Netflix 2022 film preview / Controversial "Masked Singer" reveal / "Yellowstone" renewed / "Gaslit" trailer

Plus today's calendar, "Woman in the House..." review, "Joe vs. Carole" trailer, "Diabolical" first look, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network February 03, 2022

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Netflix 2022 Movie Preview Netflix unveiled footage from a number of hotly-anticipated upcoming films in its 2022 Movie Preview. The three-minute sizzle reel features clips from the movies along with shots of actors breaking the fourth wall to address Netflix viewers directly. More: The clip closes with the first shot of the "Knives Out 2" ensemble, including Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monae, and returning star Daniel Craig. Scenes from "The Gray Man" feature Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Regé-Jean Page. The package also highlights Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington in "The School for Good and Evil"; Adam Sandler in the basketball drama "Hustle"; the Lindsay Lohan holiday comedy "Falling for Christmas"; the mystery sequel "Enola Holmes 2"; Mila Kunis in an adaptation of the 2015 bestseller "Luckiest Girl Alive"; the social satire "You People," starring Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy; and many others. COLLIDER

"The Masked Singer" Season 7 According to Deadline, a controversial celebrity unmasking on "The Masked Singer" prompted judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke to leave the stage. The episode will air next month. [NOTE: I'm going to spoil the reveal below, so stop reading now if you don't want to know who it was.] More: Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was revealed as the secret singer, though Deadline did not divulge his costume nor the final song he performed. Thicke and Jeong eventually returned to the stage; fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained in their seats throughout the segment. In 2020, "The Masked Singer" was hit by a similar controversy after Republican politician Sarah Palin was revealed as a participant. The theme of the new "Masked Singer" season is "The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly." DEADLINE

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DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3 MURDERVILLE: In this sketch comedy/crime procedural hybrid, Will Arnett's police detective Terry Seattle is joined by a rotating group of celebrity partners, none of whom have been given a script before shooting their scenes. Guest stars include Annie Murphy, Ken Jeong, Kumail Nanjiani, Conan O'Brien, Sharon Stone, and Marshawn Lynch. [Netflix] KID COSMIC: Animated superhero series from "Powerpuff Girls" mastermind Craig McCracken, about a boy who forms his own super-team after finding "Cosmic Stones of Power" in a downed spaceship. The third season, which will also be the show's last, debuts today. [Netflix] FINDING OLA: Arabic-language comedy-drama series from Egypt, starring Hend Sabry as Ola Abd ElSabour, a mother and pharmacist who goes on a journey of self-discovery after a life-changing event. Sabry previously played Ola in a 2010 Egyptian series, "Ayza Atgawez." [Netflix] RAISED BY WOLVES: The sci-fi drama series from creator Aaron Guzikowski ("Prisoners") and producer Ridley Scott returns for a second season today. It's set on an alien world that's home to a refugee colony of humans, as well as a cluster of human children being raised by artificially-intelligent androids. Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Niamh Algar, and Travis Fimmel co-star. [HBO Max] LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS VALENTINE'S EXTWAVAGANZA!: Debut animated holiday special featuring the classic Looney Tunes line-up in a variety of romantic misadventures and mix-ups. [HBO Max] AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS: HBO Max adds a collection of acclaimed short films today from Black filmmakers. The line-up includes Lin Que Ayoung's "Cracked," about a young girl in '80s Queens who falls in love for the first time; Omar Kamara's "Mass Ave," examining the tense relationship between a young Black man (Omete Anassi) and his immigrant father (Benjamin A. Onyango); "Pure," a character study of a closeted teenage poet from writer/director Natalie Jasmine Harris; Michelle Beck's "The Snakes," a dystopian tale set in a future where abortion is outlawed; and "When the Sun Sets," about a young Black nurse living in apartheid South Africa. [HBO Max] BASKETBALL AND OTHER THINGS: 10-episode docuseries looking at the sport of basketball and the life lessons that can be drawn from watching it, featuring over 100 candid interviews with players, experts and fans. Subjects include Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce, Julius Irving, Qauvo, 2 Chainz, and many others. The series was inspired by the book of the same title by Shea Serrano. [Hulu] THE DEEP HOUSE: English-language 2021 horror film from France, about two YouTubers (James Jagger and Camille Rowe) who livestream themselves exploring a preserved mansion that's been submerged under an artificial lake, with predictably spooky results. [Hulu] LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP: The 54-hole event will be played this year at Crown Colony Golf and Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida, and runs from Thursday throughout the weekend. NBC Sports' coverage is available for Peacock Premium subscribers and begins today at 3:00 pm ET. [Peacock] DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS: HEROES OF THE SKY: The DreamWorks Animation series for young kids follows Viking twins Dak and Leyla, who lead the "Rescue Riders" on colorful adventures around their home village of Huttsgalor. Season 2 premieres today on Peacock. [Peacock] DOUBLE CROSS: The crime drama series about vigilante "Wonder Twins" Eric (Jeff Logan) and Erica Cross (Ashley A. Williams) is back for a third season, in which the duo are forced to team up on a new investigation with their former adversary, Detective Ryan (Darrin Dewitt Henson). Judi Johnson and Chasnie Houston co-star. [ALLBLK] SLAPFACE: 2021 indie horror film from writer/director Jeremiah Kipp, based on his 2017 short. August Maturo stars as a bullied young man who develops a strange friendship with a creature (Lukas Hassel) that he meets in the woods. Mike Manning, Libe Barer, and Dan Hedaya co-star. [Shudder] PUPPY BOWL PRESENTS: THE WINTER GAMES: Debut special spun off from the annual "Puppy Bowl" event, which airs on Animal Planet during the Super Bowl Half-Time Show. Trainers and their dogs compete in a series of challenges for a shot at a $5,000 grand prize, to be donated to a charitable cause of their choice. Kym Whitley hosts; judges include professional dog trainer Travis Brorsen and international trick dog trainer Sara Carson. [Discovery+]

