ReportWire

Tag: succession

  • When Succession Ends, Which Slime Puppy Winds Up on Top?

    When Succession Ends, Which Slime Puppy Winds Up on Top?

    With Succession’s fourth and final season premiere just days away, there’s only one topic on our minds: Who will daddy kiss? That is to say: When all is said and done, how will HBO’s celebrated drama answer the conundrum posed by its title—who takes over Waystar Royco after Brian Cox’s formidable Logan Roy steps down, is pushed out, or dies? (Assuming that there even is a Waystar Royco to take over—though somehow, we imagine Logan’s plan to sell the company to Alexander Skarsgård’s Lukas Matsson might wind up hitting a snag.)

    Below, 10 Vanity Fair staffers strap on their (knockoff) Patek Philippes and attempt to predict which member of Succession’s sprawling ensemble will wind up on top. There’s a case to be made for basically anyone—except, apparently, Shiv or Roman. Sorry, kids!

    Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron)

    There was a point where I would’ve put money on Shiv running the Roy empire—but I think she (and her brothers) have lost the thread of their Waystar pursuit to their unsinkable daddy issues. Now I believe that the other female Succession powerhouse, Gerri, has been waiting in the wings for each Roy to self-destruct so that she can elegantly seize Waystar. My ideal final scene would be Gerri unfastening her updo, pouring herself a stiff drink, and smugly looking out over her new empire. If we can’t get Waystar GerrCo, I’d settle for Gerri getting a showstopping finale monologue venting decades’ worth of pent-up frustrations about the f–ked-up family dynamics she’s had to witness. And ideally a hefty settlement for stomaching all of Roman’s sexual harassment.  —Julie Miller

    Gerri Kellman and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen)

    Succession’s writers are cheeky buggers who constantly pull the rug out from under their characters—and viewers. (How many of us were fooled into thinking Kendall Roy might be dead  just because he was floating face down in a pool?) Every time one of the heirs gets close to grabbing the throne, they find themselves humiliatingly foiled. So rather than landing in the hands of one of these monstrous children of privilege, I think Royco will go to outsiders Gerri and Tom, either because Logan thinks they have earned it the way he did (through hard work and deviousness) or because when they join forces, they can outwit and outplay the Roy kids, who are fatally distracted by internecine family warfare. —Joy Press

    Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong)

    Logan’s number one boy has been through a lot over the past three seasons, and his tribulations haven’t made him any wiser or more competent (or better at enjoying a birthday party). He was already CEO of Waystar once; it didn’t go well. But through everything, Kendall has proven himself completely incapable of severing ties with his monstrous father—and he also clearly still yearns to run the company he once considered his birthright. I can see season four winding through a series of twists that lead back to Kendall finally ascending the throne he was denied way back in Succession’s pilot. Is this the most obvious ending, not least because it’s basically what happened in the family that inspired Succession? Sure. But if any show can make Occam’s razor surprisingly satisfying, it’s this one. —Hillary Busis

    Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun)

    Consider this question cracked—it’s Greg the Egg who will ascend to power at Waystar Royco. By the end of season three, Greg finds himself holding all the chips thanks to his carefully orchestrated alliance with Logan and Tom. Since the beginning, Greg has used his outsider status for self-preservation—stashing some of those shady cruise line documents to avoid prison time with Tom, dropping his grandfather’s lawyer after learning that his inheritance would be donated to Greenpeace. By series end, Greg will have more than enough ammunition to usurp his more obviously connected relatives. Only time will tell whether or not Tom gets to come along for the ride—or get bested by one last betrayal. What would make a better hero’s journey than Greg—who first appears in the series stoned and dressed as a theme park mascot—eventually running the circus? —Savannah Walsh

    All Logan Roy ever wanted was a competent heir. Naturally, his wish will backfire spectacularly. When Logan dies (alone, in a twisted parallel of the show’s opening), a chaotic final flurry of politicking will create the perfect power vacuum for everyone’s favorite non-Roy Roy to claim the throne. Kingmaker Tom will be the one to secure Greg’s ascension—but will inadvertently spell doom for himself by doing so. Why shouldn’t the man who prides himself on being Greg’s puppet master end up his blood sacrifice instead? —Tyler Breitfeller

    Frank Vernon (Peter Friedman)

    I can’t imagine any of the Roy children ultimately getting what they want, nor do I think fan affection for Gerri or even Greg will be rewarded in the end. Meanwhile, there’s a cadre of Logan loyalists who always manage to disappear into the background until they’re needed. Assuming that Shiv, Kendall, and Roman are hell-bent on destroying Waystar Royco this season, the perfect ending is the company carrying forward with the least intriguing person in charge. So congratulations, Frank: The Roy children will surely continue making your life hell long after the series has ended. —Katey Rich

    Blackstone Inc. (or its fictional equivalent)

    For decades, the private-equity arm of this investment firm has been in the news for its investments in major brand names and increasing share of the national housing market. Wouldn’t we learn the truest lesson about capitalism if the entire season was about a takeover attempt that eventually stripped the Roys of control? The family losing the company but keeping a tidy sum as a payout—rendering all of their factional battles pointless—could be a fittingly tragic end, as their company itself lives on as a mere line item in a much larger corporation. —Erin Vanderhoof

    Jess Jordan, Kendall’s Assistant (Juliana Canfield)

