Netflix will invest more than US$300 million in Mexico for 50 original productions scheduled for 2021, Forbes Mexico reported on Monday. Last year, the streaming giant invested US$200 million in the country. The amount will be invested in local or global productions filmed in the country.
Mexican productions, according to Netflix, have positioned themselves among the favorites of users around the world. The Control Z series, released in May 2020, was seen by 20.5 million users worldwide in its first 28 days and made it to the Top 10 charts in 64 countries. Oscuro Deseo (Dark Desire), meanwhile, engaged 35 million users worldwide in its first 28 days after its premiere in July. “We continue to expand our offer beyond drama series to include comedies, adventure, documentaries, action and even reality shows. All these titles are made in Mexico for Mexico and for the world,” the company noted.
Back in March 2020, Mexican senators lobbied for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon to ensure national content makes up at least 30 percent of their catalogs. According to the Telecommunications Law Institute, this measure was intended to facilitate the dissemination of content that is close to national values and cultural idiosyncrasies. In Mexico, 51 percent of the population spends at least 3hrs a day watching online content, according to the 2019 National Audiovisual Content Consumption Survey, conducted by the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT). YouTube ranked first with an 80 percent preference, followed by Netflix with 35 percent.
In its 4Q20 report, Netflix reported an added 8.51 million subscribers, surpassing the expected 6.01 million by 41 percent and hitting the 200 million subscriber mark. In Latin America, subscribers increased 1.2 million to 37.54 million. The company led by Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings said it is already on track to open its Mexico City office, which will manage the Latin American markets and employ more than 100 people. “We are excited to open our Latin American headquarters in Mexico City this year. We expect that by the end of 2021, our regional office will have more than 100 employees,” the company told Forbes Mexico.
Disney+, one of Netflix’s most recent and strongest competitors, also has a big bet on local content in Latin America. The Mickey Mouse company is already working on 70 productions, a central part of its commitment to this market according to Natalia Scalia, Regional Director of Direct to Consumer at the Walt Disney Company. «We believe it is very important to bet on local content and we have around 70 projects in the pipeline that are in different stages of development with talent in the region,» she said during a virtual conference in November.The data used in this article was sourced from: Forbes Mexico
Congratulations, members of the ton! After obsessing over Netflix’s hit new showBridgerton, thanks to its drama, costumes, and of course, that gif of the Duke of Hastings licking a spoon, the streaming service has confirmed that it will be back for a second season. Hurrah!
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington on the show, confirmed the news on Twitter, writing: «Dearest Viewers, this author is proud to announce #Bridgerton Season Two, expect much scandal indeed!»
Fans were thrilled by the news, with one writing: «I want to see the friendship of Penelope and Kate. KATE SHEFFIELD IS COMING.» Another added: «Oh that is the best new EVERRR!!! Let’s go to one more adventure!! Probably we will ask you for photos and everything lol.»
A third person tweeted: «Can’t wait to see what Lady Whistledown has in store for us.»
Netflix has confirmed the show’s return
Speaking about what to expect from season two, Netflix released a sneak peek which read: «The incomparable cast of Bridgerton will return to production in the Spring of 2021.
«This author has been reliably informed that Lord Anthony Bridgerton intends to dominate the social season. I will have my pen ready to report on any and all of his romantic activities. However, gentle reader, before you set the comments section alight with requests for more sordid details, know that I am disinclined to report on the particulars at this time. Patience, after all, is a virtue.»
Following this, it seems likely that season two will see the introduction of Kate Sheffield. After deciding to find a wife, while determined not to fall in love with whoever he chooses to be his bride, Anthony sets his sights on Edwina Sheffield, only to realise that he needs her older sister Kate’s approval to win her hand.
Fans have already discussed who might play Kate in the new series, with names including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Eleanor Tomlinson and Adelaide Kane among popular choices. But who will be the newest member of the ton? We can’t wait to find out!
Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie in Bridgerton
Nicola previously revealed that she was surprised when Kate wasn’t in season one, after reading the novels out of order. She explained to Decider: «I started annoying everybody because I started being like, ‘What about Kate?’ And they’re like, ‘Kate doesn’t exist yet! Stop.’»