Paramount Network renewed the Western drama series "Yellowstone" for a fifth season. The show is a rare smash hit for linear television; according to ViacomCBS, the Season 4 finale was viewed by about 15 million US households. More: Series creator Taylor Sheridan had already indicated in interviews that the show would return for Season 5, and suggested last year that it would likely re-enter production in May. Kevin Costner will return as rancher John Dutton for Season 5 alongside co-stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Forrie Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Finn Little, Ryan Bingham, and Gil Birmingham. Guest stars Jen Landon and Kathryn Kelly have been upgraded to series regulars for the new episodes. DEADLINE

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REVIEW: "THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW" ON NETFLIX This new 8-part Netflix comedy series from "Mike Tyson Mysteries" trio Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, and Rachel Ramras, has a whole lot going for it, so it's a shame the final product isn't more fun. The timing in particular is entirely right for a parody of psychological thrillers about mentally disturbed shut-ins who may or may not be imagining the true-crime scenarios in which they suddenly find themselves. Kristen Bell is absolutely the right lead actor for this concept, someone who could believably be cast in this kind of role in an actual film, but who also has the comedy chops to nail the tone and balance the silliness with gravitas. It's the right kind of material -- funny, relentlessly paced, filled with twists and cliffhangers, ultimately disposable -- for a quick Netflix binge. There's really just one problem... for a comedy show, it doesn't have nearly enough jokes. I mean, not NEARLY enough. The sensibility here is similar to those classic Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker films ("Airplane!" and "Top Secret!" and the like), or David Wain parodies like "They Came Together" and "Wet Hot American Summer." But while those films and shows are wall-to-wall jokes, "The Woman in the House..." has maybe 3 or 4 big laughs per episode. But because it's impossible to take this scenario seriously as an actual show, I found myself kind of waiting around for the next bit. At 25 minutes a piece, the episodes still feel bloated and over-long, which isn't a great sign. The set-up is simple: Anna (Bell), once a happily married mom and successful painter, suffered a major tragedy that has caused her life to unravel. Now she lives alone in a big empty house, drinking all day and wallowing in self-pity. When an attractive new man, Neil (Tom Riley), and his adorable daughter Emma (Samsara Leela Yett) move in across the street, Anna feels a stirring of hope, and an excuse to go outside, for the first time in a while. But then she thinks she witnesses a gruesome murder at Neil's house and becomes fixated on solving the case. This is a fine clothesline for bits and comedy, but that's really all it is. By design, a parody plot needs to be generic and hit all the expected beats, to constantly remind viewers of the genre being mocked. But this makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to convince audiences to emotionally invest. "Airplane!" is not a great movie because you genuinely care about whether they land the plane. It's a classic because of the wordplay and the puns and the amusingly deadpan line deliveries. Yet far too frequently, "The Woman in the House..." coasts on the overall cleverness of the premise, ticking off elements of the original to parody rather than turning them into anything funny. For example, in these kinds of stories, the agoraphobic alcoholic at the story's center often has someone working on their house or doing some kind of long-term project or upgrade. (There's a very practical screenwriting reason for this! It gives a character whom we understand spends most of their time alone someone to talk to, without having to give them a friend.) In "The Woman in the House..." this plot element is given to a handyman (Cameron Britton) who appears to be installing a mailbox in front of Anna's house full-time. He's working out there on it in just about every episode. This is funny, and it's a clever observation about these kinds of films and shows. But you only really get a laugh out of it once, or maybe twice. After that, it's just an element of this new show that we ultimately begin to accept. In order to get more mileage out of it, the scenario would need to be heightened in some way. The same thing happens with wine. Anna's a big drinker, and it's a frequent bit in the show that she'll open a bottle of wine, and pour herself a very full, tall glass, triple a standard portion. This is a solid visual gag, and Bell makes the most out of her extreme wine sipping, but it's just not funny enough to power an entire show.  I didn't hate "The Woman in the House..." but it feels a lot like a missed opportunity. The original films it's mocking -- including Netflix's own "The Woman in the Window" from last year -- are, in their own ways, just as zany and ridiculous as this one. So to truly parody them in the way they deserve, you'd have to really work overtime and go for broke. I just don't think this show quite gets there.  THE BASICS Title: "The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window" Where to Watch: Netflix Episodes: 8 (1 season) Running time: About 25 minutes each Genre: Crime comedy