    Who better to run Waystar Royco than the woman who has the toughest job in town? I believe that Jess Jordan, a.k.a. Kendall’s dutiful assistant, Ken’s sidekick, Ken Doll’s right-hand woman, Kenny’s ride or die, will ascend to the top of the Waystar Royco food chain by series end. Think about it. She has the talent—truly imagine for five minutes how challenging it would be to be Kendall’s assistant. (I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.) She also has the knowledge; remember, she’s always just on the side of the frame while Kendall is going through some manic episode. She also probably has deep knowledge of the inner workings of Waystar Royco (let’s be real: Kendall doesn’t read or send his own emails). Jess Jordan’s got the skill and the intel, and now all she needs is the opportunity to make her point. Also let’s face it: She’s due for a promotion at this point. Not for nothing, I could also see Logan giving her Waystar Royco just to fuck with Kendall’s head. Mark my words: Kendall’s assistant will inherit the earth —Chris Murphy

    Connor Roy (Alan Ruck)

    If Game of Thrones taught us anything, it’s that the throne ultimately goes to whoever’s meekest and least deserving. So I’m going to Connor Roy, the only Roy child who has no interest in running his father’s company. We can safely assume his political career isn’t going to pan out, and I can think of no bigger insult to Logan’s other children than for him to give it to the only kid who doesn’t want it. I’m also assuming that Willa Ferreyra (Justine Lupe), Connor’s escort turned girlfriend turned-wife, will actually be running the company in the end. —Rebecca Ford

    Logan Roy

    Obviously, only Logan Roy can succeed Logan Roy. He won’t die. He won’t pick his number one candy baby. He won’t marry the Hope Hicks simulacrum that incongruously goth assistant (Zoe Winters). He won’t be prenupped into ceding shit to Marcia (Hiam Abbass). He won’t get hot and heavy with the Pierce family again. He won’t favor or disfavor any of his demon spawn. He’ll just keep livin’, man, L-I-V-I-N. —Claire Howorth

    Vanity Fair

    Source link

  • ‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun AKA Cousin Greg Attends Raptors Game, Might Be A Fan

    ‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun AKA Cousin Greg Attends Raptors Game, Might Be A Fan

    By Emerson Pearson.
    Published:
    Last updated:

    Cousin Greg from “Succession” appeared at the Raptor’s game against the Indiana Pacers last night.

    Nicholas Braun, who plays the lackadaisical and beloved character, was seen courtside at the big game at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto on March 22.

    The Emmy-nominated actor appeared briefly on the jumbotron, smiling and nodding toward the camera. Braun seemed to be in attendance with his rumoured girlfriend.


    READ MORE:
    Alexander Skarsgard Confirms Birth Of First Baby, Says ‘Succession’ Fans Will Be ‘Shocked’ By End (Exclusive)

    Braun was lucky enough to earn some love from the Raptor’s mascot as the red dinosaur exchanged a hug with the “Succession” star.

    It’s unclear which team the actor was rooting for. However, this isn’t his first time attending a Raptors game. In December 2019, Cousin Greg first appeared at a home game where the Raptors were up against Miami Heat.


    READ MORE:
    ‘Succession’ Star Sarah Snook Is Pregnant, Debuts Baby Bump At Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

    Greg attended that game with his brother Deyo and tweeted support for both teams by the end of the game.

    Unfortunately, the Raptors lost both games Braun has attended, with the team losing 118-114 last night to the Indiana Pacers.

    Emerson Pearson

    Source link

  • ‘Succession’: The Real People Who Inspired the HBO Hit

    ‘Succession’: The Real People Who Inspired the HBO Hit

    In April 2019, The New York Times published a three-part investigation about the legacy of Rupert Murdoch that, among a number of juicy revelations, exposed the media mogul’s attempts to ease tensions among his children through group therapy sessions, including a “therapeutic retreat” at the family ranch in Australia. Roughly nine months earlier, a very similar scene played out on television screens during the first season of Succession. In “Austerlitz,” the HBO drama’s seventh episode, the fictional Roy family begrudgingly gathered in New Mexico for a therapy session after middle son Kendall’s failed attempt to knock his father, Logan, from power—only to discover that the whole gathering was a publicity stunt. 

    Succession’s creative team might not have realized they were so closely mirroring reality when they filmed that episode, but the goal has always been to tell a story that felt like it could be happening in real life too. “If you read the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, you’d have a good sense of where we thought the show would go because it’s trying to reflect the world,” show creator Jesse Armstrong told The New Yorker in February, when he also announced that Succession’s upcoming fourth season would be its last. Indeed, many of Succession’s characters and plotlines can be traced back to real people and events. Over the years, the show has employed journalists and writers—media columnist Frank Rich is an executive producer, and novelist Gary Shteyngart and business journalist Merissa Marr have served as consultants—to aid in the accuracy of its world-building.  

    Succession’s third season ended more than a year ago with the often at-odds Roy siblings—Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin)—teaming up to try to stop their father (Brian Cox) from selling the family business. But an eleventh hour heel turn from Shiv’s husband, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), foiled their plans. HBO is keeping a tight lid on the events of the show’s final season—beyond dropping a few bread crumbs in a new trailer—but if previous seasons are any indication, there will be more than a few similarities to recent current events. Ahead, a breakdown of the real-world influences for the fictional world of Succession. 

    Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy, and Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy.Courtesy of HBO.

    The Roy Family

    Armstrong has said that he drew from several dynastic families—including the Redstones, the Sulzbergers, and the Hearsts—when creating the Roys. But none appear to have been more influential than the Murdochs. In fact, Armstrong first began mining the lives of the rich and powerful for satire with a screenplay called Murdoch, which imagined the family convening for the birthday of Rupert Murdoch. It made the rounds in Hollywood, even landing on the Black List of top unproduced screenplays in 2010, but was never made. 

