The Monthly September 2024

Hello! Welcome to the first edition of The Monthly. Life gets busy, and it can be hard to keep up with the news — even if you’re a Popculturology subscriber. The Monthly is your quick guide to the past month of pop culture news.

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

Crisis averted

SNL creator Lorne Michaels threatened a shakeup when it comes to who plays Donald Trump on the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I think [James Austin Johnson] will be there, but I don’t want to get into what I’m doing.” And last night, Michaels showed that he was bluffing.

As SNL kicked off its milestone fiftieth season, audiences saw Johnson return to the role that he’s held since beginning his tenure on the show in 2021. This is a huge relief. Johnson’s portrayal of Trump is unparalleled in SNL history. What a bizarre move for Michaels to sow the seeds that Johnson wouldn’t be the show’s Trump anymore.

Did the season premiere’s cold open depend way too much on celebrity cameos? Absolutely. I’ll have more on that later today when Deep SNL Thoughts hits your inboxes …

Kyle Chandler puts a ring on it

Warner Bros. wanted a movie star to anchor Lanterns, its upcoming Green Lantern detective series for Max. Names like Josh Brolin, Chris Pine and Matthew McConaughey were tossed around. In the end, the role went to Kyle Chandler.

While I wouldn’t call Chandler a movie star, the man is a pro when it comes to TV shows. Friday Night Lights. Bloodline. And how can anyone forget Early Edition?

Lanterns is a major piece for James Gunn’s plans for his rebooted DCU. The Ryan Reynolds version of the character was a flop and Zack Snyder never officially brought the character into the DCEU. Chandler, along who whoever is cast as John Stewart in Lanterns (possibly Rebel Ridge’s Aaron Pierre or The Piano Lesson’s Stephan James, according to a Friday report) and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner in Superman, will set the tone for the Green Lantern Corps in the DCU. (Deadline)

The next Spider-Man film finds its director

Marvel Studios is keeping it in the family when it comes to who’ll direct the follow-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is reportedly in talks to helm Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie.

This is a huge job. Spider-Man: No Way Home grossed $814.8 million in North America (No. 3 all time) and $1.909 billion worldwide (No. 7 all time).

And here’s a wild one: No version of the live-action Spider-Man franchise has ever lasted long enough for a new director to step in. Sam Raimi directed all three Tobey Maguire films. Then the franchise died. Marc Webb directed both Andrew Garfield films. Then the franchise died. But now Cretton will follow Jon Watts with Holland still in the title role. (The Hollywood Reporter)

2 TRAILERS YOU NEED TO WATCH

Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* doesn’t open until next May, but Marvel Studios has wisely started the promotional machine for the mysterious MCU movie. We need plenty of time to speculate what the asterisk in the title means. C’mon, Kevin Feige, give us hint. They’re the Dark Avengers, aren’t they?

Thunderbolts* is also a major test for the MCU when it comes to bringing together the myriad pieces of the post-Endgame world. Will audiences head to theaters for a film anchored by Florence Pugh and David Harbour’s Black Widow characters, the villain from the second Ant-Man film and Wyatt Russell’s character from a Disney+ series?

The Last of Us

HBO released a hopeful and happy trailer for the second season of The Last of Us this past week.

Oh wait. I have that wrong.

Dread. The trailer is full of dread and doom.

Fans of the acclaimed series have been waiting patiently for Season 2. It’s coming. And it looks like it’s going to hurt.

1 ARTICLE YOU NEED TO READ

Who Owns Tanis’s Secrets? Paleontology’s Biggest Controversy

The Tanis dig site is a fascinating story. The paleontological find allegedly not only captures the deaths of an absurd number of creatures that died the day an asteroid hit Earth and ended the reign of the dinosaurs, it does so with a wealth of detail that scientists have never before seen. The problem? The person who control Tanis does so with a level of secrecy that ignores the usual protocol for this kind of discovery.

This piece from Kerry Howley took the story of Tanis a step further, dissecting a bitter rivalry between Robert DePalma and Melanie During. (New York Magazine)

CATCHING UP

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

Friday Newsletter

• The Wild Robot is an emotionally devastating masterpiece
• SNL unveils killer host lineup ... but Lorne Michaels hints at a grim future
• It’s time to scrap the live-action Moana remake
• ‘Larger and more toxic butterflies to come’: George R. R. Martin isn’t happy with Dragon changes

The Box Office Report

• It’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice … Beetlejuice as Transformers One opens at No. 2
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continues hex on box office
• It’s showtime for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with a $110M opening weekend
• Deadpool & Wolverine closes out summer on the cusp of $600M

Snackology

• I try to crack the mystery of Mountain Dew VooDew Zero Sugar
• Is Kelce Mix a fearless cereal? Or would Taylor Swift shake it off?
• Did I go bananas for McDonald’s Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry?
• I found the Oreo Coke Zero Slurpee. And it’s disappointing.
• Hey, you got Coca-Cola in my Oreos
• Kicking off Halloween with Pumpkin Pie M&Ms and Kit Kat Ghost Toast
• Yes, I bought four Mountain Dew Baja Blast Gelato cups from Taco Bell

And beyond

• Hoth Takes #54: Some of Grace’s Best Friends Are White Guys