Netflix has officially announced that their trending period drama Bridgerton will be returning for a second season. While the announcement was not unexpected given the show’s popularity, we admit that it did bring us great joy.
The renewal announcement came from none other than Lady Whistledown, who in a message posted to social media said: “Dearest Readers, The ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honour to impart to you: Bridgerton shall officially return for a second season.”
According to Lady Whistledown’s announcement, production will resume in Spring 2021, and the second season will focus on the “romantic activities” of Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey).
Dear Readers, I dare say this may be the most exciting edition of my column yet… pic.twitter.com/jwOJwl6zQi
Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen, while talking about the second season, said: “We have a bunch of new characters we are going to be introducing. Anthony is going to have a love interest and it’s going to be as sweeping and as beautiful as viewers have come to expect from the show.”
He further shared that casting is currently underway for several new roles, most notably the female romantic lead opposite Anthony Bridgerton in The Viscount Who Loved Me, Kate Sheffield. It is also being reported that the actor who will play Sheffield will likely be an actress of color, likely of South Asian/Indian descent.
Indeed, this author is looking forward to reporting on many a tryst involving Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the coming season… pic.twitter.com/pZBedmPuMx
The series which is based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton romance novel series featured a different sibling in each of the eight books and from what we understand, it is now Anthony’s turn. The first season followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she made her debut in Regency London, seeking a husband.
Bridgerton debuted on Netflix in December 2020 and has continued to win audiences trending worldwide even a month after its release. Netflix earlier said that the series was on course to watched by more than 63 million households in the four weeks from its Christmas Day premiere.
The buzzy Regency romance comes from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and puts a modern twist on the books about an upper-class family in early 19th-century England, introducing colour-blind casting and strong feminist themes.
While a release date for the second season has not yet been announced, it is being speculated that the show will either release on Christmas 2021 or 2022.
Netflix on Tuesday topped subscriber growth expectations in the past quarter, keeping ahead of new streaming rivals competing for viewers stuck in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
As per details, the streaming platform added some 8.5 million paid subscribers in the quarter to reach 203 million, topping 200 million despite recent price hikes, its quarterly earning update has revealed.
“COVID-19 has accelerated that big shift from linear to streaming entertainment,” said Netflix chief financial officer Spencer Neumann. “So, the underlying long-term looks good.”
The company’s cash flow was so strong that it will no longer borrow money to pay for operations, and is considering starting to buy back shares, according to a letter to investors.
Netflix shares jumped more than 12 percent in after-market trades following the release. Profits dipped to $542 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $587 million in the same period in 2019. But overall revenue in the quarter surged 21.5 percent to $6.6 billion.
According to the earnings report, Netflix added a record 37 million paid memberships for the full year. Paid membership increased 23 percent in the final quarter of 2020 when compared with the same period a year earlier, but average revenue per membership was flat, according to the Silicon Valley-based company.
While Netflix raised rates slightly in the US late last year, the majority — some 83 percent — of its new subscribers were from outside North America, the earnings report indicated.
Meanwhile, Netflix has invested heavily in original shows and films to make itself a must-have service in the increasingly competitive streaming market. Netflix executives said their productions are back up and running in most regions after being derailed by the pandemic.
Netflix boasted having more than 500 titles in post-production or being readied for release on the service, with the plan being to launch at least one new original film every week.
Already the master of the pandemic-era movie landscape, Netflix last week offered a preview of upcoming 2021 releases, a list with no fewer than 70 star-studded feature films.
From drama, comedy, and science fiction to horror and even Westerns, the slate will take in every major film genre before the year is out, with some releases poised as potential competition for major awards.
Netflix has announced it will release more than 70 movies this year across comedy, drama, family and other genres, a lineup that underscores the streaming service’s growing prominence in the film business. It added that it plans to release a new movie every week for the entire year of 2021.
Sharing the news on their website, Netflix said: “This year’s line-up will surprise and delight cinephiles across the globe with films from award-winning filmmakers, including Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), Paolo Sorrentino (The Hand of God), and Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up).”
