’s serial killer Riddler (a far cry from the beloved but campy Frank Gorshin version). Colin Farrell is completely unrecognizable as the Penguin, and Zoe Kravitz is a mysterious, flirty Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Also I’m a little obsessed with the question mark in the Riddler’s latte (I realize it’s probably the work of an FX artist and not a barista, but still). After what feels like several hundred pandemic-related delays, The Batman will arrive in theaters March 4th, 2022.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
I need more, Apple, these short teasers are just not sufficient. “Whence is that knocking?!” asks Denzel Washington’s Macbeth. Just you wait, mister, shit is about to get real. Oh hi, Frances McDormand looking totally innocent as Lady Macbeth (ha not really). Directed by Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth will be in theaters December 25th and on Apple Plus TV on January 14th. Hopefully we get a longer trailer between now and then.
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Narcos: Mexico
This is reportedly the final season for this excellent series about drug cartels, the third in the Mexico series and the sixth for the entire Narcos franchise (multiverse?). A new generation of cartel leaders are battling for power; throw in some truth-seeking journalists and ethically flexible government agents, and you got yourself a show. Narcos: Mexico returns to Netflix for season three on November 5th.
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Peacemaker
To my surprise, John Cena is delightful in this teaser for Peacemaker, a series spun off from The Suicide Squad. The series takes place after the events of the movie and gives some insight into Peacemaker’s origins. It looks goofy and fun, and all eight episodes of this first season were written by The Suicide Squad director James Gunn, obviously a huge plus. Cena stars along with Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks, Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, and Chukwudi Iwuji in Peacemaker, which debuts on HBO Max January 13th.
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Needle in a Timestack
A movie with stars this talented should have a better name. But Needle in a Timestack is based on the 1966 short story of the same name by Robert Silverberg, so we just gotta live with that title. The trailer itself looks not terrible: A blissfully happy married couple have their lives disrupted when her jealous ex goes back in time to change their lives so that the couple never meets. Leslie Odom, Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Freida Pinto, and Orlando Bloom star in Needle in a Timestack, which is in select theaters now.