The French comedy-drama, starring Jurassic World actor Omar Sy as its lead, has proven to be hugely popular and has topped the streaming platform’s charts since it arrived earlier this year.
The five-part drama tells the story of Assane Diop who seeks to avenge a false accusation placed upon his late father by a wealthy French family, after a diamond necklace went missing. Many are loving the sleek and suave nature of the show, but is the Netflix hit series based on a true story?
Lupin is based on the tales of Arsène Lupin, a character dubbed a «gentleman thief» and created by novelist Maurice Leblanc in the early twentieth century. The adventures of Arsène were often thought of as the French equivalent to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
The gentleman thief is even referenced in the Netflix show, and Arsène becomes an inspiration for how Assane carries himself and carries out his crimes.
Assane, who works as a janitor in the Louvre in Paris, portrays himself as a gentleman and is a master of disguises on his quest to avenge his father’s death. The story forming the basis of the show, however, is fiction.
The series has proved to be extremely well-received by fans and, according to Variety, the streaming platform estimates that Lupin will be seen by 70 million subscribers, giving Bridgerton and The Queen’s Gambit a run for their money.
Luckily for fans, the five episodes available on Netflix don’t mark the end of the story Assane Diop. Den of Geek reports that the streaming giant will release five more episodes later this year, meaning viewers will see how the story of the gentleman thief plays out.
Many have been voicing their praise about the new Netflix programme on social media. One person tweeted: «I binged #Lupin yesterday on Netflix. And wow, J’etais accro. What an absolute treasure @omarsy is, he was fantastic. The whole show was just riveting and well done. I cannot wait for Part 2.»
Bridgerton fans may have to exercise patience when it comes to news about another season.
Although Netflix has yet to confirm that the show will be back for season 2, star Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton, recently shared that she wasn’t sure how filming would be possible amid the coronavirus pandemic.
«I can’t imagine how it would be possible to film under these circumstances. There are so many extras and so many crew members, and it’s a very intimate show,» Dynevor, 25, said in an interview with Deadlinepublished on Friday.
«It just baffles me how we would film it under Covid rules unless there was a vaccine beforehand,» she continued.
Fortunately for fans, season 1 wrapped filming in the U.K. last February, just days before the pandemic forced productions to come to a halt. «We just managed to finish,» she recalled. «It was amazing.»
Although Bridgerton‘s first season largely chronicled the steamy romance between Daphne and the Duke of Hastings, played by breakout star Regé-Jean Page, it remains unclear whether their relationship will be followed so closely in subsequent seasons.
«I genuinely have no idea what they’re going to do with the second season, but I imagine if they’re following the books, then it would be Anthony’s journey,» Dynevor shared, referring to author Julia Quinn’s best-selling series of novels, which take turns following different members of the esteemed titular family.
«I’m sure Daphne will end up getting involved,» the actress continued. «I do wonder what it looks like. I’m excited to find out.»
As Lady Danbury, Adjoa Andoh undoubtedly plays the most fun character on Bridgerton. As Andoh tells Glamour, “She’s got loads of money, she’s a powerhouse in the town, a friend of the Queen’s, and she knows all the strategies and all the manipulations that need to go on. For women in this period, she’s about as free as you can be. And then she gets together with her girlfriends, plays cards, smokes, drinks…she’s just living her best life.»
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset
When we asked Page if the Duke of Hastings is the equivalent of Grey’s Anatomy’s «McSteamy» (Mark Sloane), the 30-year-old actor coyly answered, “I wouldn’t disagree with that description. There is steam on this show, there is salaciousness, there is scandal, and there are moments when you might wish that your parents weren’t in the room with you. If there were a reaction I am looking for, it’s for people to be shocked, appalled and delighted all at once.”
Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton
English actor Ruth Gemmell was the perfect choice to play the warm and welcoming matriarch of the Bridgerton family. Best known for roles in Fever Pitch, Deep State and Penny Dreadful, Gemmell told Shondaland.com that the character she most relates to on Bridgerton is her on-screen daughter, Eloise. “I admire her strength of character, her humor, and am slightly envious of her outspokenness—direct but fair and always with charm.”
Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton
Dynevor told Glamour that she really felt for Daphne from the moment she stepped into her shoes. “Not only is she figuring out herself, but she’s also trying to find the man of her dreams whilst doing it. I really resonated with the pressure to be this perfect thing or, what you think people want you to be, and then what’s underneath that.»
Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
“She’s quite brazen,” Jessie tells Glamour of her character, Eloise Bridgerton. “I love her because she’s funny and sarcastic and doesn’t really mind what people think of her, which I’d love to have.” It should probably come as no surprise then that IRL, Jessie says she’d most like to have a cup of tea with the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. “What a wonderful woman, [especially] with what she’s had to deal with.”
Jonathan Bailey as Lord Anthony Bridgerton
When we asked Jonathan Bailey if he was ready for his life to change thanks to Bridgerton, the actor told Glamour, “What’s brilliant is I’ve got half my face is covered in hair. I just get everything sort of blowdried forward. It adds about another seven feet just in hair. So I think with that alone, I’ve sort of protected myself from being recognized ever again.”
Polly Walker as Lady Portia Featherington
“She’s the Kris Jenner of the period,” Golden Globe nominee Polly Walker tells BT TV of playing the ambitious Featherington matriarch. “She’s a very complicated lady with many, many challenges thrown her way,” she says, referring to Portia’s frustration with marrying her three children off to wealthy suitors. “She faces a lot of criticism. I feel sympathy for her.”
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
Even after Coughlan began filming Bridgerton, she couldn’t believe the role was actually hers. “The producers had seen me in Derry Girls, but that’s a very different character,” the Irish actor tells Glamour. «This is a drama; that was a comedy. So I was like, How? Why? I went to the table read, terrified, thinking the minute I open my mouth they’d say, «Oh, we didn’t mean her. We meant Nicole Kidman, not her.» Everyday I’m like, how am I here? It’s crazy to me.»
Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
The real life daughter of acting royalty Imelda Staunton (the next Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown) and Jim Carter (Downton Abbey) told Glamour that she and her on-screen sisters (Nicola Coughlan, Harriet Cains) set up a Featherington WhatsApp group after they were cast on Bridgerton. “We first met at a dialect session for the show,” she says. “And then we went to the bar and bonded over tequila.”
Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
Rosheuvel tells Glamour she never could have dreamed of playing a role like Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton. “I just wasn’t represented. There weren’t people that looked like me playing roles like this. But in terms of representation of color, it’s a beautiful, enriching time now. And Netflix is the perfect platform for a show like ours because it’s global. The audience can see themselves be represented. And I feel very, very blessed to be part of that.»
Xolo Maridueña began Cobra Kai’s newest season with his character in a wheelchair—potentially not a thrilling prospect for an actor who typically does 95% of his stunts. The show, a spinoff of the Karate Kid film series, follows the franchise’s main antagonist Johnny Lawrence in a late-stage quest for redemption, with both Johnny and his long-time rival Daniel LaRusso played by their original actors some thirty years later. Sure, telling a story from the villain’s point of view isn’t exactly a novel concept—but as the show unfolds, it becomes less about settling the score and more about Daniel and Johnny striving to rise above their differences—and to teach their students the same ethos.
Maridueña is the beating heart of that quest. As Miguel, essentially the Karate Kid this time around, he reflects all of Johnny’s doubts about his own goodness and aspirations for a kinder generation of martial arts fighters. A lot of that comes down to how Miguel fights: after all, it was a mean-spirited illegal leg sweep that Johnny used to knock Daniel out in The Karate Kid’s climax. It might seem a little heavy-handed, but the 19-year-old Maridueña deftly carries Miguel’s sometimes-misguided instinct to do the right thing—even when it leads him to an end-of-season cliffhanger where he’s pushed over a bannister. Hence the wheelchair.
