When the curtain falls
Netflix cancels `Julie and the Phantoms'
When the curtain falls: Netflix's strategy of commissioning a series or season rather than a pilot, like networks do, has yielded an impressive amount of bingeworthy content, but that model also means there's a long list of shows that have been unceremoniously canceled after their freshman year. Sadly, the supernatural musical comedy “Julie and the Phantoms” is one of them.
Based on the Brazilian series “Julie e os Fantasmas,” Netflix's adaptation starred new talent Madison Reyes as the titular teen character, Julie Molina, who forms a band (and a close bond) with the ghosts of three dead rockers, played by Charlie Gillespie (“The Rest of Us,” 2019), Jeremy Shada (“Adventure Time”) and Owen Patrick Joyner (“Knight Squad”).
“Julie and the Phantoms” was fairly well received by viewers and critics, who praised the show's musical numbers. It won three Daytime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Original Song, Outstanding Costume Design for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program, and Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing), as well as an MTV Movie and TV Award for Best Musical Moment, but it seems even industry recognition couldn't convince Netflix to renew the series for a second season, leaving fans on a cliffhanger and with many unanswered questions about the group hug at the end of the finale.
While Netflix considered the show's fate, director-producer Kenny Ortega (“High School Musical,” 2006) did an interview with Digital Spy and explained the ending would be “answered very early on in the next season,” saying, “it was meant to leave you in some suspense and hopefully some intrigue — hopeful that something magical is occurring, and that it's not the end for these three characters.”
Alas, Ortega later confirmed the series' cancelation on Instagram, where he thanked “our Fantoms all over the world” for “the tremendous outpouring of love and support you have shown us.” Adding, “Although our hearts are saddened, we move on with such pride for what we accomplished as a team and the family we built while creating `Julie.'”
TV `Pilgrim': Great news for fans of the 2010 film “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and the graphic novels it was based on: It seems creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has teamed up with “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” showrunner BenDavid Grabinski to develop an anime-style TV adaptation that may be “coming soon” (ish) to Netflix.
Netflix hasn't actually handed the project a full series order, but the streamer and Universal Content Production, the production company behind “The Umbrella Academy,” are definitely involved. So is executive producer Edgar Wright, who both directed and penned the screenplay for the 2010 film, as well as co-writer Michael Bacall.
The adventures of the bass-playing, evil ex-defeating slacker from Toronto played out in six graphic novels published between 2004 and 2010 by Oni Press. It was an indie comic hit, and despite a disappointing box office performance, the 2010 film adaptation starring Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Fargo”) is now regarded as a modern cult classic with a huge following — the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences even hosted a watch party in honor of the film's 10th anniversary.
With this TV adaptation, the anime format offers a nice nod to the various manga that influenced O`Malley's graphic novels, but Canadian animators who were hoping to get their shot at bringing this set-in-Toronto story to life will be disappointed: Tokyobased Science SARU has been tapped to animate the series once Netflix gives the greenlight, while Spanish animator Abel Góngora (“Star Wars: Visions”), who heads the studio's digital animation department, will direct.
No Bones: He's been an in-house mentor since 2018, but when “American Idol” kicks off its 20th season on Feb. 27, it will likely do so without Bobby Bones' involvement.
Bones, whose real name is Bobby Estell, seemingly beat ABC to the punch by revealing his (surprise) exit from the hit competition show in an Instagram story. In a now-expired post (such is the nature of the Instagram story), the host of “The Bobby Bones Show” and “Grand Ole Opry” was responding to a fan's question about why he was in Costa Rica, explaining it was tied to an upcoming project: “As soon as I can say, I will. The [n]etwork hasn't even announced the show yet. So I'm going to chill for a bit. But it's a really good show.”
He continued: “And some of you noticed, I'm not in the Idol promos this season. My contract w[ith] my new network won't let me do another show right now. Love Idol, btw. Was a great 4 years.”
The radio personality and “Dancing With the Stars” winner first joined ABC's revival of “American Idol” as a guest mentor for Season 16 and was bumped up to full-time status the following season. Hopeful fans will recall Bones' name was also conspicuously absent from ABC's news release announcing Season 19, though he did, in fact, return for that season — albeit in a significantly smaller role due to his involvement with his National Geographic series, “Breaking Bobby Bones.”
That series fell under his exclusive overall TV development deal with BBC Studios' Los Angeles Productions, and the collaboration is likely behind Bones' new yet-to-be-announced show, too.