New ‘Squid Game' Season Breaks Netflix Records in Win for Korea
The final season of the dystopian thriller logged more than 60 million views in its first three days — the biggest debut in that time frame — and ranked No. 1 across all 93 countries with top 10 rankings, according to Netflix. That compares with the debut of the previous season, which drew 68 million views in the first four days.
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- Gizmodo
‘The Old Guard 2' Is a Tender Sophomore Stretched Thin by Sequel Syndrome
After years of production delays, Netflix and Skydance are finally poised to release The Old Guard 2, the Charlize Theron-led sequel to the 2020 adaptation of Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández's Image Comics series. Directed by Victoria Mahoney, the sequel reunites its immortal mercenary found family for another globe-trotting mission. Unfortunately, this time around, their greatest threat isn't its new immortal big bad and its long-awaited grudge match. It's the sequel's narrative inertia that's crushed under the weight of putting the cart before the horse to build a franchise. Set several years after the events of the first film, The Old Guard 2 finds Andy (Theron) reckoning with her newfound mortality. Alongside Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Andy's team now faces a formidable new threat in Discord, a shadowy figure played by Uma Thurman, who claims to be the world's first immortal. Wielding knowledge that could unravel the very fabric of their eternal existence, Discord aims to dismantle everything Andy and her comrades have fought for over centuries to safeguard humanity. In a bid to stop her, the team turns to an old comrade, Tuah (Henry Golding), hoping his insight into the mythos of their immortality will hold a key to ending Discord's plan. Understandably, the film presents itself as a blockbuster showdown between Theron and Thurman—a battle between two of Hollywood's legendary action heroines that reads like a pop-culture fan fiction come to life. However, their showdown, while serviceable, ultimately feels like the undercard, both in terms of spectacle and emotional weight. The real main event is the long-awaited reunion between Andy and Quynh (Veronica Ngô), her once-intimate comrade who spent centuries entombed in an iron maiden at the bottom of the sea and finds herself aligned with Discord. While Andy's confrontation with Discord brings sparks, it's her reconciling with Quynh's festering fury and unresolved emotional damage that ignites the film's most compelling tension—in the form of a vendetta five centuries in the making. The Old Guard 2's action sequences—ostensibly the franchise's calling card—are strangely limp this time around. Despite some inventive staging in its early goings, the film's momentum quickly fades, giving way to jittery editing and disjointed camera work that rob pivotal immortal-versus-immortal fights of their impact. The much-touted showdown between Theron and Thurman, along with the emotionally charged clash between Nile and Quynh, bears the brunt of this breakdown. Instead of crescendoing into operatic spectacle, these battles fumble with continuity lapses and what feels like competing takes that were either left in the editing bay or arbitrarily stitched together. The film's entire final act, rather than delivering catharsis, plays like a placeholder for whatever might come next—an unfinished bridge to a sequel that's still a pitch rather than a promise. And therein lies The Old Guard 2's biggest flaw: it's too preoccupied with laying track for a hypothetical third chapter to finish the one it's actually telling. Instead of delivering a fully realized, emotionally satisfying sequel, the film plays like a feature-length prologue that constantly signals its meditative importance without doing the necessary groundwork to earn it. Subplots, such as the friction between Nicky and Joe or the reintroduction of excommunicated team member Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), function less as meaningful drama and more as artificial bloat, highlighting the film's uneven narrative urgency. Even the film's most promising emotional arc with Andy and Quynh's fraught reunion, which simmers with centuries of silence, betrayal, and unresolved longing as a proverbial layup for the sequel to slam dunk, hits like a technical free throw, hobbled by the inflated lore drops and aggressive sequel baiting that foul up the film's pacing. What could've been a tight, character-driven sequel instead dissolves into a middling bridge to a trilogy that laughably hasn't earned its next step despite how visibly proud the film is of its cliffhanger. What lingers after The Old Guard 2 are fragments of stronger ideas—moments of grisly body horror from its immortal brawls, inventive flashes of choreography, and themes of mortality, guilt, and redemption that shimmer faintly before drifting out of focus. The film seems too anxious to complete a thought before pivoting to unravel and undo the previous film's climax, all in service of constructing a grander narrative that never actually materializes in its presentation. Long before the credits roll, it's painfully clear the film has no intention of delivering any semblance of resolution found in its final act, but a rough sketch of what the film aspired to be is tucked away in what's either studio exec meddling or, worse yet, a script that failed to rise to the occasion. In its eagerness to pave the way for what comes next, The Old Guard 2 forgets to finish the act it's in, leaving fans parsing microexpressions, filling story gaps with headcanon, and wondering whether the real climax got lost in edits or outsourced to fix-it fanfiction. The Old Guard 2 streams on Netflix on July 2. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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Elon Musk Wants You To Stream Rocket Launches: Here's How To Get 'Breathtaking Live Views Of Earth'