By the end of the season, Miguel recovers to face off with an enemy dojo, culminating in a sprawling fight that careens throughout a character’s entire house. That’s the result, Maridueña says, of hours of intricate choreography pieced together by the show’s thorough stunt creators. Though he started at sixteen as the cast’s only young character actually doing karate, he now trains with five of his co-stars, who he swears are all more fit than him—a fact that pushes him to train harder. GQ spoke with Maridueña the week of Season Three’s release (the first to come out on Netflix) to find out how he got in shape to take on the Karate Kid legacy.
Xolo Maridueña in Cobra Kai.Courtesy of Netflix
GQ:How much karate are you actually doing on the show?
Xolo Maridueña: I get to do about 90 to 95 percent of my own stunts. That last five percent is just stuff that’s not safe for me to do, like getting thrown into a tree or down a staircase.
You were sixteen when you first got cast in season one. How did you get in shape to do all that?
We did a month of training before even getting to film. It was the toughest I’ve had to train. I spent high school and middle school playing basketball for fun, and I was on a tennis team in high school, but there’s nothing that prepares you for the flexibility that martial arts requires. I have videos of those first couple of days where my legs just felt like noodles.
A lot of the training is kickboxing and cardio, getting your legs stronger. Stretching is the biggest part. The karate really comes in when we’re working with choreography and designing the fights. Our stunt coordinators do such a great job of making sure that we’re comfortable and ready. Everyone wants to do as many stunts as they can, and our stunt coordinators give us the opportunity to do it.
Every season after that there’s an initial week of getting back into the groove of things. Most of the people we train with live in Los Angeles, so before we start filming we’ll train with Simon Rhee, who is this fantastic martial artist. Usually it’s just learning the basics again, mastering your front kicks, your side kicks, your roundhouse kicks, making sure your form is really great so that when we get out to Atlanta [where the show is filmed] we already have the form down and we can start to make things fancier or more intricate.
Xolo Maridueña in Cobra Kai.Courtesy of Netflix
What would an average day of training look like?
We start off with some kind of cardio and a light stretch. If we’re not going over choreography, it’s usually HIIT training, doing circuits back-to-back. That could be 30 seconds doing pushups, 30 seconds doing jumping jacks, putting on the gloves and doing some sparring, just trying to keep that heart rate up. And then if we have choreography we’ll go into that.
Our training looked a little bit different at the very beginning, because on those first couple episodes I really was the only one training. Going into season three, we have a group of maybe six people. So now we get to work out together. Having someone other than our trainers help push us really works wonders.
Because we’re not all training at the same time, I’ve recently been getting into weight training, which is a lot of fun. I’m the youngest of the cast, and they’ve had more years at the gym than I have. Before we started filming season three, I had never really been to a traditional gym before and worked out with weights. It’s been fun to get into that and build strength. I lean towards the skinnier side, and you definitely see progress way quicker—which helps motivate you. And it’s been a good way to pass the time in quarantine.
What was it like to go from being the only one fighting on camera to having all your co-stars join?
I was super excited to train with my friends. On the other hand I felt like I had accomplished so much and then they’re are all so frickin’ athletic—it felt like they weren’t even trying and they were doing better. But competition is always good in moderation, and it felt like I had a goal.
Can you take me through what it’s like to pull together a choreographed scene?
It’s almost like a dance. We have to make sure that we’re getting to our places on time and that if we’re on camera that we’re on our A game, and if we’re off camera we’re still maintaining that heart rate so that when we pan around we’re able to pick back up where we left off. We fake spar, it’s called kicking and receiving. Our mics are off, so we’ll yell out where we’re about to go, like, «Hook! Body punch, body punch!» like an improv fight. That’s just making sure that you’re taking the reactions and you’re throwing the hits.
Our stunt coordinators take so much time designing these fights and making these characters three-dimensional, and that’s reflected in their martial arts. We all practice different forms of depending on which dojo our characters are at, and they take that effort to design different types. Sometimes they combine two martial arts, like Tang Soo Do and Shudokan.
