From the exciting world that preceded Harry Potter to the return of crowd favourites Stranger Things and Squid Game
That art must be endlessly (and safely) created regardless of a raging pandemic has been affirmed and reaffirmed over the past two years. Now, more than ever, we’ve discovered anew the fact that stories give us meaning, shape our days and heal us when everything else seems bleak.
The Ranveer Singh-starrer 83 promised to break the lull but the third wave played spoilsport with its box office numbers, even though the film was widely well-received. And it is no surprise that the theatrical release date of films such as RRR keep getting pushed indefinitely. Even though the big screens might not be gracing us universally, the year ahead is filled with stories on streaming platforms that will not hold back and promise to take us to newer, bolder worlds.
These films and shows, some of them in the limbo for years now, are finally scheduled to release this year in what looks like a line-up we haven’t seen in a while. Apart from the return of crowd favourites, there are some big-ticket projects too.
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1/10
Rudra: The Edge of Darkness —
Disney+ Hotstar
Ajay Devgn is all set to make his OTT debut with this Indian adaptation of Luther. The series will mark the comeback of Esha Deol and also features Raashi Khanna, Atul Kulkarni and Ashish Vidyarthi. In the original BBC show, we saw Idris Elba portraying a detective cop who develops a complicated, even hypnotic relationship with the crimes he has to deal with and solve.
2/10
Knives Out 2 — Netflix
Perhaps one of Netflix’s most expensive acquisitions till date ($469 million), the sequel of this much praised detective thriller that actually turned the detective genre on its head will finally release this year. With an ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig and consisting of Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, and Ethan Hawke among others, the film will deal with a new crime at the heart of it all with the usual wisecracks by Craig thrown in for good measure.
3/10
Asur S2 — Voot
In many ways the flagship show of Voot, the shooting for the much-awaited second season was wrapped up recently. The first season of the show dealt with the murky worlds of blind faith, superstition, ritual killings and an inexplicable serial killer at the heart of it all against the backdrop of the mystical city of Varanasi. In the second season, the stakes are only higher.
4/10
Blonde — Netflix
The life of Marilyn Monroe has been the subject of constant fascination across the ages. History, for the large part, has been kind to the actor who was widely seen as a symbol of reckless abandon, freedom even and one who wouldn’t be tamed by the societal diktat. For this film based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates of the same name, Ana de Armas will star as Monroe; while Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson will appear in supporting roles.
5/10
Squid Game S2 — Netflix
Only a few weeks ago , the Netflix CEO officially confirmed the return of the hit Korean TV show that had taken the world by the storm. According to Netflix, the show has “only begun” as far as Squid Game is concerned. If the last scene from the last episode is anything to go by, the troubles for our hero only seem to get multiplied.
6/10
Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore — Amazon Prime Video
The dark influence of Gellert Grindelwald is growing across the known wizardry world and Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the harms all too well. So naturally, we will see him mount an army of ingenious wizards and witches to fight the dark forces. From a screenplay co-written by now controversial author J.K. Rowling, the magical world returns and we’re here for it.
7/10
Made in Heaven S2 — Amazon Prime Video
The production schedule of the show recently wrapped up, going by lead actor Arjun Mathur’s picture with the cast and crew recently posted on social media. The first season boldly explored many social ills still plaguing India through the lenses of marriage— from casteism, queer guilt, class wars to dowry. In the second season, the range is even broader with newer marriages revealing deeper cracks within and beyond Indian society.
8/10
Stranger Things S4 — Netflix
The third season of the show ended with a harrowing vision of a particularly beloved character quite literally breaking bricks in the middle of nowhere in the Kamchatka province of Russia. Going by the episode titles on IMDb, we could potentially witness another full-blown war, old and new loyalties crashing and the makings of another love story.
9/10
Bridgerton S2 — Netflix
For the longest time, Netflix’s most viewed show after it was dethroned by the juggernaut that was Squid Game, the second season will be released worldwide on March 25. Original cast members such as Jonathan Bailey and Phoebe Dynevor reprise their roles. Simone Ashley is joining the cast as Kate Sharma, Anthony Bridgerton's new love interest. Skilfully blending passion, the lies around the British monarchy and the price of love itself — the second season looks poised to deliver on all fronts.
10/10
Indian Predator — Netflix
The widespread success of Netflix’s docu series House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths proved that the appetite of Indian viewers for real crime stories that are at the intersection of societal evils such as patriarchy and blind faith has only increased over the years. In this upcoming Netflix show, we will again see dramatic retelling of real-life crimes that jolted us and made us rethink our ideas of what’s truly human.