Apple TV is following up Severance season two with an enormous bang, as the studio’s newest comedy series, ironically named The Studio, premieres on March 26th. The show stars comedy legend Seth Rogen, along with a brilliant supporting cast including Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Bryan Cranston and more. The Studio showcases Seth Rogen at his full potential, serving as a co-creator, executive producer, director, writer, and main lead of the series. Let’s dive into what Rogen’s latest comedic masterpiece is all about.
The Studio is a fun romp as we see behind the scenes of a fictional movie studio
Seth Rogen stars as the main lead, Matt Remick, the newly appointed studio head of the fictional movie studio Continental. As Continental Studios struggles to find new and inventive ways to bring in revenue, Matt is tasked with manufacturing what studio owner Griffen Mill (Bryan Cranston) calls “movies not films”. This sets Remick and his ridiculous team of executives, such as Sal Sapperstein (Ike Barinholtz), Quinn (Chase Sui Wonders), Maya (Kathryn Hahn), and Patty (Catherine O’Hara), on a hilarious season-long course to appease their corporate overlords.
The majority of the season is spent following Matt and his team while they work on assembling a bizarre film slate, in which they hope to produce the most revenue that Continental Studios has earned annually. Along the way, Rogen stuffs in as many brilliant celebrity guest stars as he can, showcasing his true longevity and reach across Hollywood.
This Seth Rogan led series is likely to be Apple TV’s next awards contender
To say the least, The Studio is both well written and directed, while also delivering award level comedic performances from top to bottom. Seth Rogen gives what might be the finest performance of his career, and one that is expected to be seriously well received among critics and award voters. Given the ten-episode length of the season, Rogen is provided ample time as a writer and director to fully flesh out these characters compared to the usual under two-hour comedy film run time. While some episodes can feel repetitive and repeat certain story beats numerous times, it never truly hinders the show’s ability to land comedic scenes and tell a well-rounded story.
Each supporting character gets their day in the sun as well. Both Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders are brilliant across the season. Barinholtz as Sal Sapperstein is the perfect comedic compliment to Rogen’s Remick, and provides the series with an iconic duo from the beginning. Chase Sui Wonders as Quinn is by far the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the series. Wonders comedically goes toe to toe with Rogen, Barinholtz, Hahn, O’Hara and the rest of this legendary cast while capably holding her own as a standout performance. The fifth episode showcases both Barinholtz and Wonders at the peak of their game, as the two deliver performances that feel worthy of supporting nominations in next year’s award season.
While seasoned veterans Hahn and O’Hara don’t see as much screen time as the trio of Rogen, Barinholtz, and Wonders, they still manage to provide quality performances. The most memorable of the two is Catherine O’Hara as Patty. O’Hara plays perfectly a seasoned Hollywood executive and producer, as she works subtle quirks and quips into her performance, making the character of Patty feel truly spot on. Hahn’s Maya can feel a bit over the top and distracting at times, as she tries to nail down the personality of a marketing executive who’s attempting to be hip and trendy. Nonetheless, Hahn always finds a way to make this character work, even in moments where the dialogue isn’t as strong as the rest of the characters.
The Studio pays homage to vintage eras of Hollywood and cinema
Beyond the performances, the show continues Apple TV’s trend of greenlighting quality content and well-written television. Not only is Rogen going to be an awards contender in acting, he’s going to be a serious contender in both the writing and directing categories as well. Both Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg direct all ten episodes of The Studio, and manage to give each episode its own authentic and original style and feel while paying homage to cinema and Hollywood.
One of the vintage directorial styles that Rogen and Goldberg go for in the series are long and kinetic one-takes from room to room that help to encapsulate the ongoing panic attack that is Matt Remick’s life. The lack of camera cutting helps hold the emotional weight of each scene, keeping the audience drawn in on the ongoing madness that frequently occurs throughout each episode. Whether it be for Remick, Sal, or Quinn, the emotional rollercoaster that each character goes through is captured in incredibly detailed camera work for each episode.
The visual creativity doesn’t stop there, as each episode finds new ways to inventively capture each scene as it moves from location to location. While it’s unknown if the series is shot on digital or film, the show features the vintage visual style of an old school grainy Hollywood production shot on 35mm. The Studio is one of the few series in recent memory that feels distinguished by its choice of camera work. Severance is another example that manages to capture a similar feeling, and just so happens to be another product of Apple TV.
The Studio, overall, should be a huge hit for Apple TV. Apple has continually made shows that are incredibly underrated and under the radar. Their latest hit Severance should hopefully boost other shows to more mainstream levels, including The Studio. Seth Rogen anchoring the series should also likely give the show a significant viewership boost, along with the endless list of talent he’s brought on to the series to contribute. The Studio is one of Apple TV’s finest entries yet, and should continue to lift Apple into being considered one of the higher quality streaming services available currently.
The Studio releases on Apple TV beginning March 26th. Are you excited about The Studio? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky!
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