Breaking News February 1, 2024: ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Wednesday,’ and More Netflix Series That Won’t Return Until 2025, Plus the Full 2024 Calendar of Returning Shows Such as ‘The Night Agent,’ ‘Squid Game,’ and ‘Cobra Kai’
Fans will have to wait until 2025 to see new seasons of Stranger Things, Wednesday, and other popular Netflix shows that were delayed due to the Hollywood strikes in 2023.
According to Deadline, production on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things just resumed earlier this month. Since the fifth season won't premiere on Netflix until 2025, that represents a three-year gap between the fourth and fifth seasons. With all of the “kid” actors now legal adults or even old enough to buy a beer, we hope the showrunners account for the passage of time. This probably means setting season five in 1989 or even the early '90s, but it's pushing plausibility to finish the show in the 1980s at this point. Millie Bobbie Brown is 19, Finn Wolfhard is 21, Gaten Matarazzo is 21, Caleb McLaughlin is 22, and Noah Schnapp is 19.
As for Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega, production on season two won't begin until late April in Ireland. Ortega's Wednesday Addams is a high school teenager on the hit Netflix show, but Ortega is now 21 in real life. It's not too much of a stretch because Ortega looks young — especially with Wednesday's trademark braided locks — but the clock is ticking.
Other Netflix series that will not return with new seasons until 2025 include Sweet Magnolias, Ginny & Georgia, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Watcher, XO, Kitty, The Recruit, and Virgin River.
‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘Squid Game,’ and ‘Night Agent’ Among Netflix Series Returning in 2024
Although a few popular Netflix shows won't return until 2025, new seasons of Cobra Kai, Squid Game, and The Night Agent will return this year.
Netflix released a full 2024 schedule of TV shows and movies as well as an accompanying preview video. The sizzle reel includes footage from season two of Squid Game, the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, the fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy, plus peeks at Netflix movies such as the next chapter of Rebel Moon and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Although not highlighted in the sizzle reel, the popular Netflix show The Night Agent returns for a second season in 2024.
According to IndieWire, Netflix hasn't backpedaled on its stance about releasing films theatrically. “We’re the only real pure-play streamer,” said Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria. “Our members love films, and they want to see films on Netflix. For us that’s going to be the most important thing. A lot of other companies do theatrical, and it’s a great business for them, it’s just not our business. Our business is to make sure that members come to Netflix.”
Cameron Diaz Comes Out of Retirement for Netflix’s ‘Back in Action’ With Jamie Foxx
Cameron Diaz retires her retirement with her return in the Netflix action-comedy Back in Action. The Seth Gordon-directed movie also stars Jamie Foxx, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Diaz — who announced her retirement in 2018 — stars opposite Foxx as Emily and Matt. They play a pair of former spies who walk away from their CIA careers and start a family together until their cover gets blown, which pulls them back into a world of espionage.
Late last year, Diaz shot down rumors about Foxx behaving badly on set. “I really hate all of the things that were being said about our set at the time,” she said. “You just want to scream at the top of your lungs, like, ‘What are you talking about?’”
Diaz continued, “Jamie is the best. I love that guy so much. He’s such a special person and he’s so talented, so much fun… the hiccups that happened throughout production are the natural kinds of things that happen.”
Back in Action is included in the sizzle reel released by Netflix this morning. Cameron Diaz‘s last big-screen role was Miss Hannigan in 2014's Annie.
Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom Team Up for ‘Deep Cover’ Action-Comedy Series on Prime Video
According to the official description, Deep Cover sees “three improv actors hired by the police to help stage low-level stings. Their instinct to ‘always say yes’ without breaking character leads them deep inside the London criminal underworld.”
“We’re delighted to be bringing this new action-comedy to our customers,” said Tushar Jindal, head of content, U.K. for Prime Video, in a statement. “With an incredible cast, a top-class creative team and a fantastic script we know it’s going to be a hit.”
Amazon has not set a release date for Deep Cover on either side of the pond, but production reportedly begins February 5 in London.
Like Netflix, Hulu Will Start Cracking Down on Password Sharing With People Outside of Primary Household
Sharing and swapping passwords of streaming providers such as Netflix and Hulu is going the way of the dodo. Hulu — owned by the Walt Disney Company — features original programming such as The Handmaid's Tale (pictured), The Bear, and The Kardashians, to name a few.
Variety reports, “The Disney-controlled streamer on January 31 notified customers of a key change in its subscriber agreement that — for the first time — officially forbids users from sharing their Hulu log-in details with anyone who doesn’t live in their primary residence.” The new terms went into effect on January 25 for new subscribers, while existing subscribers will have to unload people piggybacking on their accounts by March 14.
The updated Hulu agreement reads, “We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement. If we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger said last summer, “We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family.” Translation: you can only share your account with people who live under the same roof as you so that Hulu can goose its subscriber numbers like Netflix did.
‘Beetlejuice 2' Gets Official Title: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'
Beetlejuice 2 has an official title: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The Tim Burton-directed sequel to the beloved 1988 fantasy-horror-comedy features returning actors Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, as well as Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.