    Armstrong has said that Murdoch is “deeply in the background” of Succession, it’s clear that his work on the former informed the latter. Like the Murdochs, the Roys are a patriarchal family with control over a large media conglomerate. Waystar Royco, which the Roys like to boast is the fifth-largest media company in the world, controls a Fox News–esque conservative cable network called ATN; several newspapers; and a theme park and cruise ship business. Murdoch, meanwhile, has prevailed over News Corp—a powerful print media business whose tentacles reach as far as the UK and Australia—and an entertainment business that, at its height, included broadcast and cable networks, a film and television studio, a live entertainment division, and an Indian television provider. 

    Even the family structures of the Murdochs and the Roys are similar. Rupert Murdoch has six children from his first three marriages, including an older daughter, Prudence, who has largely avoided wading into the power struggle that has consumed the three children from his second marriage: Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James. The Roy Family, meanwhile, is made up of oldest son Connor (Alan Ruck)—who instead of working for the family business announces a presidential campaign in the second season—and his three younger siblings, who each believe they have what it takes to succeed their father as CEO of Waystar Royco.  

    Natalie Jarvey

    Source link

  • ‘Still Watching’ Is Back for Succession’s Grand Finale

    ‘Still Watching’ Is Back for Succession’s Grand Finale

    Spring is in the air, and it’s time to pick an heir. Succession returns for its fourth and final season on Sunday, March 26—and Still Watching, Vanity Fair’s TV analysis podcast, is all over it. Hosts Richard Lawson and Chris Murphy will dive deep into the final 10 episodes of the Emmy-winning series—which remains as “sleek and engaging” as ever in its last round, according to Lawson’s review. We’ll be unpacking everything from deliciously devastating Roy family drama to the show’s greatest one-liners and sharpest insults.

    “What is the moral of the story for Succession?” asks Murphy on Still Watching. The answer may depend on who ends up in charge of Waystar Royco by series’ end. Throughout the season, Lawson and Murphy will make their predictions as to who, if anyone, will inherit the Waystar Royco throne, while also interviewing key members of the cast and crew. 

    The beginning of the end for Succession kicks off this Sunday, with a brand-new episode of Still Watching dropping right after the episode airs. Tune in, or in the words of Logan Roy, “F–k off.” 

    Chris Murphy

    Source link

  • ‘Succession’ Star Brian Cox Names Key Difference Between Logan Roy And Trump

    ‘Succession’ Star Brian Cox Names Key Difference Between Logan Roy And Trump

    Comparisons between “Succession” character Logan Roy and real-life media baron Rupert Murdoch and former President Donald Trump have been a dime a dozen since the hit HBO show first burst onto TV screens in 2018.

    But actor Brian Cox, who portrays mogul Roy in the hit series, has pointed out a key difference between the billionaire he portrays and the IRL ones his character is often likened to.

    “The big difference between Logan and all those guys is he’s self-made, he didn’t inherit anything. It all came from nothing,” Cox told CNN ahead of the show’s fourth and final season.

    “Logan is a misanthrope, he’s a really unhappy man and his problem is, it would be much easier if he didn’t love his children. That’s his problem, that’s his Achilles heel, he loves his children,” Cox explained. “Again, it’s a satire, it’s such a reflection on our life at the moment. That sense of entitlement that those kids have.”

    Cox in 2021 likened the show to the “entitlement that we’ve seen of the horrific Trumps and Kushner and all of that.”

    Source link

  • Pedro Pascal Is Daddy Of The Year

    Pedro Pascal Is Daddy Of The Year

    What is there to say about Pedro Pascal that hasn’t been said already? The star has been around for over two decades now, but there’s been a recent fervent love burning in the hearts of millions across the globe for The Mandalorian. There are currently 885,000 videos on TikTok under the sound “Hey Sexy Lady” by Shaggy – with half of those videos dedicated to slo-mo Pedro in his new shows.

    And yes, you’ve heard of White Boy Of The Month, but let’s introduce you to Daddy Of The Year. Pedro Pascal made a name for himself as Oberlyn Martell in Game of Thrones and Javier Peña in Narcos, but his roles as the titular character in Disney+’s The Mandalorian and Joel in HBO Max’s wildly popular The Last Of Us have catapulted him into full-blown stardom.

    The Last Of Us is just another cog in HBO’s mega-famous show machine. It joins shows like Euphoria and Succession, breaking streaming records and garnering a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows Joel (Pascal) in an apocalyptic post-pandemic world in which he’s in charge of smuggling a young girl across the country.

    It’s a role that isn’t technically unfamiliar to Pascal, who also plays a father figure in The Mandalorian. It’s why so many of his fans have cheekily nicknamed him “Daddy,” a playful jest at his character arcs as well as his good looks and exciting fashion sense. He’s the reluctant father on your screen, and the handsome, funny star on the red carpet. Fans eat him up.

    But what fans love most about Pascal is that he fully embraces this new obsession with his every move. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he even says, “Daddy is a state of mind, you know? I’m your Daddy.” But that’s not all, the people’s heartthrob took to the red carpet to reiterate his sentiments. He tells Entertainment Tonight in all seriousness, “I’m your cool, slutty daddy.”

    And it’s not just his quick wit in interviews, but his style. Pedro Pascal has quickly emerged as a style icon for us all, thanks to stylist Julie Ragolia. We’ve watched him devour looks from a yellow Gucci cardigan wrapped around his shoulders or a crochet sweater paired with red trouser pants. He’s become a case study for style, humility, and personality among celebrities.