“We’re bringing you a year of films filled with more of the things we know our members love – zombies (Army of the Dead), cowboys (The Harder They Fall,Concrete Cowboy), and high school romance (including the culmination of the To All the Boys and The Kissing Booth trilogies).”
“We’re re-introducing you to teen screams (Fear Street trilogy, There’s Someone Inside Your House), turning your favourite books into films (The Woman in the Window, Munich, The Last Letter from Your Lover), bringing you more adrenaline-pumping blockbusters (Red Notice, Sweet Girl, Kate) and giving your family a reason to say yes to watching films together (YES DAY, Back to the Outback, Finding ‘Ohana).”
“Netflix will bring you a new movie every week featuring the biggest stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Meryl Streep, Zendaya, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, Gal Gadot, Dave Bautista, Naomi Watts, Jake Gyllenhaal, John David Washington, and Octavia Spencer.”
The Netflix pace of releasing more than one film per week dwarfs that of other Hollywood studios. Disney, by contrast, currently plans to debut roughly two dozen movies this year in theatres and on its Disney+ streaming service, including four Marvel Studios films and two from Pixar.
The Netflix 2021 schedule includes 18 dramas, nine thrillers, eight animated films and eight romances.
Though Netflix usually refrains from revealing it’s official viewing figures, they occasionally release stats about their own shows, in a bid to promote their biggest successes. The streaming giant recently revealed that their Christmas release Bridgerton is expected to be viewed by 63 million households in its first four weeks making it it’s fifth-biggest original series so far.
In their first four weeks, it’s projected that 63 million households will have courted Shondaland’s Bridgerton and 44 million households will have suited up for Robert Rodriguez’s We Can Be Heroes, making this our biggest viewing week between Christmas and New Year’s ever! pic.twitter.com/dWoLCWn6NO
Here is the list of Netflix’s most-watched original series, as reported by Newsweek.
5. Bridgerton Season 1
Described as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl, Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels. The show is a delightful mix of drama, romance, fantasy, gorgeous costumes and opulent sets. The series is indulgent and will have you hooked throughout.
As the world went into lockdown in mid-March 2020, Netflix’s docuseries about rival big cat owners in the United States Tiger King became a global sensation. Netflix said the series was viewed by 64 million households in its first four weeks.
3. Stranger Things Season 3
More than 64 million households watched the third season of Netflix’s mystery-thriller set in the 80s.
2. Money Heist Part 4
The only foreign-language drama to feature in the list, the fourth part of Money Heist was watched by at least 65 million people. The Spanish drama locally known as La Casa de Papel is about a group of thieves attempting to rob the Royal Mint of Spain.
1. The Witcher
Topping the list is The Witcher, which was watched by 76 million households in its first four weeks, as announced by Netflix in January 2020. Starring Henry Cavill, the series explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia and Princess Ciri, who are linked to each other by destiny.
Special mention to The Queen’s Gambit, the miniseries starring Anya Taylor-Joy which was reported to have been watched by 62 million households, making it Netflix’s biggest scripted limited series to date.
Meanwhile, here’s the list of Netflix’s most-viewed shows, as per Variety Magazine.
Filming for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s (SLB) passion project based on Lahore’s Heera Mandi is all set to commence from Spring 2021.
According to reports in the Indian media, the period drama titled Heera Mandi will revolve around the lives of sex workers, working in Lahore’s red-light district.
Vibhu Puri who is Bhansali’s former assistant will direct the project, which will feature Alia Bhatt in the lead. However, other names like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Manisha Koirala, and Vidya Balan are also under consideration.
“Bhansali is personally overlooking for the casting [for the project],” stated the report. “Though officially his former assistant Vibhu will be directing Heera Mandi, SLB’S stamp will be evident in every frame.”
Meanwhile the film is expected to debut digitally on Netflix. It is not yet clear whether Heera Mandi will be a web series or a film.
Besides Heera Mandi, Bhansali is working on another film Gangubai Kathiawadi which also tells the story of a prostitute.