Warner Bros. announced the sequel's title on Instagram today as well as the release date: September 6. Deadline reports, “Due to the actors strike, Warner Bros. was contemplating pushing the theatrical release of Beetlejuice 2, however, Burton is making that date after doing a few days of last-minute shots post-strike.”
Ortega will play Astrid Deetz — the daughter of Winona Ryder's character — in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. “[It’s] some of the most fun I've ever had on a set,” said Ortega at the Emmys. “Visually, so exciting. Everything was practical… I think we're not using very much CGI or something like that at all. Everyone did an incredible job. I felt so lucky to be there, it was insane. I can't wait for people to see!”
Ortega also plays the titular character in Burton's Wednesday, the second season of which won't drop on Netflix until 2025.
‘Mary and George' Trailer: Julianne Moore Plays Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham on Starz Series
Oscar winner Julianne Moore plays Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham on the seven-episode Starz psychodrama series Mary and George. The 17th century-set show also stars Nicholas Galitzine as her on-screen son and Tony Curran as King James I.
The official synopsis reads: “Mary Villiers (Moore), Countess of Buckingham, molded her beautiful son, George (Galitzine), to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover in 17th century England. Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the king’s most trusted advisors.”
“Mary and George is the perfect complement to Starz’s provocative slate and we’re thrilled to partner with Sky Studios to bring this extraordinary series to U.S. audiences,” said Alison Hoffman, president of Domestic Networks for Starz. “We can’t wait for the world to discover the untold story of Mary Villiers, who mastered the art of sexual and political conquests in a male-dominated society. And to have Julianne leading this remarkable cast is a dream.”
Mary and George premieres April 5 on Starz. Click here to watch the official trailer.
Issa Rae Pops Off About ‘Scared and Clueless' Hollywood
Insecure actress Issa Rae popped off about “scared and clueless” Hollywood in Time. Max canceled a Rae-created show with Rap in the title this month after two seasons.
Actress-writer-producer Rae — who also appeared in Barbie and American Fiction — harshly criticized the Hollywood machine in an interview with Time. “I’ve never seen Hollywood this scared and clueless, and at the mercy of Wall Street,” said Rae. “I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of smart executives anymore. And a lot of them have aged out and are holding on to their positions and refusing to let young blood get in.”
She continued, “When you have all of these streaming services that are competing with each other, it means they’re also moving the goalposts of what success looks like and what their brand is. It’s all mush. I know what my brand identity is and what I want to make. But if that doesn’t align with who’s paying me to make stuff, then that’s complex. We are malleable, but only to an extent.”
Rae also seems fed up with corporations pulling the plug on diversity projects. “There is a bitterness of just like, who suffers from you guys pulling back? People of color always do,” said Rae.
Rae hopes to build a production studio and campus in South L.A. for local filmmakers. “I have my little stake in this limited plot of land, and I’m gonna make sure that I bring in as many people to live on it as possible,” she said. “So until we run out of opportunities, they’ll be good.”
Tim Burton To Direct ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman' Reimagining for Warner Bros.
Because Tim Burton didn't have enough news headlines today, now comes word that the Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice director will helm a reimagining of 1958's Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.
Deadline reports that Burton will direct and Gone Girl scribe Gillian Flynn will write the screenplay for the updated Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. According to Deadline, “The original sci-fi cult classic made for a reported $88,000 starred Allison Hayes as a wealthy heiress whose close encounter with an alien triggers her to grow into a giant, complicating her marriage, which is already in turmoil, no thanks to her philandering husband.”
Burton — who directed 1996's amusing Mars Attacks! — is obviously a fan of kitschy 1950s sci-fi. As reported earlier, his next movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, premieres will premiere on September 6. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until 2025 to see the second season of Burton's Wednesday on Netflix.
NBC Has Ordered a ‘Suits: L.A.' Pilot
Got Suits? NBC sure does because the network just ordered a pilot for Suits: L.A. The original legal drama Suits (pictured) starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams aired on the USA Network from 2011 to 2019. The show then enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after it started streaming on Netflix and Peacock.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Suits: L.A. is an extension — not a reboot or spin-off — of the original Suits. The Victoria Mahoney-directed pilot for Suits: L.A. — which begins production in Vancouver in March — follows a new and not-yet-cast character named Ted Black. If Suits: L.A. gets picked up for a full season, characters from the original Suits could possibly make appearances in some capacity.
According to EW, “Suits: L.A., which is being written and executive produced by Suits creator Aaron Korsh, will see Ted, a former New York-based federal prosecutor, at a critical juncture at his private Los Angeles firm. In classic Suits fashion, the lawyers on Ted's team will struggle to balance their personal and professional lives as the lines begin to blur. And Ted will have to grapple with years-old conflicts as they begin to rear their heads once again.”
Brad Pitt Reunites With Quentin Tarantino for the Director's Final Film, ‘The Movie Critic'
Brad Pitt will reunite with Quentin Tarantino for the third and final (?) time for the director's purportedly final film, The Movie Critic. Pitt previously starred in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the latter.
Little is known about Quentin Tarantino‘s The Movie Critic but, according to Deadline, the movie is set in 1977 and “is based on a guy who really lived but was never really famous, and he used to write movie reviews for [an adult] rag.”
Sony Pictures is expected to distribute The Movie Critic with Stacey Sher producing for a projected 2025 release date.