    The world can’t get enough of Pedro Pascal, and neither can we. Here are our favorite red carpet looks to keep the fire lit.

    Pedro In Gucci

    Pedro Pascal

    John Salangsang/Shutterstock

    There’s something so fatherly about this look, yet it still includes a few elevated features to make it less frumpy and more fashion. Starting with the oversized gray tailored suit pants, fitted just enough to cinch at the waist. But the star of the show is the yellow button-down paired with a monochromatic cardigan thrown effortlessly over his shoulders like he’s attending brunch at the golf club. It’s rich, elegant, and just polished enough.

    All Hail The Cardigan

    Pedro Pascal

    David Fisher/Shutterstock

    I love how Julie Ragolia incorporates color into Pedro’s wardrobe. A pop of red with the trouser pant – again, oversized – and the brown crochet cardi make for an easy look that still stands out. For Pascal, his looks blend comfort with relevant trends like knitwear. They’re also easy looks for any man to recreate, and not too out-of-the-box.

    The Two-Toned SSBD

    Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal

    Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup for The Game Awards/Shutterstock

    Every man needs a good SSBD – short sleeve button down – but not all men have them. Sure, the Hawaiian shirt is overdone and often a bit tacky, but this chaotically patterned ensemble somehow works with Pascal. The rest of the look is simple: black slacks and black-rimmed glasses. Let the shirt do the talking.

    Monochrome Moments

    Pedro Pascal

    Marion Curtis/StarPix for Lionsgate/Shutterstock

    Reminiscent of prom in the 80’s, the white tuxedo is something most men consider at one point in their lives. This opalescent white tux on Pedro paired with an off-white loafer with black accents is the way to go. It’s simple, yet elegant.

    Jai Phillips

    Source link

  • ‘Succession’ Star Sarah Snook Is Pregnant, Debuts Baby Bump At Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

    ‘Succession’ Star Sarah Snook Is Pregnant, Debuts Baby Bump At Season 4 Premiere (Exclusive)

    By Zach Seemayer‍ , ETOnline.com.
    Published:
    Last updated:

    Sarah Snook is going to be a mom! The celebrated actress debuted her baby bump on the red carpet of the “Succession” season 4 premiere on Monday.

    Snook stunned in a black and silver ensemble while posing for photos ahead of the premiere, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, and she spoke with ET’s Rachel Smith about the joyful news.

    “It’s exciting!” Snook said as she touched her burgeoning baby bump. “I feel great.”


    READ MORE:
    ‘Succession’ Star Sarah Snook Misses 2022 Critics Choice Awards After She Tests Positive for COVID-19

    Snook said she doesn’t have to wait “too much longer” before she welcomes her first bundle of joy, sharing, “Like two months? Well, I’m at 32 weeks.”

    The actress — who stars as Shiv Roy on the acclaimed HBO drama — also confirmed that she was pregnant when they were filming the fourth and final season, but they didn’t have to worry about shooting around it for continuity.

    “I mean, you couldn’t super tell,” Snook said with a laugh. “Because it’s not super big, at least at the moment.”

    Sarah Snook attends HBO’s “Succession” Season 4 Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on March 20, 2023 in New York City.
    — Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

    Snook is married to Australian comedian Dave Lawson. The pair tied the knot in their backyard in Brooklyn in 2021.

    As for her show coming to an end, Snook said that she’s excited for people to see what they’ve come up with, but admitted that leaving her castmates will be a difficult experience.


    READ MORE:
    ‘Succession’ Season 3, Episode 5: Sarah Snook on Shiv and the Shareholders Meeting (Exclusive)

    “We’ve all become really close, like actual siblings,” Snook said, adding that the show coming to and end is “a bummer, because it’s such a beloved show by both the people creating it, and the people watching it. But I think going out on a high is also a powerful thing.”

    The fourth and final season of “Succession” premieres Sunday, March 26 on HBO.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSm66tmQGA

    More From ET: 

    Claire Danes Shows Off Baby Bump While Reuniting With ‘Homeland’ Co-Star Damian Lewis on Red Carpet

    ‘Succession’s Brian Cox Explains Why Ending the Series Was the Right Decision (Exclusive)

    Pregnant Rihanna Holds Her Baby Bump While Celebrating 35th Birthday With A$AP Rocky

    Melissa Romualdi

    Source link

  • “How Fucking Lucky Am I?”: Frank Rich Bids Farewell to Succession

    “How Fucking Lucky Am I?”: Frank Rich Bids Farewell to Succession

    Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Frank Rich, Alan Ruck attend HBO drama Succession premiere at Time Warner Center. By Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images.

    I asked Rich for one of his favorite moments working on the show.

    “There are many, many, many,” he began, “but one incredible moment was the end of season two, when Kendall gives his press conference in New York excoriating his father. The end of that episode, you see Logan, with a couple of the siblings, on a yacht in Croatia, watching Kendall give that press conference on a television set. The press conference had not been shot yet. It would be shot in downtown New York a week or two later. So he’s watching it on a green screen, because there’s no image, no video yet, of Jeremy Strong doing that scene. A young woman production assistant is reading Kendall’s lines, maybe three yards out of view. I’m watching Brian [Cox]”—the actor and Royal Shakespeare Company veteran who plays Logan Roy—“and I’m also that close to Brian, behind the camera, looking into the monitor.” 