Xolo Maridueña in Cobra Kai.Courtesy of Netflix
How does it work with the adults, especially actors like Ralph Macchio and Billy Zabka, who’ve been doing these stunts for decades?
In season one, Johnny [Billy Zabka’s character] has this huge fight with four high schoolers. During the rehearsal for that fight I was, like, Oh, man, these dudes are in their 50s, they’re probably rusty…But man, these guys are professionals. It definitely shows onscreen.
These guys go really intense with the stretching, so it instilled in me in the earliest moments of filming how important it was. You throw one wrong kick and you pull something and you’re out for the rest of the day.
Have you ever gotten injured?
Not super seriously. A lot of the injuries that happen are, like, getting your hand stepped on or getting kicked or punched. The only serious injury I’ve had was in the first season I had braces on the show and during the tournament scene, Tanner kicked me the face by accident. The wire from my braces went through my cheek. We kept on doing the fight, and I didn’t even notice. They yelled «cut» and there was just, like, blood dripping down my face…pulling the wire out hurt more than the initial impact.
Xolo Maridueña in Cobra Kai.Courtesy of Netflix
What are your eating habits throughout all of this?
To be completely transparent, the first season shooting, I was sixteen and my metabolism was through the roof. I could eat whatever I wanted and it was not a big deal. I found that going into season three I still had that mentality, and I started to notice my metabolism was…not as fast. So recently I’ve tried to cut down on carbs. Luckily I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so candies and sodas have never really been a huge problem. Just eating excessively has been the biggest thing. I love to eat so much and am always snacking, so substituting the chips for an apple here and there. A lot of the time I’ll think I’m super hungry, but I just need water or some other kind of sustenance.
The biggest thing is just not eating out as much. If I can make all of my food at home, it really does make a difference. Usually what happens is rice with chicken, rice with fish, rice with whatever. I used to totally bag on brown rice and I definitely have become a sucker for it, as much as 16-year-old Xolo would’ve been, like, Brown rice? Never! As I’ve gotten older I’ve found ways to make it manageable.
Do you have a favorite thing to cook?
My favorite thing to cook goes totally against everything I just said. I love chicken parmesan. Every time I’ve made it it’s come out super super bomb. I have to have it in moderation—maybe once every other week. I’m 19 and I’m not trying to be the next Dwayne Johnson, so I have fun with the way I eat sometimes—but it’s something I’m conscious of.
As someone who entered this very competitive industry super young, what do you do to tune out the noise?
The biggest thing is social media in moderation. It’s so easy to get caught up with what everyone thinks of the show that you’re on or what you’re doing with your life. I have limits set on my phone so I’ll do 15 minutes and not really check much after that.
LONDON (AP) — Netflix has “no plans” to add a disclaimer to “The Crown” stating that its lavish drama about Britain’s royal family is a work of fiction.
In a statement Saturday, Netflix said it has always presented the drama, as just that — a drama.
“We have always presented The Crown as a drama — and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events,” it said.
“As a result we have no plans — and see no need — to add a disclaimer.”
Netflix was urged last week by British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to add the disclaimer, in the wake of the broadcast of the drama’s fourth series.
Questions of historical fidelity weren’t a major issue during earlier seasons of the show, which debuted in 2016 and traces the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which began in 1952.
But the current fourth season is set in the 1980s, a divisive decade in Britain. Characters include Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose 11-year tenure transformed and divided Britain, and the late Princess Diana, whose death in a car crash in 1997 transfixed the nation and the world.
Some Conservatives have criticized the program’s depiction of Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson. Britain’s first female prime minister, who died in 2013, is portrayed as clashing with Olivia Colman’s Elizabeth to an extent that some say is exaggerated.
“The Crown” creator Peter Morgan, whose work also includes recent-history dramas “The Queen” and “Frost/Nixon,” has defended his work, saying it is thoroughly researched and true in spirit.
Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother, was one who called on Netflix to add a disclaimer.
“I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that, ‘This isn’t true but it is based around some real events,’” he told broadcaster ITV. “I worry people do think that this is gospel and that’s unfair.”
