On Tuesday night time, the Occasions Sq. ball will drop.
I, in the meantime, am praying that subsequent 12 months the leisure business doesn’t drop the ball. Once more.
Listed here are my overly optimistic New Yr’s resolutions for films, Broadway and TV.
On the films: Cull the superhero flicks
One of the vital apparent classes of 2024 is that audiences have grown weary of comedian e-book tales. “Madame Web,” “Kraven The Hunter” and “Joker: Folie a Deux” all deafeningly flopped.
Delusional Sony Footage CEO Tony Vinciquerra just lately claimed that “‘Madame Web’ underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It was not a bad film, and it did great on Netflix.” Come again to us, Tony! Your soulless schlock was a worldwide punchline.
Marvel, then again, cooled its jets in 2024, solely releasing “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was an enormous, well-deserved hit.
You see? Scaling again, constructing anticipation and never making the identical outdated formulaic film (the Ryan Reynolds/Hugh Jackman movie was a buddy comedy) labored wonders.
Rival DC (Warner Bros.) is following swimsuit, making the youthful reboot of “Superman” its sole 2025 launch. Frankly, I may even do with out that one.
So, why then is the Disney-owned Marvel dropping three movies this 12 months inside of 5 months?
“Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts” (regardless of the hell that’s) and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” will, they hope, return the MCU to the glory days of 2019 when “Avengers: Endgame” grossed $2.8 billion and “Black Panther” was nominated for Greatest Image.
By no means gonna occur. The second has handed. Sayanora. All people ought to do some capes-and-spandex soul looking in 2025.
On Broadway: Chill with the British exhibits
Reign it in, Britannia.
London imports have been coming in quick and livid since theaters reopened in 2021.
A parade of Anglo flops handed by: “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “Caroline, Or Change,” “Life of Pi,” “The Hills of California” and “Patriots” amongst them. Elton John’s $25 million “Tammy Faye” was simply exorcised. Life gained’t be a cabaret for “Cabaret”
There have been hits too — notably “Prima Facie,” starring Jodie Comer, and “Merrily We Roll Along.” And I want the identical success for the magnificent “Sunset Boulevard” with Nicole Scherzinger, which has the daunting process of promoting the massive, honkin’ St. James into the summer season.
Extra, sigh, are on the best way. The overrated and annoying musical “Operation Mincemeat” and dismal “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” open within the Spring. Each Broadway insider who’s seen “Stranger Things” can not stand it, and gross sales in London have fallen off a cliff. An auspicious begin!
In 2025, power-hungry (and ceaselessly inept) British producers and our new UK-based theater landlord, Ambassador Theatre Group, have to get up and understand that Broadway and the West Finish are usually not the identical factor. Except their aim is dropping tens of millions.
What do they are saying over there? Thoughts the hole.
On TV: Please make a must-watch present
This 12 months, tv abruptly turned an afterthought.
What does it say about 2024 that the most important smash was a six-episode miniseries a couple of disturbed stalker?
That the period of peak TV is over. And we’re again to base camp.
Viewers at the moment are caught with a mountain of area of interest fare that studios created to spice up their streaming companies, however no one appears to be watching. “Shogun” is nice, and but I’ve by no means heard a single individual discuss it. Ever. If a bonsai tree falls in a forest…
Water-cooler exhibits don’t need to be useless, although, even when we’re continually advised they’re.
The TV pendulum must swing towards leisure and massive, daring storytelling relatively than status and obnoxious messaging. That’s, if they need eyeballs.
Persons are craving a weekly drama to speak about and obsess over. Give us a brand new “Game of Thrones.” Properly, one which’s not “House of the Dragon.”
See you subsequent Sunday — and subsequent 12 months.