    “I’m watching his face, and I’m watching him react to Logan’s son betraying him,” Rich continued. “He has no dialogue. He is just reacting. And he’s not even reacting to the actual bit, he’s reacting to someone just reading it flat, and it’s so powerful. And I think, How fucking lucky am I, as someone who’s spent his entire life loving the theater, loving actors, loving this kind of drama, to be a stone’s throw from this scene on a yacht in Croatia? As someone who spent their life treasuring this kind of work, this kind of acting, this kind of writing, what a great thing to have a front-row seat to.” 

    In journalism, you do a piece and it appears in the newspaper the next day, or in the magazine in a few months. In the entertainment business, half the things you work on never see the light of day, and when they do, the wheels of Hollywood grind slowly. But for Rich, when it comes to actually being on set, there’s something about the experience that feels in sync with his earlier career. “You walk onto a soundstage, and it’s very much like a newsroom,” he said. “It could be a hundred people, brilliant people, prima donnas, people who are not so brilliant, people of all ages, ethnicities, races, and people with very different skills, from acting, to being a camera operator, to being a script coordinator, to being a makeup artist, writers, whatever—and you’re working against a very tight deadline where, at a certain point, the train has to leave the station.”

    Succession’s “newsroom,” to borrow Rich’s metaphor, has been conquering deadlines since the series first got rolling at the end of 2016. “It has exceeded everybody’s expectations,” said Rich. “Anything that becomes a phenomenon, you can’t predict it. It’s a mystery. It’s like being struck by lightning.” 

    He told me the cast and crew had for some time sensed that season four would be Succession’s last. But Armstrong only made it official “literally weeks ago,” said Rich, when they were doing the “table read” for the final episode of season four. Armstrong broke the news publicly in a February 23 New Yorker interview. “One misconception,” Rich continued, “is that people said, ‘Oh, well once you decided [the show was ending], you had to change the ending of the season.’ That’s not how the show works. The ending didn’t change.” 

    Rich’s demanding Hollywood schedule has put his journalistic life on hold. The last piece he wrote for New York magazine was published on January 7, 2021. (“What Will Happen to the Trump Toadies?”) Is journalism behind him? “It would take extraordinary circumstances for me to want to write political pieces anymore,” Rich said. “I feel like I’ve said what I had to say. Might I do other magazine pieces? Yes, in fact I’ve talked to David Haskell”—the editor who succeeded Moss at New York—“about what I might do during my summer break.”

    Barney Greengrass was getting crowded and our table appeared to be in demand. I proposed wrapping up with a quick lightning round:

    What will Rich miss the most?

    “I’ll work with many of the people on the show again, but all of us being together on a show again is highly unlikely, you know? So you miss that.”

    Could he tell me anything about season four?

    “No!”

    Nothing?

    “10 episodes.”

    Thoughts on the Fox-Dominion revelations, as someone who was writing critically about Fox News 20 years ago?

    “What’s surprising is that it’s all coming out, because we all knew it. I have no idea what a jury’s gonna make of it. There are all sorts of First Amendment issues. But it’s fun to watch.”

    Last one: Semafor recently asked Rupert Murdoch what he thinks of Succession. Murdoch replied, “Never watched it.” Does Rich believe him?

    “No, I don’t believe it,” said Rich. “But on the other hand, I don’t care.”

    Joe Pompeo

    Source link

  • ‘Succession’ Will End With Upcoming Season 4, Says Creator

    ‘Succession’ Will End With Upcoming Season 4, Says Creator

    Following hints that his series was approaching a conclusion, Succession creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong confirmed on Thursday that his HBO hit will end with its upcoming fourth season. “It’s pretty definitively the end,” the five-time Emmy winner told The New Yorker. “We could have said it at the end of the season…but, also, the countervailing thought is that we don’t hide the ball very much on the show. I feel a responsibility to the viewership.”

    Succession, which examines the murky power dynamics between a powerful aging media mogul and the adult children angling to carry on his legacy, has developed into one of HBO’s most successful series since its bow on the network in 2018. Armstrong has gone undefeated in the drama writing Emmy category, taking that trophy for each of the first three seasons, while the show itself has won the top outstanding drama series prize for its last two seasons. HBO reported that the season three finale delivered a series-high audience of 1.7 million among same-day viewers, and that average episodic viewership was up more than 50% over season two. 

    “I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From Season 2, I’ve been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?” Armstrong told The New Yorker of his decision to end the show. “We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks. Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.” Of whether he could change his mind and continue the show, Armstrong added, “this succession story that we were telling is complete…but the feeling that there could be something else in an allied world, or allied characters, or some of the same characters—that’s also strong in me.”

    The third season built to siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) overcoming longstanding rivalries by banding together to try and oust their father, Logan (Brian Cox), only for the plan to be spoiled by Shiv’s husband, Tom (Matthew MacFadyen). The finale ends with Logan once again on top. “Logan is continually expressing his desire for this sort of imperial or monarchical—I’m trying to avoid the word ‘succession,’ but—succession,” Armstrong said of the patriarch’s mindset going into season 4. “And at the same time, as a human being, he desperately wants to win. That includes winning over these people he sees before him, to whom he wants to give power and influence. He wants them to be able to inherit it. He’s a good vessel for that paradox.”

    The fourth season will begin on a birthday party for Logan, just as the series premiere did. The plot for where this final stretch of episodes might go remains firmly under wraps otherwise, though Armstrong did tell The New Yorker there may be some potential to stay in this world beyond whatever conclusion he reaches. “Maybe there’s another part of this world we could come back to, if there was an appetite?” he said. “Maybe there’s something else that could be done, that harnessed what’s been good about the way we’ve worked on this.” For those already in mourning, we can only hope.