There’s something about finishing a task that feels good. Starting and completing something leaves one with a sense of fulfillment. This includes bingeing a TV show in its entirety. There are series that are added to the “To Watch” list but the reality may be that there are too many seasons and episodes to commit to at a given time.
However, Netflix NFLX+1.3% has several short binges that are perfect for a long weekend. These are doable commitments. Some are series that were always planned to be limited and others didn’t get picked up for a second season for one reason or another. For disappointed fans on the latter, don’t forget that Showtime just renewed fan favorite Dexter for a new 10-episode season seven years after the series finale. So, there’s always hope that some of the below could potentially get the green light in the future. For now, the five series listed can be binged in 10 hours or less and winter in lockdown is the perfect time.
There’s a familiar theme to these incredible series: Like us trying to survive 2020, the characters in these stories each have unimaginable challenges to overcome. There is a resilience to the human spirit reflected in each that we can all learn from. It’s not solely about good storytelling and acting, there are lessons to be gleaned from each of the below series. Oh, and do not worry, you’ll also be entertained!
Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame) (8 Episodes):This thriller centers around a Tokyo detective as he travels to London to look for his long lost younger brother, who is now believed to be posing as a Yakuza gangster and wanted for the murder of a Japanese businessman. His family’s honor, and the fragile peace between the warring gangs back home, is at stake. This 2019 series is so beautifully shot and the acting is superb. Creator, writer and executive producer Joe Barton proved himself a master storyteller with this one. What this series does so eloquently is weave in a love story that is both hopeful and heartbreaking, while also sending the message of just how interwoven our lives are in ways we might not ever be able to imagine. It was a shock to fans that this series wasn’t picked up for a second season, especially considering its 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 88% from the viewers. Takehiro Hira and Yosuke Kubozuka lead the Japanese cast alongside Kelly Macdonald and Justin Long.
Yvonne Strahovski in ‘Stateless’ on Netflix. PHOTO BY BEN KING FOR NETFLIX.
Stateless (6 Episodes): This limited seriesis inspired by true stories from Australian immigration detention centers and represents the real-life struggles of the more than 70 million displaced people globally who are currently seeking sanctuary from war and persecution, half of which are children. Since 2012, all of the asylum seekers entering Australia by boats have been held in offshore immigration detention centers including Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. The refugees are referred to as UNCs, or unlawful non-citizens. The conditions in which they’re being held has been brought to the public’s attention via the work of lawyers, advocates and the media, though their access has been very limited. One story that blew the lid off was the discovery of an Australian woman wrongfully held in detention. Her case led to a public inquiry which spotlighted the many holes in the Australian Immigration Department and sparked urgent reform. Yvonne Strahovski portrays the fictionalized version of this woman, Sofie Werner, an airline hostess seeking escape from her troubles. Her character was inspired by Cornelia Rau, who in 2004 was imprisoned in one of Australia’s immigration detention camps in the middle of the desert. She was deemed mentally ill and suffered severe trauma after spending time in a dangerous cult. To escape her life, she pretended to be a German citizen. She had no papers to prove her identity and was trapped for 10 months before her family found out where she was. Her story led to a national scandal and was the impetus for change. Rounding out this fantastic cast are Fayssal Bazzi, Dominic West, Cate Blanchett, Jai Courtney, Soraya Heidari, Asher Keddie and Marta Dusseldorp.
Kaitlyn Dever will blow you away in ‘Unbelievable’ on Netflix. PHOTO BY BETH DUBBER FOR NETFLIX.
Unbelievable (8 Episodes): This is the incredible true story of a young woman who told the police she was raped. They told her she wasn’t. Two female detectives would enter the picture and help her put the pieces of her shattered life back together. The woman at the center of the story wishes to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Marie. She endured cyclical trauma throughout her childhood and then from a legal system that was supposed to protect her. At the time of her assault on August 11, 2008, Marie was in a pilot program for those aging out of foster care called Project Ladder. The new program, which began the prior year and was designed to help foster children transition to living on their own, provided each member with subsidized housing. In her case, 18-year-old Marie lived in a one-bedroom apartment at the Alderbrooke Apartments in Lynnwood, Washington. This is where her attack occurred and it was in this apartment that she sat with her foster mother, Peggy Cunningham, and Wayne Nash, her case manager with Project Ladder, as she told two detectives what happened. The limited series Unbelievable was inspired by The Marshall Project and ProPublica Pulitzer Prize-winning article, «An Unbelievable Story of Rape,» written by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, and This American Life’s radio episode “Anatomy of Doubt.” Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette and Merritt Wever star.