NASA and streaming giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) announced a new partnership Monday that could give viewers more options to see live rocket launches, including those from Elon Musk's SpaceX. What Happened: NASA announced Monday that its NASA+ live programming will be made available on Netflix, creating a bigger spotlight for the space sector. "The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience," NASA+ general manager Rebecca Sirmons said. Trending: GoSun's Breakthrough Rooftop EV Charger Already Has 2,000+ Units Reserved — Sirmons said NASA and Netflix are committed to a "Golden Age of Innovation and Expansion" that could inspire new generations. The new content will consist of streaming live rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, "breathtaking live views of Earth" from the International Space Station and space mission coverage. Musk shared news on the partnership, retweeting both a NASA tweet and a Netflix tweet on the same topic. SpaceX remains one of the largest space companies and has completed the most rocket launches in 2025, making it the only U.S. company currently capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space It's Important: The partnership with Netflix could put NASA content in front of millions more people worldwide. A press release stated that Netflix has a global audience of over 700 million people. NASA hopes the partnership will help bring excitement to space exploration in the future. While Netflix users will have access to the new NASA programming, users outside the platform will also be able to view the content for free in other places. "Our NASA+ streams and live events will continue to be available on as well as our YouTube channel and other social platforms," NASA tweeted. With ambitious plans to send people to Mars in the future, Musk's SpaceX could become a key to space-related content used by NASA and Netflix. Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends Image created using photos from Shutterstock. Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Elon Musk Wants You To Stream Rocket Launches: Here's How To Get 'Breathtaking Live Views Of Earth' originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Netflix's 'Squid Game' Ends... Or Does It?
A third and final season of "Squid Game" recently premiered on Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX). While the series may conclude the storyline of lead character Seong Gi-hun, viewers also saw a cameo appearance by an Academy Award winner that could set up a U.S. version of the show and hint at future spinoffs. What Happened: Streaming success for Netflix will live on with or without "Squid Game," but viewers and shareholders likely can't help but question what comes next. Series director and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has confirmed that the original series for "Squid Game" is done and there will not be a season four. Trending: Tired of Grid Failures and Charging Deserts? This Startup Has a Solar Fix and $25M+ in Sales — Without spoiling too much of the series 3 plot for readers who have not watched the newest season, the storyline for Gi-hun reaches its conclusion, with an ending that Hwang originally didn't plan on using. While Gi-hun may not be used in any spinoffs, in today's age of hit television series and movies, fans know that there can be spinoffs and origin stories to further advance a series. Outside of Gi-hun there are other characters like Front Man and a baby that plays a key role in the series 3 plot that could also be featured in spinoffs and origin stories. Viewers of the final episode of "Squid Game" were likely most surprised to see Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett playing a potential recruiter for "Squid Game" in the United States. Blanchett is seen dressed similar to the recruiter of the "Squid Game" series and playing ddakji. Why It's Important: Hwang has not shied away from the demands of making the three seasons of "Squid Game." "This is something that has completely consumed me," Hwang said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix has not confirmed any spinoffs or remakes, which leaves fans at a standstill and creates even more question marks with the surprise cameo of Blanchett in the final episode. After previously being interested in creating spinoffs about the gap between season one and two or on the backstories of players and guards, Hwang seems to feel content with everything being completed. "I think the story ended in a manner where it doesn't need a further story to be told. So I am not too interested in telling a story that continues with the conclusion," Hwang said. The director said if he did do a spinoff, it would be on the time gap between seasons one and appearance of Blanchett and previous reports that David Fincher was making a U.S. version of "Squid Game" have amplified rumors of a potential American version of the show. Blanchett previously starred in Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Without a U.S. version of the show, Blanchett's appearance would serve as just a potential plot point, highlighting the existence of other versions of the games around the world. With Hwang ready to move on beyond "Squid Game," the question is whether he will give his blessing for others to work with his plot and characters, and how much content Netflix can derive from this valuable intellectual property. A reality game show and mobile game have also been part of the "Squid Game" universe, along with live events and experiences from the streaming giant. Hundreds of millions of households around the world watched the first season in its first month of release, with Netflix reporting a record of 1.65 billion hours of the series streamed during its first four weeks. Still ranking as Netflix's most-watched series, the first season has more than 265 million viewers with over 2.2 billion hours watched. Season two of "Squid Game" had 68 million viewers during its first week, setting a new Netflix premiere record. Later this week, we'll find out how many people watched episodes from season three in its premiere week. Fans of "Squid Game" and Netflix shareholders aren't ready to say goodbye to the series or characters yet, and Hwang may face the difficult decision of ending the series for good or passing the torch to others. Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Photo: Rokas Tenys / Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Netflix's 'Squid Game' Ends... Or Does It? originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