Have you ever seen a television show that you just want to immerse yourself into? One that makes you forget the mundaneness of everyday life and transports you to a realm where everything is perfect? Netflix’s latest Christmas release Bridgerton is just that.
Created by Shondaland, the production house behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling series of romance novels of the same name.
Set in 1813 London, the series opens with Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynover)of the illustrious Bridgerton family making her society debut. She is to find a husband during the upcoming social season and settle down by the time it wraps up. Though she was declared “flawless” by Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), her brother Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) constant meddling and critique of potential suitors dampen her prospects which are further thwarted by Lady Whistledown, who writes that her “value” is falling. Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) is the city’s resident Gossip Girl, who reports on the happenings of the city and whose words are big deal.
Daphne and her mother
In comes the Duke of Hastings Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), the town’s most eligible bachelor, who has sworn not to get married. Daphe and Simon, who with a stroke of fate end up crossing paths and hatch a plan to fool society and Lady Whistledown by pretending to be together in a bid to make Daphne more desirable in society and him less pestered by eager mothers looking to set up their daughters. Will they be successful in fooling Lady Whistledown who knows everything and anything or will they be exposed? And even more, will Daphne find her perfect match?
Whether Daphne finds her match or not you’ll find out in the show, but Bridgerton has given us some major arranged marriage goals. Imagine landing yourself a rich and handsome Duke with the sexiest smoulder, one who has no immediate family (which mean no in-laws) and is smitten by you? One who is kind, caring and sensitive too. The stuff of dreams, right? Besides, Page plays the Duke to perfection owning every scene he is in and I won’t be lying if I say that we have a new hero to swoon over.
One the other hand, Daphne is also the season’s “diamond” – young, fair, pretty and innocent to the point that she had no idea how babies are made. The two are the perfect match, even if it is just a ruse and their chemistry is crackling – you can almost feel it through the screen.
Though Daphne and Simon are the main attractions, other characters on the show are also a delight to watch. My favourites have to be Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury and Eloise Bridgerton, Daphne’s younger sister. Eloise, who is not interested in getting married or following her sister’s footsteps adds the perfect comic relief, while Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury – both women of colour – add a different flavour to the show with their cool demeanour and wise words. Daphne’s mother is also a voice of reason and is shown as someone progressive and one who encourages her daughter to marry for love and not money and teaches her how the first step to a successful marriage is always friendship. Desi moms can definitely learn a thing or two from Mama Bridgerton.
Bridgerton, in a nutshell, is a dreamy and escapist – a delightful mix of drama, romance, fantasy, gorgeous costumes and opulent sets. The series is indulgent and will have you hooked throughout and by the end of it, even eight episodes will appear too less.
The show’s creator Chris Van Dusen, in a recent interview, said that series is a period drama which marries history and fantasy and is for a modern audience.
“The show is for a modern audience, and everything on this show is filtered through a modern lens. People talk quickly, the story moves fast, it’s funny, and it’s really sexy, which you don’t always get with a typical period piece,” said Dusen. “We’re re-imagining this world; it’s not a history lesson and it’s not a documentary. There weren’t actual Bridgertons in 1813, so we took some creative liberties there. The first thing you see is the cast, this amazing diverse cast, everyone from Phoebe Dynevor to Regé-Jean Page to Julie Andrews.”
Queen Charlotte
“We knew we wanted the show to reflect the world we live in today, and even though it’s set in the 19th century, we still wanted modern audiences to relate to it and to see themselves on screen. I feel we did it in a way that makes sense,” he adds.
Dusen’s vision and take on the show is perhaps the reason why the show resonated so well with audiences. Modern romcoms are fun to watch but there is something magical about period shows and Bridgerton is one done just right. The show is the perfect escape in such dreary times and as I told my friends, it is like a mug of hot chocolate on a freezing winter night.
While Netflix has not yet revealed whether the show will be coming back for a second season, given the show’s popularity, it is only a matter of time till they make an official announcement.
Ah, the long weekend is here and with COVID-19 still posing a threat, time to kick back and binge-watch movies and shows while staying cosy at home. Here’s a list of new releases hitting streaming platforms this weekend.
