Blockbuster – Photo: Netflix
Netflix and Universal Television are partnering Blockbuster: a new comedy series documenting the lives of the staff at the last remaining Blockbuster store in the United States. Here’s a rundown of everything we know about the new Randall Park-headlined series coming to Netflix in November 2022.
We first reported on the project in early November 2021, then it was officially confirmed by Netflix on November 17th. The series, created by Vanessa Ramos, will consist of 10 30-minute episodes.
In a press release to Deadline, Tracy Pacosta, who works as head of comedy at Netflix, said: “Ultimately, this is the story of a dedicated group of colleagues, with a lot of heart. And now that the hilarious Randall Park has joined to star, it’s a no-brainer.”
Since that initial announcement in November 2021, we’ve had a lot of news, including the release date, so let’s start with this:
All 10 episodes of Blockbuster arrive on Netflix on November 3, 2022.
Blockbuster. (Left to right) Olga Merediz as Connie, Melissa Fumero as Elisa in episode 104 of Blockbuster. Kr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
Who’s playing on Netflix’s Blockbuster series?
We have three waves of cast announced Blockbuster.
Randall Park was first confirmed to be involved. Then in mid-February 2022, we got word that Melissa Fumero had joined the cast, and the rest of the cast members were announced in March 2022.
Let’s run through all of them and who they’re playing below.
Blockbuster is an ensemble comedy and will have six main characters:
- Randall Park (known for Wandavision, Always be mine maybe and Fresh off the boat) will play Timmy, one of the main characters, who is described as a dreamer and movie lover.
Blockbuster. Randall Park as Timmy in episode 101 of Blockbuster. Kr. Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix © 2022
- Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will play Eliza, a wayward 40-year-old woman and devoted mother whose marriage to her high school sweetheart is on the rocks. She dropped out of Harvard after one semester to raise a family and now works at Blockbuster.
- Olga Merediz (In the Heights) will play Connie, described as a mother and working at Blockbuster because of the friends she made there and certainly not for the money.
- Tyler Alvarez (I have never had) will play Carlos, who is a young man in his early 20s and is described as a movie buff, which makes him seem like a snob.
- Madeleine Arthur (To all the boys I’ve loved before) will play Hannah, a young 20-year-old girl described as the girl next door.
- JB Smoove (Curb your enthusiasm) will play Percy, the shopping center and store owner. His daughter works at a Blockbuster store.
- Kamaya Fairburn (Overlord and Underwoods) will play Kayla, the youngest of the main cast members and is described as stylish and too cool for school.
Blockbuster Netflix Series Cast Grid (Pictured: Melissa Fumero, Olga Merediz, Tyler Alvarez, Madeline Arthur, JB Smoove, Kamaya Fairburn)
We know it in other places too Ashley Alexander, introduced in 2015 Love from the side will play Mila in the series.
robin bradley, who stars in The CW’s Super Girl, will appear as Miranda.
Who’s in the back Blockbuster on Netflix?
Vanessa Ramos helms the project for Universal and Netflix. Ramos has an impressive resume as a co-producer on Superstore as well as a writer on other NBC series such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Crashand Kenan. She has also served as a consulting producer for Netflix Big mouth series.
Pictured: Vanessa Ramos
The series is also written by David Caspe and Jackie Clarke. Kaspe is best known for his work on Kenan and black monday but also served as screenwriter for the Adam Sandler film, That’s my Boy.
Jon Davis will serve as executive producer under his Davis Entertainment banner. David Entertainment is working on Val and My name is Dolemite for Netflix.
Jackie Clarke, David Caspe, John Fox and Vanessa Ramos will serve as executive producers, with Bridger Weinger and Robert Petrovich serving as co-executive producers.
Pictured (L-R): Payman Benz, Aleysa Young, Katie Locke O’Brien
Deadline revealed this on February 10 Payman Benz is on board to direct four episodes of the series (Episodes 1, 2, 7 and 8). The director worked on AP Bio, Brooklyn Nine-Nineand directed episodes of the upcoming HBO Max series Time to Win: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
We can reveal that too Aleisa Young who worked on the likes of Working mothers, Ginny and Georgiaand Kim’s convenience will direct in Season 1.
Catherine Locke O’Brien also became involved in directing episodes in season 1. O’Brien directed episodes of AP Bio, Kenan, Saved by the bell, and Ghosts.
What is Blockbuster on Netflix will it be about?
According to numerous descriptions, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the show.
In a world of constantly available on-demand content, a group of nostalgic workers and their small-town community come together to try to save the world’s last Blockbuster Video store. The series explores what it takes—and more specifically, who it takes—for a small business to succeed against all odds in a dying industry, in a dying mall, in a dying city.
The show is comparable to the likes of Superstore as well as Parks and recreation areas and The office they are all big successes for NBC.
The series will reportedly provide an “authentic experience” in the memory, with the production acquiring the rights to be able to use the official Blockbuster logo and store uniforms during production.
Blockbuster set – Photo: Rick Page on the set of Blockbuster
The Netflix story with blockbuster video
Netflix and Blockbuster have a remarkable history given at one point in history, Blockbuster was given the chance to buy Netflix.
The two companies started out as video rental companies, but with the key difference that Netflix was an online business and Blockbuster was a brick-and-mortar business. Of course, Netflix eventually had to move away from DVDs (although the DVD rental business still operates in the US) to streaming video. After that, he had to turn again not only to streaming, but also to becoming a content producer.
Blockbuster’s downfall began back in the mid-2000s after it had over 5,600 stores in the US alone. Fast forward to today, there is only one still operating in Bend, Oregon.
Blockbuster stores over 30 years:pic.twitter.com/rDfiO07525
— Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) April 17, 2021
Where is Netflix’s Blockbuster series in production?
Production on the new series began in late February 2022. Filming is taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, specifically at Manitoba Street Studios.
According to production listings seen by What’s on Netflix, production is set to run until May 2, 2022.
Melissa Fumero confirmed that production on the series “almost” wrapped on May 2 with an Instagram story.
To prepare for the new series, it is worth watching The latest blockbuster which arrived on Netflix in Canada and the United States in April 2021. The doc features interviews with Adam Brody, Kevin Smith, Yone Skye, Jamie Kennedy, Brian Potion, Sam Levine, Paul Scheer and James Arnold Taylor and is narrated by Lauren Lapkus.
Finally, if you are a Twitter user, we would recommend you to follow a new account called “Blockbuster news and updates” which tracks all things Blockbuster!
Are you excited about Blockbuster coming to netflix soon? Let us know in the comments.