"Gaslit" NEW TRAILERS JOE VS. CAROLE: Scripted series about the infamous feud between roadside zoo owner Joe "Exotic" Schreibvogel and big cat activist Carole Baskin, which was also the subject of the Netflix "Tiger King" docuseries. (The show is based on the Wondery podcast "Joe Exotic: Tiger King," hosted by Robert Moor.) Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell co-star as Baskin and Exotic; Kyle MacLachlan, Brian Van Holt, Sam Keeley, Nat Wolff, Marlo Kelly, William Fichtner, Dean Winters and David Wenham co-star. The full series arrives on March 3. [Peacock] DIABOLICAL: Eight-episode animated anthology series based on Amazon's superhero satire "The Boys," featuring various stories from around the show's fictional world. (The trailer takes the form of an ad for the fast-food chain Vought-a-Burger.) The creative team includes "The Boys" creator Garth Ennis, Awkwafina, Justin Roiland, Andy Samberg, Aisha Tyler, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen; the voice cast features Don Cheadle, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Isaacs, Kumail Nanjiani, Elisabeth Shue, Christian Slater, Kevin Smith, Antony Starr, Nasim Pedrad, and recent Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Youn Yuh Jung. It debuts on March 4. [Amazon] GASLIT: Historical drama series, based on the first season of Slate's "Slow Burn" podcast. Julia Roberts stars as Martha Mitchell, the wife of Attorney General John Mitchell (Sean Penn) who was also the first person in Washington to speak publicly about President Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal. Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, and Shea Whigham co-star. It arrives on April 24. [Starz] KILLING IT: Debut satirical comedy series from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" vets Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici, starring Craig Robinson as a man who's (somehow!) pursuing the American Dream by hunting very large snakes. The cast also includes Claudia O'Doherty, Rell Battle, Scott MacArthur, Stephanie Nogueras, Wyatt Walter, and Jet Miller. The series debuts in April. [Peacock]

Falchuk "American Horror Story" and "Glee" vet Brad Falchuk teamed with up-and-coming filmmaker Byron Wu for the new Netflix series "The Brothers Sun." This marks Falchuk's first solo project for Netflix without co-producer Ryan Murphy. More: The series will combine action, comedy, and drama, relating a story about a gangster from Taipei who travels to Los Angeles to protect his mother and brother, following his father's death. Wu will write the scripts and executive produce alongside Falchuk. The series will apparently feature an all-Asian writers room and cast. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

QUICK HITS For Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute, the Gartner Magic Quadrant named Adobe a Leader among 17 vendors - See why here.* YouTube topped Netflix in quarterly revenue in Q4 2021, bringing in $8.6 billion; the streamer generated about $28.8 billion in total ad revenue last year. Netflix scored 22 BAFTA nominations this year, the most of any streamer; Apple earned its first nominations in "major" BAFTA categories this year, for the film "CODA." Conservative website The Daily Wire will release its first original film production -- the thriller "Shut In" -- for free on YouTube in the US. Newly-formed Six Studios acquired the rights to the first six entries in authors Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts' fantasy book series "The Riftwar Cycle," and plans to adapt the franchise for television. Amazon released a new series of character posters from the upcoming epic fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." The six-part Discovery+ docuseries "Legacy: In the Shadow of Greatness" will profile the offspring of famous athletes who dream of one day competing themselves; the cast includes the children of Dwyane Wade, Evander Holyfield, and Randall Cunningham, among others. Ben Sinclair ("High Maintenance") and Jen Silverman ("Tales of the City") will co-write a series adaptation of the Lauren Oyler novel "Fake Accounts"; "Ozark" star Julia Garner will produce through her company. During an appearance on Variety's Actors on Actors feature, "Moon Knight" star Oscar Isaac referred to the upcoming Disney+ MCU show as a "limited series," implying it may not return for future seasons. Actors Louis Hofmann, Lars Eidinger, and Nell Sutton joined the cast of the Netflix series "All the Light We Cannot See," based on the Anthony Doerr novel. "Claws" showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois launched a new production banner at Warner Bros. Television Group, Folding Chair Prods., dedicated to developing "thought-provoking, inclusive series and films." Your money matters. Let's make more of it. Stocks are great, but there's many more options now. That's why we've been reading the Alts newsletter.* *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Jonathan Harris is a writer for Inside.com. Previously, he wrote for The Huffington Post, TakePart.com, and the YouTube channel What’s Trending.

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