    Succession’s fourth and final season premieres March 26 on HBO. 

    David Canfield

    Source link

  • What Shows Should You Stream This Spring?

    What Shows Should You Stream This Spring?

    I’m at that point in life where I’m re-watching my favorite comfort shows for the zillionth time because nothing else is on. All of the shows I watch aren’t currently airing, and quite frankly, I’m bored. I can essentially quote New Girl word-for-word now because of this agonizing lull.

    And while Zooey Deschanel is never the wrong choice, I’m already counting down the days until I have something new to watch. There are plenty of good shows in existence, but when it takes Euphoria three years to create a new season…times get tough.

    Luckily enough for me – and the rest of the world – there have been a few recent announcements that have restored my faith in the streaming service gods. The TV networks have seen me re-watch Ted Lasso for the umpteenth time and decided it’s finally time to give me a new season. We can collectively release a sigh of relief.

    HBO Max, Apple TV+, Netflix, and more have been slowly announcing their upcoming shows for spring 2023 and I’m finally feeling better. I can feel myself being released from the grip of excessive reality television as we speak. I’ve even been watching countless re-runs of Degrassi (which is Drake at his best, by the way).

    If you’re feeling a little uninspired, underwhelmed, and burnt out from browsing Hulu’s main page for a show to stick out – same. But there’s hope on the horizon. Here are the best shows to stream this spring across all platforms:

    Ted Lasso – Apple TV+, March 15

    With 40 Emmy nominations and 11 wins, the accolades speak for themselves.
    Ted Lasso follows Jason Sudeikis as the title character throughout his time coaching AFC Richmond soccer as an American football coach. With lovable characters like Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), it’s hard not to become obsessed with the show.

    Everyone loves a good underdog story, and this one is no exception. This season’s dilemma? How will Coach Nate coaching Rupert’s team affect AFC Richmond’s future?

    Succession – HBO Max, March 26

    Another huge contender at the Emmy’s: HBO Max’s Succession. It’s a drama series reminiscent of the Murdaugh family, with Logan Roy (Brian Cox) heading the media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Although his retirement is ever-looming, his children Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Shiv (Sarah Snook) are constantly competing for a spot at the head of the table.

    Viewers go insane for the relationship between Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), but season four is going to be explosive considering all of the children are in their “Reputation Era” of sorts.

    Quarterback – Netflix

    Netflix just announced they’re releasing
    Quarterback, which follows three QBs in the NFL during the 2022 season. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons), and Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) were mic’d up each game and are now giving fans the most intimate look into the season.

    Since there are a little under 200 days until we see the next snap of a football,
    Quarterback will be a great placeholder. Fans of the game will have a chance to see some of the league’s most exciting quarterbacks in action like they’ve never seen before.

    You – Netflix, March 9

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwvHrtL1xY

    It feels like Penn Badgley becomes the most viral person on the internet whenever a new season of You premieres. The newest installment of the Netflix series has been divided in two parts. The first is out now, and the next comes out March 9.

    We are finally seeing Joe get a taste of his own medicine. In a Knives Out-style who-dunnit, Joe is surrounded by a group of rich elite in England and someone is out to get him. With rising stars like Lukas Gage (Euphoria, White Lotus), I’m anticipating big things from part two.

    Outer Banks – Netflix, February 23 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0w8iL2vS04

    Brace yourselves. Soon everyone will be back trying to mold themselves into a John B derivative. Outer Banks is back for another season of rewriting The Goonies and us eating it up. Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Rudy Pankow, Drew Starkey, Madison Bailey, and Jonathon Daviss will take up our social media from here on out.

    Netflix knows they have a grip on the TikTok community with this show, so I can only imagine there will be lots of thirst-trap-worthy clips, a run-in with the police and the Kooks, and a plethora of bandanas tied around the neck. The Outer Banks, paradise on Earth.

    Daisy Jones & The Six – Amazon Prime Video, March 3

    If you know me, you know I’ve been anticipating this show for almost a year now. One of my favorite books of all time by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been turned into an Amazon Prime miniseries. If you’re a fan of Fleetwood Mac and 70’s rock and roll, this show will give you your fix.

    With a star-studded cast featuring Riley Keough (Elvis’ granddaughter), Suki Waterhouse, Sam Claflin, and Camila Morrone, I expect nothing less than excellence. Keough and Claflin play TJR’s version of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, as the show follows the tumultuously talented band looking back on their prime years.

    Jai Phillips

    Source link

  • Hollywood’s Eat-the-Rich Satires Need Sharper Teeth

    Hollywood’s Eat-the-Rich Satires Need Sharper Teeth

    Spoiler alert for plot points about fools and their money.

    This was the year that the rich were supposed to get eaten—on film, anyway. Several movies, and at least one TV show, set their sights on the oligarchy pulling the strings of the world, promising brutal, if only imagined, comeuppances that us plebs could cheer on from the pit. The results, alas, have been less than satisfying. 

    Back in May, Swedish director Ruben Östlund won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Triangle of Sadness, a sprawling, dyspeptic comedy that advertised the good old-fashioned fun of watching zillionaires go to ruin. The film does deliver on that premise, to a point. The central set piece, an operatic spew of vomit and other fluids on a doomed private cruise ship, is grotesquely amusing—even cathartic. As is the sight of a kindly old couple, made rich from arms manufacturing, getting blown up by one of their own products. Östlund’s rage is concentrated and in the right place; it was an ironic (and maybe hypocritical) thrill to watch these fat cat dopes get sloshed around while at a festival as absurdly opulent as Cannes.

