Disney+ original series “The Mandalorian” is the most in-demand show in the world
LOS ANGELES, CA – December 3, 2019 – Disney+’s original series The Mandalorian has made the jump to hyperspace, leaving the competition far, far away. Last week, the series became the most in-demand series in the U.S.. This week, the Star Wars spinoff has earned the distinction of being the most in-demand series in the world. According to the latest demand data from Parrot Analytics, The Mandalorian has risen to the top globally to overtake such formidable rivals as Stranger Things, The Crown, The Flash and Game of Thrones. For the prior seven days ending December 1, The Mandalorian was 31.9 times more in-demand than the average title on a global basis. In comparison, The Crown achieved 15.0 times the average, Stranger Things registered 18.9x, The Flash 21.6x and Game of Thrones managed 28.3 times. As the year end draws near, The Mandalorian, which debuted only three weeks ago, is now in the running for the Most In-Demand Series Debut in the World at the upcoming Global TV Demand Awards. Other contenders in this awards category include Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys, HBO’s Chernobyl, Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and Apple TV+’s See.
‘Animaniacs’ Reboot Sets Hulu Premiere Date
Hulu has announced that the Steven Spielberg-produced reboot of the classic ’90s cartoon will premiere Nov. 20 on the platform, a full 22 years after its final episode. The premiere date news comes over two years after Hulu handed the revival a two-season series order. This new version of the family friendly cartoon will see Warner siblings, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister Dot, have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet. Joining the trio will be fan-favorites Pinky and the Brain, who will also return to continue their quest for world domination in 13 episodes. A second season consisting of 13 more episodes will be heading to Hulu sometime in 2021. Spielberg is back once again to executive produce the series, alongside Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Blue Ribbon Content. Amblin Television is producing the reboot in association with Warner Bros. Animation. Amblin TV co-presidents Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are also on board to exec produce, as well as Wellesley Wild. Gabe Swarr serves as co-executive producer.
‘Bill & Ted 3’ Moves Up One Week, Shares New Featurette
Prepare yourselves for some most triumphant news: Bill & Ted Face the Music has pushed its release date up four days, coming out in theaters and on VOD August 28. The announcement was revealed in a behind-the-scenes featurette clip, which celebrates the excellent friendship between Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Name a more iconic duo, I’ll wait. Winter and Reeves are joined by their on-screen offspring, Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving. Lundy-Paine plays Ted’s daughter Billie, and Weaving plays Bill’s daughter Thea. That’s right, Bill and Ted named their kids after each other. Total friendship goals. In Bill & Ted Face the Music, the now middle-aged best friends will set out on a journey to bring harmony to the universe, with the help of a few music legends, of course. Bill & Ted 3 is directed by Dean Parisot and produced by Orion Pictures. The movie’’ extensive cast is rounded out by Kristen Schaal, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, Beck Bennett, Hal Landon Jr., and more. Originally scheduled for an August 21 debut, Bill & Ted 3’s release date got pushed around a few times due to other films’ postponements as a result of Covid-19. Up until today, the picture was set for a September 1 opening date, but was pushed back to August 28 so as not to conflict with Mulan’s release September 4. Long story short, we’re getting a new Bill & Ted before the end of the month, and for that we are grateful. If anyone can save us during these trying times, it’s Bill and Ted.
Well, someone’s turning Knight Rider into a movie
Out of all the TV series that I’d have pegged for getting remade into a movie, Knight Rider would be just about at the bottom of the list, and yet, according to a report published Thursday by Variety, that’s exactly what’s happening. In case you’re not an old person (like me) and you have no idea what Knight Rider was, it was a show starring the incomparable David Hasselhoff that ran for just four seasons between 1982 and 1986. The show featured Hasselhoff, as Michael Knight, piloting an artificially intelligent Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am named KITT and fighting crime for the now-sounds-like-a-right-wing-think-tank Foundation for Law and Government. The remake is being helmed by Furious 7 director James Wan (who also did Aquaman, Saw and Insidious) and produced by his company Atomic Monster, along with Spyglass Media Group. The screenplay is being written by T.J. Fixman, who also wrote the film adaptation of the Ratchet & Clank video game series.
