It’s not easy to root for a director who arguably made the most divisive Star Wars movie in history, and given the prequel trilogy’s reputation and the overall inclination of the galaxy far, far away fandom to find something to complain about in new projects, that wasn’t an easy feat to accomplish in the first place.
Speaking of divisive stories, as Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the 13th incarnation of the titular character on Doctor Who comes to a close, the BBC reluctantly braces for one last lackluster ratings showcase for one of their longest-running television programs.
This is your daily dose of news and developments from around the sci-fi sphere.
A movie that caused the career death of a promising director takes a last stand in streaming
After helming one of the most brilliant sci-fi movies of the last two decades with District 9, everyone was expecting Neill Blomkamp to become the next big name in the genre filmmaking game. Alas, lightning didn’t strike twice for Bomkamp when he released his next flick, Chappie, in 2015. For most critics and audiences, the sci-fi adventure centering around a very confused robot turned out to be just that; confusing and convoluted to a fault. But despite almost ending its creator’s career, the movie is making a daring attempt for the top-watched streaming charts this week.
Rian Johnson’s ‘Star Wars’ trilogy is already contested in the fandom
Rian Johnson is still keen to develop his Star Wars sequel trilogy, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy seems to support him in that endeavor, but how does the fandom feel about a man who split the community right down the middle in a thoroughly inconsolable way? Well, it looks like for a lot of people, even if they don’t like The Last Jedi, they still acknowledge Johnson’s filmmaking chops as some of the best in the industry right now, while others just don’t want to see him anywhere near the Star Wars brand ever again. In short, business as usual in the galaxy far, far away fandom.
Ratings for Jodie Whittaker’s last ‘Doctor Who’ episode cap off a lackluster run
Doctor Who under Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker suffered from numerous nosedives in viewership, with ratings continually taking a hit as the showrunner and his team of writers somehow managed to deliver two full seasons and one half-season of television without so much as a memorable episode to make the 13th’s tenure stand out from under the shadow of its predecessors. “The Power of the Doctor” was no different, with its consolidated viewing figures standing at 5.3 million viewers.
In contrast, season 11 and season 12 averaged 6 and 7 million viewers, respectively, while season 13 and its specials brought it to an all-time low with 4.5 million. I think it’s safe to say that as far as the BBC execs are concerned, Whittaker and Chibnall won’t be missed. Let’s hope that with the return of Russell T. Davies, the man who essentially resurrected Who from history’s trash can, and David Tennant, one of the most popular incarnations, the show will get a much-needed ratings boost in 2023.
HBO announces release date for ‘The Last of Us’ and it’s sooner than we imagined
The Last of Us is one of the most anticipated shows on the horizon, and not for the simple fact that it’s an adaptation of one of the greatest video games of all time, a work of art that transcends time and medium. The Last of Us is being produced by acclaimed Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, and it stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the lead roles of Joel and Ellie. The fact that HBO is spearheading this venture is another reason to get excited because even though most video game adaptations are doomed to fail at the moment of their conception, most fans believe The Last of Us will prove an exception to the rule for this very reason.
Soon, all our waiting will come to fruition. According to a recent HBO listing, Joel and Ellie are making their way to your small screens, this time in live-action, on Jan. 15 next year. That’s a little more than two months from now, so stay tuned for more updates and possibly a full-length trailer.