There’s been a lull, shocking developments-wise, for Netflix since our last Netflix news update. Don’t worry, though — although the streaming site had a slow news day, its competitors have several new projects out, and with several new releases of its own just ahead that they’ve got a lot banking on, we’ve got a lot to discuss.
They Cloned Tyrone fails to make the top 10
Despite receiving stellar reviews, They Cloned Tyrone has been struggling to perform on the streamer. The film, which stars John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx, has been praised for its stellar cast and strong writing. Unfortunately, the movie failed to secure the number one spot on Netflix; though it took home the number 3 spot, being beaten by The Out-Laws and Unknown: City of Bones.
They Cloned Tyrone received a limited theatrical run, but its placement besides Barbie and Oppenheimer likely did it no favors. The continuing strike also means that the film’s stars are unable to do any stateside promo for the movie, which can’t help matters. The film held (and still holds!) incredible promise, so it’s a bit disappointing to see the movie go under the radar for most. Hopefully, Netflix sees the writing on the wall, and realizes that negotiating with the protestors is the right move.
An unexpected series reigns supreme on the top 10
Sweet Magnolias hasn’t been regarded as one of Netflix’s tentpole hits. But the romantic drama series, which just premiered its third season on July 20, managed to score number one on Netflix’s charts, with its number two competitor, The Lincoln Lawyer, having less than half of total hours viewed.
The series’ success also flies in the face of one of the streaming industry’s new, common practices. Recently, Netflix has been criticized for cancelling many series before they were able to find their audience. Had Sweet Magnolias been cancelled when it wasn’t at the top of Netflix’s streaming charts, then it wouldn’t be enjoying the success it basks in today. The takeaway is that not every show finds success immediately, and that the algorithm isn’t king.
Interest in One Piece jumps up
With One Piece‘s official trailer finally having premiered earlier this week, the promotional cycle for the show, which releases on August 31, is officially well underway. And, according to Google Trends, searches for the popular franchise have steadily been rising. Although the manga is known for being the most popular on the planet, and spoilers for the latest chapters routinely become breakout searches on Google, the series is clearly growing in popularity in America.
Funnily, the series has garnered particular interest in Hawaii, where the seafaring show is in good company. Netflix is likely banking big on this series; having already spent $144 million on it, it’s certainly a big investment.
But not every character will make the jump to live-action
Although the series has been praised for its faithful recreation of the characters and their appearances, even the more optimistic among us are wondering whether One Piece will manage to break Netflix’s streak of bad anime adaptations. There will, of course, be changes to the storyline; according to Eiichiro Oda, author of the best-selling manga, not every character will make the jump to live-action.
In a heartfelt statement, Oda stated that he was heavily involved with the production of Netflix’s next big series. Though he acknowledged that the series won’t be featuring every character in the East Blue Saga, he stated that he was incredibly excited for fans to see the first, eight-episode season. The series continues to shape up well. Good news for Avatar fans.
The WGA strike nears its third month
As of yesterday, the WGA strike is now closer to its third month. Yes, the strike, which officially began on May 2, has now been going on for 2 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. It’s been running concurrently with the SAG strike since July 14.
And executives still refuse to come to the table. It’s becoming untenable and, frankly, baffling. Studios are already starting to slow down most, if not all, of their productions, and before long, there’s going to be a dearth of entertainment being released. At this point, surely the AMPTP would save more money by negotiating with the guilds, rather than continuing the strike.
They Cloned Tyrone‘s underperformance is likely just the first sign of strain. Though films like Barbie and Oppenheimer have been thriving, they’re actually the exception to the rule, and even the casts and crews of those films are on strike. Perhaps it’s time for the studios to come to the table. In case they don’t, though, here are more ways to help out the striking workers, and get the entertainment industry moving again.