    The Triangle of Sadness team at Cannes.  

    Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images

    And yet, the third part of Triangle of Sadness begins to pull its punches. Or, rather, starts punching in all directions. The movie dulls itself into a nihilist, South Park–ian shrug, suggesting that everything and everyone turns corrupt eventually, so what good are ideals, or principles, or whatever us sensitive snowflake dorks are always harping on about? I’ve no doubt that Triangle of Sadness despises witless, unfeeling wealth as much as it says it does, but it has disdain for everyone else too. That’s not really the righteous us vs. them fantasy I went looking for. I realize that may be the point, but still. 

    Really, the most biting, and viscerally enjoyable, part of the film is its opening, which skewers the ludicrous pretensions of the fashion world. It captures a huddle of model himbos as they stand slack-jawed and cow-eyed, barraged by questions from a flouncy reporter. It’s a lark, but also a familiar target. It may also be the teensiest bit homophobic. Oh, well. It made this gay guy laugh, anyway. 

    Maybe particular luxury niches, like fashion or food, are the right avenue into a broader immolation of the ruling class. That, I think, was the intended approach of The Menu, director Mark Mylod’s film about an isolated, ultra-fine-dining restaurant (probably based on the now defunct Fäviken), where the chef and his assistants have a deadly meal prepared. Thousand-dollar tasting menus are a perfect example of the world’s great financial inequities, and the idea—from screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy—to turn such a milieu into a murderous moral lesson was a sharp one. In execution, though, The Menu falters, it demurs, it turns Ralph Fiennes’s lauded psychopath chef into a mess of personal grudges, when the setup suggests he is going to avenge on behalf of billions of people. 

    Fiery as the finale of The Menu may be, it feels awfully narrow, even safe. The film strides up to the idea of bloody rebellion and then gets scared of its deepest implications. So, the movie shrinks itself into a confusing, illogical tale of a specific grudge, held bitterly and unfairly. It entertains the idea of class revenge, but only so far. 

    Photo by Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

    It may be true that, in the real world, extreme retributional impulses are best kept in check. But why can’t dangerous notions of upheaval at least be explored on film? Hollywood influence is no doubt partly to blame. The people behind The Menu are pretty well-ensconced in the machine (as is this writer to some extent, to be fair) and thus might not want to disrupt their own comfortable surroundings too drastically. And, on a studio level, there is an aversion to controversy—and to insulting one’s social circle.

    Three years ago, I went to a screening of Knives Out at a film festival in the Hamptons. The swells in the crowd roared with laughter for the first hour or so of Rian Johnson’s whirring contraption of a whodunit. But when it became clearer that the film was, in its arch way, making a case against inherited family wealth, that laughter conspicuously died down. I’m sure I was projecting a little of that—did it really go as quiet as I remember?—but there was a distinct shift in the room, one that my viewing companion noticed as well. 

    Richard Lawson

    Source link

  • 2023 TV Shows: The Premiere Dates to Look Out For

    2023 TV Shows: The Premiere Dates to Look Out For

    This show debuted during the pandemic at a time when everyone needed the warm embrace of its earnest, feel-good attitude, but Ted Lasso can’t maintain that affection unless it’s honest about the fact that not everyone approaches life with an open heart and good intentions. Sometimes people are cruel, operate in bad faith, or simply don’t care. Coach Ted and the characters who have been won over by him remain a type of antidote to that cynicism, but to avoid becoming a Hallmark card, this show is likely to get much more real, much more edgy, and maybe a little colder before it warms things up again. —A.B.

    NEW SHOWS WORTH LOOKING OUT FOR

    Ahsoka (Disney+)

    Premiere date TBD

    The last time we visited Ted Lasso–land, we were left on a kind of cliff-hanger, a villain origin story, with former towel-boy Nate (‎Nick Mohammed) betraying Jason Sudeikis’s nice-guy coach by leaking details of his emotional breakdown to the press, then departing to work for a rival team. 

    This show debuted during the pandemic at a time when everyone needed the warm embrace of its earnest, feel-good attitude, but Ted Lasso can’t maintain that affection unless it’s honest about the fact that not everyone approaches life with an open heart and good intentions. Sometimes people are cruel, operate in bad faith, or simply don’t care. Coach Ted and the characters who have been won over by him remain a type of antidote to that cynicism, but to avoid becoming a Hallmark card, this show is likely to get much more real, much more edgy, and maybe a little colder before it warms things up again. —A.B.

    All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

    Premiere date TBD

    What happens when Shawn Levy, director of Free Guy and the Night at the Museum films, takes on a Pulitzer Prize–winning book set in World War II–era France? That’s the fascinating question at the heart of All the Light We Cannot See, a miniseries adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s moving novel, which will star Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie alongside newcomer Aria Mia Loberti. As much as Netflix has succeeded with buzzy TV shows, they haven’t gone for too many high-toned literary adaptations. Could this be the show to get them a seat at the table that HBO has dominated for so long? —K.R.

    The Diplomat (Netflix)

    Premiere date TBD

    It’s unclear when exactly this new political thriller from West Wing and Homeland alum Debora Cahn will be out, but given that filming took place in London this year, there’s a good chance that Keri Russell will be back on our screens soon. In her first TV role since The Americans, Russell will play a career diplomat who finds herself in over her head after she lands a big new job. Rufus Sewell (The Man in the White Castle) and Ali Ahn (Billions) also star. —N.J.

