The Monthly November 2024

Before you silence your email to enjoy Thanksgiving, it’s time for the November edition of The Monthly.

Three things to know. Two trailers to watch. One article to read.

The Monthly hits your inbox on the last Sunday of every month.

3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Oscars turn to Conan O’Brien

It’s finally happening. Conan O’Brien is hosting the Oscars.

In my head, O’Brien had already hosted the Oscars. The late-night legend has been around for so long, it had to have happened before, right? (I was probably thinking of the times O’Brien hosted the Emmys.) But now, in the year 2025, O’Brien will host the biggest awards show there is.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best — honor the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”

“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” O’Brien added.

Hosting the Oscars is never an easy gig. Jimmy Kimmel needed a break after hosting the two most recent ceremonies. Will the buzz around O’Brien bring a new audience to the show? Or will we see a repeat of the Tonight Show’s ratings dip?

There goes that dream

It’s been a wild ride for Star Wars the last few weeks. First we learned that X-Men writer/producer Simon Kinberg was on board to write and produce a trilogy of Star Wars films. Then we learned that those films might be focused on Daisy Ridley’s Rey — even if it meant overriding director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s plans for the character. (It turns out Rey is “key to the franchise’s next turn.”) And then we learned that Disney had yanked the Star Wars film everyone assumed to be Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order movie from its Dec. 18, 2026, release date.

Phew.

At this point, the only Star Wars movie that’s actually happening is Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu — and that one had the advantage of likely being a season of The Mandalorian that got turned into a movie. At some point, Disney and Lucasfilm need to stop being so precious with this franchise and commit to a movie that isn’t part of the Mandoverse.

Godzilla will return

Godzilla Minus One was one of the best films of 2023 and is easily one of the best films in the franchise’s lengthy history. (I happily added the Godzilla Minus One steelbook to my collection last week.) Fans of the film finally got the news they had been waiting for when Toho Studios announced on Nov. 1 that a sequel to Godzilla Minus One had been greenlit with Takashi Yamazaki returning to direct. (Toho Studios)

2 TRAILERS YOU NEED TO WATCH

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning

Can Mission: Impossible bounce back? That’s the big question surrounding Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.

We got the first trailer for the eighth film in the iconic Tom Cruise franchise this month, giving us not only our first look at the sequel but also revealing the new title for the movie that began life as Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two.

After Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning saw a squishier box office return ($172.6 million domestic and $566.6 million worldwide) than Mission: Impossible — Fallout ($220.2 million domestic and $786.6 million worldwide), Paramount Pictures is hoping The Final Reckoning can recapture that box office magic. And it’s positioning the film as a possible farewell to Cruise’s long-running franchise to do so.

Thunderbolts*

I mentioned this in a previous edition of The Monthly, but Thunderbolts* is a major moment for Marvel Studios. Can the studio launch a new team, much less a team made from other MCU films’ spare parts? (And is this team actually the Dark Avengers?) Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is already putting this film alongside some big names.

“It’s taking characters from all different types of places and franchises and putting them together,” Feige recently said. “That’s what the Avengers is, that’s what Guardians of the Galaxy is.”

1 ARTICLE YOU NEED TO READ

The Undying Mystery of Max Schreck — the First Nosferatu

Sure, Halloween is over but the season of Nosferatu has only just begun. With The Witch director Robert Eggers’ remake of the classic horror film hitting theaters on Christmas Day, the iconic vampire is still a major part of pop culture.

Anthony Breznican took a deep dive into the history of the original Nosferatu, exploring the mysteries and rumors surrounding Max Schreck. Was the actor really a vampire? (No. No, he wasn’t.) (Vanity Fair)

CATCHING UP

Here’s what you might have missed from Popculturology and Snackology this month ...

Friday Newsletter

• Defying courtesy: Wicked fans turn screenings into their own personal concerts
• Who wanted a photorealistic Lion King remake in the first place?
• This new Star Wars trilogy is definitely going to happen. Seriously.
• Agatha All Along and the Witches’ Road reach their end

Deep SNL Thoughts

• SNL should be thankful for Charli XCX hosting
• ‘Hail Trump’: SNL kicks off Bill Burr’s episode on a somber note
• John Mulaney hosts best SNL of the season as Kamala Harris comes face to face with her doppelganger

The Box Office Report

• Ho ho oh no: Red One fails to take flight for Dwayne Johnson
• Three are Venom: Third Venom movie wins its third weekend
• Third Venom movies dances to a slower box office tune

Snackology

• Do Reese’s Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter Cups make my nice list?
• Wendy’s falls into autumn with new Salted Caramel Frosty
• Popping in with Skittles Pop’d