AK vs AK
Termed a mockumentary (a film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary), AK vs AK features Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap with Sonam Kapoor also putting in an appearance. The film’s official synopsis reads: “A brash film director (Kashyap, as himself) kidnaps the daughter of a movie star (Kapoor, as himself) and films the star’s desperate search for his daughter in real-time as his next blockbuster.”
The film has received raving reviews and looks very different from what Bollywood usually has to offer.
George Clooney heads to the post-apocalyptic world in this new space drama for Netflix which he has directed himself. While the film has opened to mixed reviews, Clooney’s performance and getup in the film have been highly appreciated. The film is already trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan.
Coolie No 1
Featuring Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan in the lead, Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film is a through and through Bollywood masala film with colourful dances, sets and crass comedy. While it probably does not have anything new to offer, we’ll just sit through it to make comparisons and trash Bollywood for repeating the same problematic tropes and not coming up with anything new.
Bridgerton
Netflix’s big Christmas drop, Bridgertonhas been described by several reviews as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl. Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels, the show follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate London high society in the 18th-century. According to reviews and critics, the series is fuzzy, romantic and highly bingeable but hollow at the same time. But if you’re a sucker for period romance, you’re bound to enjoy it – I know I will.
The Undoing
Though this murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant is a couple of weeks old, it is totally worth the watch. The six-episodes series is gripping, intense and will have you on the edge of your seat as you guess who the killer is. And while it does drag at a few points, the stellar performances more than make up for it.
Dulhan aur Aik Raat starring Alizeh Shah will be the first web-series to release on UrduFlix, Pakistan’s upcoming streaming platform.
The first look motion poster of the web series was unveiled on Instagram. As per details, the series has been written by Mansoor Syed and directed by Rao Ayaz Shahzad. It has been produced by Farhan Gauher.
From the posters one can deduce that the series will be a horror-mystery.
UrduFlix, Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform, will offer original and exclusive content in Urdu worldwide. According to a press release, “UrduFlix will offer viewers access to original Urdu films, series, documentaries, cartoons, and Urdu-dubbed Turkish dramas.”
It will also offer already popular dramas and films to its subscribers.
UrduFlix is expected to launch in mid-January 2021.
‘Tis the season of Christmas romances and feel-good movies. In the past couple of months, Netflix has released several romcoms to celebrate the holiday season including Holidate (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again which was also a fun watch. The latest addition to their holiday lineup is A California Christmas set in a ranch in California. Featuring real-life couple Lauren Swickard and Josh Swickard, the holiday rom-com, unfortunately, misses the mark.
The story revolves around Callie (Lauren), the owner of a ranch in Sonoma County, a small town south of San Francisco. She runs her family farm business, which is close to being bankrupt. Her father passed away in a car crash along with her fiancé three years ago, while her mother is currently battling cancer. She has one younger sister, which means she is responsible for the family. Given how many blows life has given her, Callie is bitter and aggrieved.
On the other hand, Joseph Van Aston (Josh) is a rich, spoiled womanizer who is tasked by his business tycoon mother to take a trip to Petaluma and charm Callie into selling her farm to Van Aston Enterprises before the big company’s Christmas party.
Joseph, who is touted to be someone who can “charm any female” walks into Callie’s farm where he is assumed to be new the ranch hand Manny. Joseph does not make any effort to convince them otherwise after he finds out that Callie is in no mood to sell the land and is ready to put up a fight with a representative of the Van Astons. Joseph’s loyal butler and chauffeur ends up running into the real Manny and bribes him into not going to farm.
Joseph is so casual and slips into the role of a ranch hand with such ease that it is hard to imagine that just a few hours ago he was living the high life in San Fransisco. The first half an hour is a complete drag as we along with Joseph learn how to do farm chores. Once you make it past that, things get better.
As Joseph settles into his role and Callie warms up to him, sparks fly between the two and a romance begins to brew, though I do feel that for a Christmas romance film it was not enough. Instead of showing up Joseph farming, it would have been nicer if they had shown some more romantic scenes between Joseph and Callie. I have to add here that Joseph labouring away on the farm shirtless was perhaps the only good thing about those scenes.