    Full Circle (HBO Max)

    Limited series premiere date TBD

    In the time it has taken you to read this, Steven Soderbergh has already written, directed, and edited four to six new projects, all of which will soon be appearing on a streaming service near you. The next project on his roster? Full Circle, an HBO Max limited series starring Dennis Quaid, Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, and Timothy Olyphant. The six-episode series, directed entirely by Soderbergh, tells the story of an investigation into a botched kidnapping in New York City, with Quaid reportedly playing a high-profile chef whose grandson becomes a target. Soderbergh is famously in his Soder-bag when it comes to crime-laced thrillers, so here’s hoping this series, with its punchy longline and eclectic ensemble, is no exception. —Y.D.

    The Full Monty (FX)

    Premiere date TBD

    In an era of reboots, reunions, and long-delayed new seasons, the British indie comedy The Full Monty was not necessarily high on anyone’s list of must-see comebacks. But now that all the original stars have agreed to return—that’s Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, and many more—under the guidance of original screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and producer Uberto Pasolini, why not look forward to it? The original 1997 film, the first best-picture nominee from what was then Fox Searchlight, remains a winning gem, and the new series promises to hit on many of the same themes. According to FX, “it will follow the original band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society’s crumbling health care, education, and employment sectors. The series will explore the brighter, sillier, and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity.” —K.R.

    The Idol (HBO)

    Premiere date TBD

    Billed as coming from “the gutters of Hollywood,” the collaboration between Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson recently released a teaser trailer that includes sex, drugs, rock and roll, and star Lily-Rose Depp in a series of improbably tiny bikini tops. A toxic love story between Depp’s aspiring pop star and The Weeknd as a self-help guru, it looks like an even more Hollywood-ized version of Euphoria, or maybe The Weeknd’s dizzying club scene in Uncut Gems stretched to series length. Prepare to watch your entire Twitter feed yell about it every Sunday night whenever The Idol finally does premiere. —K.R.

    The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

    Premiere date TBD

    After starring in her own buzzy TV adaptations of blockbuster novels like Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine presents The Last Thing He Told Me—a starring vehicle for Jennifer Garner (who replaced Julia Roberts), based on Laura Dave’s 2021 book. Garner stars as Hannah, a woman who finds new means of connection with her 16-year-old stepdaughter (Angourie Rice) as they search for their husband and father Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) following his startling disappearance. Dave is adapting her novel alongside cocreator and husband Josh Singer, winner of an Oscar for cowriting 2015’s Spotlight. Olivia Newman, who helmed Hello Sunshine’s Where the Crawdads Sing film adaptation, has been brought on to direct. —S.W.

    Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

    Premiere date TBD

    The adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’s best-selling novel centers on a woman (Brie Larson) whose dreams of being a scientist but, stifled by the 1960s societal belief that women belong in the kitchen and not the labs, instead uses her hosting gig on a TV cooking show to help women learn about much more than making dinner. Oscar winner Larson also produces the series, which also stars Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, and Beau Bridges. —R.F.

    Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)

    Premiere date TBD

    In development at HBO for nearly a decade before Apple took it over, this World War II historical drama is produced by none other than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, among others, and reunites Hanks with his Elvis costar Austin Butler. Cary Joji Fukunaga, also an executive producer, is among the sterling list of directors on the reportedly wildly expensive series—Dee Rees (Mudbound), Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Captain Marvel), and Tim van Patten (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, etc. etc.) also step behind the camera. Twenty years after Band of Brothers, are Hanks and Spielberg set to make TV history again? —K.R.

    Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix)

    Limited series premiere date TBD

    Have you wondered what Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) was like before she was the talk of the ’Ton? Then you’re in luck because Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story waltzes onto the streaming platform in 2023. The limited prequel series from mega-producer Shonda Rhimes will follow the travails of the young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) as well as younger versions of Bridgerton matriarchs Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). ”It truly is stunning,” Netflix head of scripted series Peter Friedlander told Variety. “It is going to live up to your expectations.” —C.M.

    Secret Invasion (Disney+)

    Premiere Date TBD

    It’s been 15 years since Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury first told Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man about a “bigger universe.” Little did he know what awaited them! And with Secret Invasion, Jackson is finally getting his turn in the spotlight. Adapted from one of Marvel Comics’ most memorable story lines, the series sets Fury up against a faction of Skrulls (the shape-shifting alien race introduced in 2019’s Captain Marvel) that have infiltrated Earth on a global scale. Given its premise and star power (newcomers Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman join a formidable lineup of MCU veterans including Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Ben Mendelsohn, Don Cheadle, and Martin Freeman), Secret Invasion is shaping up to be a twisted joyride that’s more spy thriller than CGI-fest. It couldn’t arrive at a better time. —T.B.

    Three-Body Problem (Netflix) 

    Premiere date TBD

    Game of Thrones’ D.B.s return—David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are overseeing this sci-fi series about humanity’s first encounter with intelligent alien life. Cocreated with True Blood’s Alexander Woo, the show is based on a novel by Liu Cixin and will reportedly cover a vast span of time with an ensemble cast. Among the actors are Jess Hong of Inked, Liam Cunningham (a Thrones veteran), John Bradley (another), and Doctor Strange’s Benedict Wong and Jovan Adepo (Fences). The title refers to a type of physics equation that predicts the movements of three different objects in relation to each other. The notoriously difficult question focused on whether a repeating pattern could be discerned. With two objects—that’s no problem. But add the third, and the possibilities become much harder to predict. —A.B.

    Vanity Fair

    Source link