Six To See November 16-22, 2024

1. Wicked: the new epic musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which in turn was loosely based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum in supporting roles. Set in the Land of Oz, largely before Dorothy Gale’s arrival from Kansas, the plot covers the events of the musical’s first act, following green-skinned Elphaba’s studies at Shiz University and the beginning of her path to ultimately becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside an unlikely friendship with a classmate who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North. Wicked was released in theatres in the US, UK, Canada and other countries on November 22, and in some other countries it’s releasing in the next two weeks. The sequel, Wicked Part Two, is scheduled to be released next year on November 21, 2025.

2. Dune: Prophecy: after the two Dune-films, now we also have a series set in the world of Dune. This science fiction series is developed by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker. Set in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe, the series focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, religious, and political force whose members possess superhuman powers and abilities after undergoing years of intense physical and mental conditioning. Dune: Prophecy is a prequel to the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film Dune, which adapts the first half of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and it takes place some 10,000 years before the events of the film. The series, which draws upon, but is set after, the Great Schools of Dune novel trilogy (2012–2016) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, is produced by Legendary Television, with Schapker serving as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. The first season of Dune: Prophecy premiered on HBO Max on November 17, and is set to conclude with its sixth episode on December 22.

3. The Piano Lesson: a new drama film directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams. It is an adaptation of the 1987 play by August Wilson. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins. Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, the film follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The Piano Lesson premiered at the Telluride Film Festival this summer and it was released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, before streaming on Netflix on November 22.

4. Blitz: a new historical war drama film written, produced and directed by Steve McQueen. The film stars Saoirse Ronan and Elliot Heffernan (in his film debut) in the lead roles, along with Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, and Stephen Graham in supporting roles. Set in London during World War II, when a young boy is sent away to evacuate the city amidst the Blitz, he instead defiantly goes on an adventure to return to his mother, only to find himself in immense peril. Blitz had its world premiere as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, and was released in select cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States on November 1, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ on November 22.

5. Landman: a new drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, based on the podcast Boomtown hosted by Wallace. The series is set within the world of oil rigs in West Texas, where roughnecks and wildcat billionaires are fueling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics. It stars Billy Bob Thornton in the lead role as Tommy Norris, a crisis executive at an oil company, alongside Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chavez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, James Jordan, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm. Landman premiered on Paramount+ on November 17 with the first two episodes and the rest of the episodes releasing weekly.

6. A Man on the Inside: a new comedy series created by Michael Schur, who also created The Good Place. The series is based on Maite Alberdi’s 2020 documentary The Mole Agent. Ted Danson stars in the lead role as Charles Nieuwendyk, a widower and retired engineering college professor who takes a job as an investigative assistant for a private detective to go undercover at Pacific View Retirement Community in San Francisco in order to find a missing ruby necklace. Also starring in the series are Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada and Stephanie Beatriz. The series was released on Netflix on November 21.

2 bonus films:

• Spellbound: a new animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film directed by Vicky Jenson from a screenplay by Julia Miranda and the writing team of Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin. The film features the voices of Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman. Set in the world of magic known as Lumbria, the story follows Princess Ellian (Zegler) who must break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters and split her kingdom in two. Spellbound was released on Netflix on November 22.

• Joy: a new British biographical drama film starring Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie and James Norton. Directed by Ben Taylor, it is the true story of the world’s first in vitro fertilisation baby Louise Brown. The screenplay is by Jack Thorne who developed the story with his wife Rachel Mason and Emma Gordon & Shaun Topp. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, it follows a nurse (McKenzie), a visionary scientist (Norton) and an innovative surgeon (Nighy) who work to develop the first ‘test tube baby’. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival last month and had a limited theatrical release in the UK and Ireland last week on November 15. It was released on Netflix worldwide on November 22.

2 bonus series:

• Based on a True Story season 2: the second season of the dark comedy thriller series created by Craig Rosenberg, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina in the lead roles as Ava and Nathan Bartlett, who are new parents and struggle with their true-crime murder obsession. For season two Annie Weisman took over as showrunner, while creator Craig Rosenberg remains an executive producer. Melissa Fumero joins the series in this second season, alongside Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, and Natalia Dyer reprising their roles from the first season. Season two of the series was released on Peacock in the US and internationally on Prime Video on November 21.

• The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3: the third season of the teen comedy-drama series created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble. The series follows the lives of four 18-year-old freshmen roommates at the fictional Essex College in Vermont, covering their sexually active lifestyle as they deal with the struggles and hardships of college and adulthood. Reprising their roles from the previous seasons are Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur and Alyah Chanelle Scott in the lead roles, and Reneé Rapp in a recurring role. Gracie Lawrence and Mia Rodgers are joining the main cast of the series this season. The third season of the series premiered on HBO Max on November 21 with a new episode releasing weekly.