If you can still recall going to a video rental store to take a look at the new VCR tape releases, it's probably time you settle down and have a family of your own. Kidding aside, Netflix's upcoming show will bring back a lot of memories of your childhood and teenage years.
The new show, called Blockbuster, pays homage to the memory of the '90s kids who would frequent a Blockbuster store on a Friday night to get their hands on the latest movie releases and hope to return the tape in time before having to pay a late penalty.
Here's what we know about the upcoming Blockbuster show:
When Is Blockbuster Coming Out on Netflix?
Back in November 2021, there were already reports that Netflix was working on a Blockbuster show. The project was officially confirmed by Netflix and Universal Television as a series created by Vanessa Ramos.
Shortly after being confirmed, filming commenced at the end of February 2022 and lasted until around May. And now, Netflix has announced that the release date of Blockbuster will be on Thursday, November 3, 2022 around 12:00 am PT/3:00 am ET.
When the show drops, all of the 10 episodes will be available to stream right away. Each episode lasts approximately 30 minutes.
What Is Blockbuster About?
The official synopsis from Netflix reads:
"Timmy Yoon (Randall Park) is an analog dreamer living in a 5G world. And after learning he is operating the last Blockbuster Video in America, Timmy and his staff employees (including his long-time crush, Eliza (Melissa Fumero) fight to stay relevant. The only way to succeed is to remind their community that they provide something big corporations can't: human connection."
In an interview with Deadline, Netflix's head of comedy, Tracey Pakosta, said:
"This is ultimately the story of a dedicated group of co-workers, with a lot of heart. And now, with the hilarious Randall Park signing on to play the lead, it's a no-brainer."
Does Netflix Own Blockbuster?
No, but at one point, Blockbuster had a chance to buy Netflix. News Week shared the co-founders of Netflix revealed that they offered the business to Blockbuster in 2000 for $50 million. Blockbuster denied the offer and missed out on the opportunity.
The CEO of Blockbuster denies that there were any serious discussions over the acquisition.
How Blockbuster Went Out of Business
To be fair, there were a number of factors that led Blockbuster to go out of business. The company simply had too much debt and were facing major changes in the industry. Not to mention, there were too many stores around the country. At one point, there were more than 5,600 Blockbuster physical stores. And with Netflix offering a better business model, it was the turning point for customers.
When this happened, Blockbuster shut down all 300 remaining corporate-owned stores as well as its DVD-by-mail program. This happened between November 2013 and January 2014.
Today, only one Blockbuster store continues to operate in Bend, Oregon.
Who’s Part of Blockbuster Cast?
The full list of cast members for Blockbuster include the following:
- Randall Park (as Timmy)
- Melissa Fumero (as Eliza)
- Tyler Alvarez (as Carlos)
- Madeleine Arthur (as Hannah)
- Olga Merediz (as Connie)
- JB Smoove (as Percy)
- Kamaia Fairburn (as Kayla)
- Ashley Alexander (as Mila)
- Robyn Bradley (as Miranda)
Is There a Blockbuster Trailer?
Netflix unveiled the official trailer for the upcoming comedy series on Friday, October 7. You can watch it here:
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