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The Wakeup

Spring 2021 movie release calendar... evaporates. Plus the new stuff to watch this weekend

Sean McNulty

Jan 22, 2021

Mornin! It’s FRIDAY, January 22nd, 2021, the end of an historic week… in the good way for once. It’s gonna be in the teens in NYC tomorrow with the wind chill… but I’ll keep my sweet Bernie meme to myself - you’re welcome.

Brought to you by DEVOCION COFFEE, the freshest Colombian coffee you can get.

The TOP 4 Things to Know

± MGM moves JAMES BOND from Easter weekend to the Fall (Variety)

NO TIME TO DIE now slotted for October 8th, against Sony’s Marvel movie MORBIUS. For now.
UNIVERSAL then moved the Bob Odenkirk action movie NOBODY from Feb 26 to the April 2nd Easter weekend slot instead.
But then moved their TOM HANKS Amblin Sci-Fi post-apocalyptic movie BIOS from April 16 to August 16.
UNI’s FOCUS FEATURES also moved the next Edgar Wright movie LAST NIGHT IN SOHO from April 23 to October 22.

And then SONY moved: GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE from June to November 11, and:

PETER RABBIT 2 from April to June 11.
CINDERELLA starring Camilla Cabello to July 16.

All eyes now shift to PARAMOUNT’s A QUIET PLACE 2 in April as the only major exclusive theatrical release title left on the calendar for the NEXT 3 MONTHS, presuming Disney moves THE KING’S MAN from March 12 as expected.

± MICHELLE PFEIFFER to play Betty Ford in SHOWTIME “The First Lady” anthology series (Deadline)

Viola Davis playing Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt is TBD.

Suzanne Bier who directed THE UNDOING is… well, directing.

± BRIDGERTON to shoot 2nd season this Spring in the UK (Deadline)

Yes, I know 90% of you know this already. But please… think of the 10%.

It’ll center on finding a marriage for the oldest sibling Anthony… which is a sentence that I trust makes sense to you people.

± HUGH GRANT & JOSH HARTNETT joining next GUY RITCHIE + JASON STATHAM movie (Deadline)

Ok this gets confusing so… wakeup and focus. Which… fun fact: is also the more annoying alternate name for this newsletter.

Ritchie + Statham + Hartnett already shot an action movie together called WRATH OF MAN for Miramax and MGM that’ll come out later this year.
THAT movie was previously known as CASH TRUCK in case that name means somethin’ to ya. Hugh Grant is not in that movie.
THIS Ritchie + Statham + Hartnett action movie with Hugh Grant (final deal pending) is called… well nothing right now. But it was called FIVE EYES, and is currently shooting for Miramax and STX in Dubai.
And yes, I’m sure they’re already dreading the same 3 questions about all of this that they’re gonna have to find 36 ways to answer in a fresh way at the Press Junket.
Or… fuck it - and just give the same exact reply each time. #JunketGames

Other MOVIE STUFF:

SONY sells off Lord/Miller animated movie THE MITCHELL’S VS THE MACHINES (aka CONNECTED) to… NETFLIX. Price circa $110 Million (China not included).
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS moves to the Thursday before Oscars, April 22 at 10pm on IFC. Nominees coming this Tuesday.
SEARCHLIGHT sets release dates for later half of 2021:
- JULY 16 - “The Night House” - Rebecca Hall plays widow who finds disturbing secrets about her dead husband.
- SEPT 24 - “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” - yeah, that Tammy Faye, played by Jessica Chastain. Andrew Garfield plays Jim Bakker.
- OCT 29 - “Antlers” - Keri Russell + Jesse Plemmons horror movie. Guillermo Del Toro among producers.
- DEC 3 - “Nightmare Alley” - next Guillermo directed/co-written movie. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and lots of other Oscar people.

IN THE EXECUTIVE SUITE: Brady Fujikawa is the new EVP of Film at BRON Studios (The Joker), coming over from Lionsgate.

THE TV SET:

BIDEN Inauguration beats TRUMP’s where it hurts Donnie most… ratings. Joe’s audience was 40mil across 3 Broadcast nets + 3 News nets, a 1.5 mil increase… all the more impressive considering ratings for everything have been down during the pandemic (also does not include streaming audience).
HBOMAX picks up 11 episode Israeli father/daughter comedy series “Uri and Ella”.
HBO (classic?) puts GOT prequel “Tales of Dunk and Egg” into early development (no writer attached yet).
AMC buys 6 part British revenge thriller series THE BEAST MUST DIE starring Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and Cush Jumbo (not in Chernobyl). Will air later in the year.
Get ready for the PARAMOUNT+ marketing push across the VIACOM CBS empire…

AND JUST GONNA PUT THIS HERE…. SPOTIFY signed Ava Duvernay’s company to a podcast production deal, will work with Gimlet. I also… have a podcast.

Weekly WAKEUP Reader Deal:

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PLUS 3 NYC Locations to get a cup of coffee + bags of beans, 7 days a week IRL:

Flatiron District (E 20th at Broadway)
Downtown Brooklyn (Livingston at Bond)
Williamsburg Brooklyn (Grand at Wythe St)

Have some fun with your morning! And explore the best flavors that only truly fresh coffee can offer with Devocion Coffee.

TRAILER HOUSE:

nada

THE FSS FEED:

(what to Watch + Read + Listen to this weekend)

FRIDAY:

APPLE TV+ “Losing Alice” - First 3 episodes of Israeli series, about a filmmaker who feels lost since raising her family...then she meets a young female screenwriter and… I think there’s some sort of an affair… some blackmail… and then there’s a weird press conference… well I’m sure it makes more sense when you watch it.

HULU “The Sister” - All episodes of limited series from Neil Cross (he did LUTHER). Two old friends who share a long buried secret that maaay now be coming to light… and maaay involve a previously buried body.

HBO “Painting with John” at 11p - where John Lurie paints from his home in a small island in the Carribbean and… well. The trailer gave it the college try to explain it.

HBOMAX “Euphoria” between seasons Ep 2 - Goes live at 9p EST. Or watch it on HBO Sunday at 9p, dealers choice.

SATURDAY:

Entertain yourselves. Just please no more Bernie memes.

SUNDAY:

NFL Conference Playoffs: Tampa Bay v Green Bay 3pm FOX, Buffalo v Kansas City 640pm CBS.

EPIX “Bridge and Tunnel” premiere 9pm: New Edward Burns show about a group of 20somethings figuring out life on Long Island after college in 1980 (six 30 min episodes total).

FUN WATCH: Clooney + Pfeiffer do a zoom for Variety about the 25th anniversary of ONE FINE DAY, how they haven’t seen each other since, and George showing up on set… still drunk.

PLAYING ME OFF... New THE KNOCKS + FOSTER THE PEOPLE - “All About You”

Have a great weekend ya’ll!

I’ll be snug in a blanket on my couch most of the weekend if you need me. See ya Monday yo. -Sean McNulty

Listen to THE WAKEUP podcast:

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Email me at Wakeupodcast@gmail.com with notes of affirmation.

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