Callie’s character was also very underdeveloped. Considering she was one of the main protagonists, her screen time was less as compared to Joseph. Lauren also gave a bland performance and came across as someone very dull, which is perhaps why her scenes weren’t very engaging. On the contrary, Josh managed to breathe life into his character, carrying the weight of the entire film on his shoulders. The two leads also shared great chemistry – their real-life relationship reflected on the screen.
Meanwhile, the real Manny and Leo (Ali Afshar) provide much-needed comic relief and are a breath of fresh air in the film. Their scenes are some of the most entertaining and the only ones with comedy in them.
Barring the final scene, there is little reference to Christmas and the lack of snow does not help – the movie might have sold better as a summer romance.
A California Christmaswould not rank very high on my list of rom-com recommendations. But if you a hardcore fan of the genre like me you might enjoy it somewhat.
What are the three things you look for in a reality tv series? Drama, drama and more drama. Unfortunately, Netflix’s latest reality television series The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has everything to offer besides that. You have glitz, glam, a fancy holiday, discussions on plastic surgery and the cherry on top – lots, and I mean lots, of starry special appearances. But all this fails to add to the oomph factor and you end up watching the show only because of your love for Bollywood.
The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives (let’s just call it FLBW) centres around four Bollywood wives – Maheep Kapoor, wife of Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Khan, wife of Sohail Khan, Bhavana Pandey, wife of Chunkey Pandey, and Neelum Kothari, wife of Samir Soni. Maheep is the queen bee of the gang which has been together for 25 years. Mind you, this has been repeated a gazillion times in the entire show, lest we forget. Seema is the one with the wit and sarcasm, while Bhavana is the superstitious one. And Neelum, throughout the series is just worried about one thing: should she make a comeback to films.
While each woman has her own distinct personality and they are interesting to see in the first episode, the problem with the show is that there is just no drama. The girls are chill with one another and no one gets pissed at the other, except in one episode. Even then, their ‘showdown’ was just very dry. What is this relationship? Where is the spark? The fire? Twice Karan Johar had to come in and be the phoppo he is so that he can instigate them. Unfortunately, the fire never really lights – they really should have taken classes from our favourite Sima Taparia from Indian Matchmaking on how to say the most outrageous things and still not be hated for it. Most of the stuff we saw in the series was all that the paparazzi have already shown to us or they have posted on their Instagram feeds. Even their conversations were terribly safe as if they were scared to give viewers a sneak peek into who they are behind the facades. Just goes on to show that reality tv is not everyone’s piece of cake.
The two things I did find interesting was that one Maheep is a stalker. An actual stalker. She observes people through her binoculars and she apparently caught glimpses of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding through her binoculars. And secondly, Seema and Sohail, despite being married don’t live in the same house. They live across the street from one another and are very happy with this arrangement.
Interestingly the show is called FLBW, but we barely get to see them as wives. We end up watching them as mothers mostly because my God they are obsessed with their kids. Even the series opens with Maheep fretting over her daughter Shanaya’s Le Bal debut.
The biggest takeaways from the show had NOTHING to do with the wives. For me, there were two major ones. SPOILERS AHEAD. One that Janhvi Kapoor got a wish from Kylie Jenner on her birthday and second which fascinated me the most – on their trips abroad, Shah Rukh Khan would be the one to babysit all the children when the wives would go party. In fact, my favourite episode from the season was the one which had SRK. Damn that man can charm even a cactus. His witty one-liners and dry humour had me smiling throughout the episode. Gauri Khan in an Instagram post has said that she will be gatecrashing the second season and I do hope that if there is a second season, I’d like to see more of Shah Rukh in it than anyone else.
The makers of the show tried to create a desi version of Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Sex and the City, but they somehow forgot to add the main ingredient – drama. In this review, I am not even going to recommend or not recommend the show. Because I know that if you’re a Bolly freak like myself, you will still sit and spend five hours watching the eight episodes. All I’m going to say is keep your expectations low.
