Month Three of the writer’s strike has arrived, and news is getting a bit sparse. But while the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers struggles to decide whether or not to pay writers and actors what they’re owed, projects that were filmed before the strike are still trickling in to Netflix. Among these newest releases is Heartstopper, which just launched its second season. Netflix also continues to try to support itself with documentary content, with one Jake Paul documentary doing particularly well in recent days. And the streamer seems eager to take another crack at the so-called “Dark Universe,”Universal’s failed attempt to reboot their famed monster flicks.
Heartstopper scores high
Netflix’s latest hit that’s not named Stranger Things returned with a brand new season today. Ahead of its debut, the Rotten Tomatoes score for the season was revealed, and it looks like critics and fans are loving the show’s sophomore year just as much as the first. With a whopping 100% critical score and a 97% audience score, Heartstopper season 2 has cemented itself as certified fresh, successfully avoiding the “sophomore slump”that so many tv shows fall into. Season 2 of the series continues to follow the budding romance between Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) as they navigate their new relationship. The entirety of the season is now available to watch on Netflix.
One Heartstopper character won’t be back in season 3
When Heartstopper premiered last year, it quickly became apparent that the coming-of-age story resonated with audiences. As a result, Netflix renewed the show for seasons 2 and 3 shortly after season 1’s premiere, so there’s no danger of the show being cancelled in the hiatus between seasons. But one face won’t be gracing the halls of Truham again: it’s now been revealed that Ben’s (Sebastian Croft) cameo appearance in season 2 will be his last on the series.
Series creator Alice Oseman spoke about the move, and revealed that the character — who does not appear past the events of season 1 in the comics — was now “done.” Ben’s toxic relationship with Charlie was finally resolved, and Oseman revealed that she did not want the storyline to be concluded without bringing Croft back for one last interaction. In that interaction, Charlie reveals that he hopes Ben grows as a person, but tells him he doesn’t want to be in his life to see that come to fruition.
A Polish action film takes top 10 spots in 75 countries
Soulcatcher, a Polish action/sci-fi thriller, has made its way into the top 10 in 75 different countries. Though the film took a thrashing from critics, most of whom found the zombie flick somewhat tired, the old wisdom that mindless action needs no translation held firm here. The movie did well enough to make Soulcatcher the fourth-biggest hit on the global streaming charts; Soulcatcher 2 has not yet been announced, but Netflix does love endless action franchises.
A Jake Paul documentary makes us pray for WGA negotiations
In other news, Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child, a documentary following controversial YouTuber Jake Paul, has risen to sixth most-watched feature-length title on the charts, and it’s made the top 10 in 27 countries. If that doesn’t convince you to support the strike, I don’t know what will — we can do better. Dare I say we deserve better? Hopefully the AMPTP’s first step towards negotiations with the WGA — which is scheduled for Friday, August 4 — goes well.
Netflix attempts to revive the Dark Universe
Universal famously tried to forge a new “Dark Universe” for its iconic monsters to inhabit just a few years ago. Infamously, the franchise never really got off the ground and resulted in some memorably forgettable flops. Now it looks like Netflix is taking a fresh crack at the idea; after its Guillermo del Toro-directed Frankenstein, Netflix is apparently looking to expand the franchise with a proposed The Bride of Frankenstein adaptation entitled The Bride.
The project is reportedly being helmed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal’s husband, Peter Sarsgaard, is said to be attached, alongside Gyllenhaal’s The Dark Knight co-star Christian Bale. Though the film isn’t set to begin shooting until the first quarter of 2024, the talent behind and in front of the camera makes the project one to watch out for.