Anya Taylor-Joy shines in ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ on Netflix. PHOTO BY PHIL BRAY FOR NETFLIX.
The Queen’s Gambit (7 Episodes): This story explores the true cost of genius, which one young woman learns comes with a very high price. The series is based on Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name and centers around a young girl who learns she has an extraordinary talent for the game of chess. The story is set in 1950s Kentucky where Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) faces the tragic death of her mother and ends up at an orphanage. Her misfortune, however, leads her to discover her life’s purpose when she plays a game of chess with the orphanage’s janitor. Her gift for the game becomes apparent immediately. She will also encounter a new challenge; the state provides tranquilizers as a sedative for the children there, which leads her down the dark path of addiction. As a youth, she’s socially awkward but through the game, she finds her purpose and transforms into a remarkable competitor. Fans have devoured this one and Netflix recently announced that in its first 28 days, a record 62 million households binge-watched the series making this the streamer’s most popular limited scripted series ever.
Vivian Wu, Mark Ivanir, Hilary Swank, Ray Panthaki and Ato Essandoh in ‘Away’ on Netflix. PHOTO BY DIYAH PERA FOR NETFLIX.
Away (10 Episodes): Hilary Swank shines as Commander Emma Green, an American astronaut leading an international crew on a first-of-its kind three-year mission to Mars. Josh Charles plays her husband Matt, who stays home to take care of their teenage daughter, Alexis (Talitha Bateman). Rounding out the international crew are Ato Essandoh as Kwesi, Mark Ivanir as Misha, Vivian Wu as Lu and Ray Panthaki as Ram. From different corners of the globe, the team must work together under extreme stress to save themselves and the mission at hand. This story sends a positive message of unity in the face of adversity, which is extremely relevant to the world we are currently living in. As the pandemic hits every corner of the globe, we are forced to band together to fight this deadly virus COVID-19 and in America, we are literally split nearly in half over the most divisive presidential election this country has seen. Fans were highly disappointed to learn there would not be a second season for this series. Perhaps in time, like Showtime’s decision to renew Dexter after nearly a decade, viewers might be able to see what life is like on Mars for our beloved crew of astronauts.
(CNN) Americans may have earned independence from the Brits in 1776, but some things we can’t let go of.
One being our fascination with the British royal family.
«The Crown» may be a fictionalized telling of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne and the monarch’s family, but for those of us who are total Anglophiles (raises hand) it’s fun to try and figure out which story lines in the series are closest to reality.
Season four centers on two relationships: Prince Charles’ tumultuous marriage to Lady Diana Spencer and the dynamics — marked by respect mixed with tension — between Queen Elizabeth and the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Olivia Colman reprises her role as Elizabeth II, and Josh O’Connor is back as her son Charles, Prince of Wales. Newcomer Emma Corrin joins the cast as Princess Diana, and Gillian Anderson plays Thatcher.
In «The Crown,» Emma Corrin (left) plays Diana, Princess of Wales, and Gillian Anderson (right) portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In their performances, Corrin and Anderson are each a force to reckon with. (If Anderson isn’t nominated for her deliberate portrayal of Thatcher, there is no justice.)
Beyond the pomp and pageantry of «The Crown» are fallible characters whose lives hold some valuable lessons.
1. People are complex creatures: I definitely have my feelings about who comes off as a villain this season (looking at you, Prince Charles). People and their motivations, however, can be complicated.
And while Princess Diana’s story line is a bit more forgiving, we know that in reality she was also unfaithful in their marriage and not without some responsibility for their strife.
