Welcome back Studio Coffee Folks! Today we’re taking a look at Alamo Drafhouse’s new VOD platform, Alamo On Demand, as well as news on Scandal’s new home, and B.J. Novak’s upcoming anthology with FX.
ICYMI:
- Xbox showcased some new games for the Series X.
- Crunchyroll and HBO Max detailed their recent partnership and announced 17 launch anime launch titles.
- Andy Serkis is reading The Hobbit for charity.
- And The Blacklist – and the rest of the industry – is looking to animation in a troubled time.
Scandal drops Netflix in an exclusive deal with Hulu
Scandal is heading to Hulu exclusively in a new deal. The move tears the show away from its original home, Netflix, where it amassed a major following and became go-to binge-able series. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Scandal encapsulates 124 episodes over seven seasons, following a story of political intrigue around Olivia Pope & Associates, a crisis management firm in the White House, and its various staff. Look for star Kerry Washington and the rest of her team to hit Hulu – or hurry up and finish your watch on Netflix – on May 20.
One Story Up highlights up-and-coming filmmakers
Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Life Animated) is teaming up with streaming service Topic on a new program called One Story Up, per Deadline. The goal of the collaboration is to feature short film’s of up-and-coming talent every month over the next year. Once the 12 films are chosen, Williams will pick one of those filmmakers to win $25,000 for a new original short, along with mentorship from the director himself. To assemble these movies, the initiative will work with film school professors, festivals, colleagues and organizations supporting underrepresented filmmakers. One Story Up shares a name with Williams’ production company, which is also backing the initiative.
Alamo On Demand brings new and old films to your home theater
In response to COVID-19, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is launching Alamo On Demand, a new VOD platform that’s being created with ScreenPlus and Vista Cinema. When it launches, viewers will be able to watch a selection of new and old titles, with a launch slate including recent hits like Parasite, Knives Out, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spaceship Earth, Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl and Fantastic Fest classics Burning and First Love. jFounder and Executive Chairman Tim League says that the new platform will give films like Lady on Fire a chance at second life with audiences who missed out on the theatrical run, per THR. Alamo Drafthouse is also partnered with indie studios Sony Pictures Classics, Neon, Lionsgate and Magnolia Pictures. Check it out here.
B.J. Novak brings his anthology series to FX
The Office’s B.J. Novak is officially teaming with FX for his previously announced untitled anthology series. The half-hour show will leverage contemporary issues to tell character-driven stories, per Variety. Although Lucas Hedges, Kaitlyn Dever, O’Shea Jackson Jr., George Wallace, Ed Asner, Brendan Francis Scannell, among others. The second episode stars Jon Bernthal, Boyd Holbrook, Amy Landecker, and Beau Bridges star in episode one, every subsequent episode will feature a new cast. The pilot, as well as the second episode, have already been filmed, and were written and directed by Novak.
Jonathan Banks breaks dad as Grandpa Murphy in F is for Family
Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks is joining F is for Family as part of the show’s season 4 cast in a recent announcement, per Deadline. Created by Bill Burr and Michael Price, the show centers around the comedic day-to-day lives of the Irish-American family, the Murphys, and Banks jumps on board as the eldest of the family, Big Bill Murphy. Netflix dropped the news in a recent teaser trailer for the fourth season, in which son, Frank, calls Bill out for being a bad dad. The cast also includes Laura Dern, Justin Long, Debi Derryberry, Haley Reinhart and Sam Rockwell. There’s no release date as of yet for more F is for Family as of yet.