2. Your history can influence your future: Viewers get a better sense this season of the royal children having some … issues. The earlier seasons make it clear, though, that their elders had their own problems. Love, devotion and a desire for affection prove elusive and the source of most of the Windsor family’s troubles in «The Crown.»
Season two has a particularly strong episode about the trauma Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, suffered as a youth, including his pregnant sister and her family perishing in a plane crash in the 1930s.
3. Speaking of history, we need to learn from it: You cannot tell the story of this family and not include how it all began.
Queen Elizabeth II became a monarch because her uncle David, known to the public as King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne for the woman he loved, American Wallis Warfield Simpson. Simpson, who had divorced her first husband, also pursued a divorce from her second husband to be with Elizabeth’s uncle.
That forced Elizabeth’s father into becoming King George VI, the stress of which, according to the series, led to an early death, thereby making her queen.
Loving a person deemed «unacceptable» is a reoccurring theme.
The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, falls for an older man, Peter Townsend, who is divorced. Prince Charles may have married Diana, but his true love was Camilla Parker Bowles (née Shand), who he did eventually wed.
4. You have to play the cards you are dealt: One of the show’s earlier themes was that Princess Margaret would have much rather have been Queen and seemed better suited for it than her older sister, Elizabeth. Margaret had been played the first two seasons by Vanessa Kirby before Helena Bonham Carter took over the role she smashingly makes her own.
But as outgoing and spontaneous as Princess Margaret is portrayed, we learn that while her sister may be more reserved and levelheaded, she actually is better suited for the monarchy for just those reasons.
The ability to tell a good joke and charm heads of state may be good for headlines, but there is much more to ruling as a constitutional monarch than those attributes.
5. Duty is serious business: One of the reasons Queen Elizabeth has successfully reigned since 1952 is because she has never, ever shirked her duty.
While «The Crown’s» creator, Peter Morgan, has defended taking some liberties with the writing, it’s not hard to imagine that the series taps — even just a little bit — into the real-life drama of this famous family.
The royal family is said to be ‘furious’ over storylines in the latest season of hit Netflix drama ‘The Crown.’
The fourth series, which launched over the weekend, covers Charles’s doomed marriage to Princess Diana, her eating disorders and his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
The Prince of Wales’ friends have spoken to UK tabloids to blast the show, saying that ‘fiction is presented as fact’ in the new episodes.
‘This is drama and entertainment for commercial ends being made with no regard to the actual people involved who are having their lives hijacked and exploited,’ one told the Mail on Sunday.
“In this case, it’s dragging up things that happened during very difficult times 25 or 30 years ago without a thought for anyone’s feelings.”
Netflix has been accused of “trolling with a Hollywood budget». Credit: Netflix
“That isn’t right or fair, particularly when so many of the things being depicted don’t represent the truth.’”
The fourth series of the royal drama covers the years from Lord Mountbatten’s assassination in 1979 to the ousting of Margaret Thatcher in 1990.
But it is the depiction of a cold and disinterested Charles meeting and marrying a young Diana while continuing his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles that has sparked such outrage.
“This is trolling with a Hollywood budget.”
“The public shouldn’t be fooled into thinking this is an accurate portrayal of what really happened,” another insider added.
The new season covers Diana and Charles relationship, including their trip to Australia. Credit: Netflix
Sunrise Royal Editor Rob Jobson, who penned Prince Charles’ autobiography, said the royal family would understandably be upset by the negative portrayal of the Prince of Wales.
“The bottom line is the Prince of Wales is a kind man, and the reality is that at the beginning of his marriage he did try very hard to help Diana,” he said.
“I’ve known him fairly well and I think he’s a much nicer guy than he’s been shown to be.”
The controversy has also sparked debate about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ recent £75 million (AUD$130 million) contract with Netflix.
The pair quit as senior working royals earlier this year and signed the major deal to work on projects for the streaming giant.
“There are raised eyebrows about Harry taking millions from the company that’s behind all this.”
“After all where do much of Netflix’s profits come from? The Crown,” an insider reportedly said.
