Long ago, back when we had to physically go after the movies we wanted to watch at home, Blockbuster used to be the go-to video store that housed virtually every title you could want. Ironically, now that the mega video store is gone, Netflix – its former competition – will get to celebrate the brand’s legacy in a comedy series. Blockbuster is in the works at the streamer, and a first-look image has been released to hype up audiences with a heavy dose of nostalgia.
The image shows Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Randall Park (WandaVision) as happy Blockbuster employees holding up the DVD cases we used to take home during the late 90s and early double-aughts. Posters on the windows announce “the end of late fees”, one of the things that helped make Blockbuster incredibly popular. The series will take place at a critical moment in the brand’s history — the story centers around the very last Blockbuster store in America, and what measures could be taken in order to make it survive against the tidal wave of digital content coming its way.
The series is created, written, and executive produced by Vanessa Ramos (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), David Caspe (Happy Endings, Black Monday), and Jackie Clarke (Superstore, Happy Endings). Considering the trio of showrunners’ previous experiences is safe to say that Blockbuster will be a workplace comedy with a touch of absurdity and a lot of nostalgia for the simpler, streaming-free era that most of us lived through.
Aside from Fumero and Park, the comedy series' ensemble cast also features Tyler Alvarez (American Vandal), Madeleine Arthur (To All the Boys trilogy), Olga Merediz (In the Heights), JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Kamaia Fairburn (Holly Hobbie).
The cast will give a little taste of their dynamic during the upcoming comedy festival Netflix Is a Joke. During a panel to promote Blockbuster, Park, Fumero, Smoove, and Alvarez will face off against each other in a Movie Trivia Happy Hour. The free event will take place outdoors at the Hollywood Palladium. The series’ cast will get to show off their knowledge about the movie world in funny and entertaining ways. The festival will also feature table reads, concerts, and the participation of a huge slate of comedians and actors.
Netflix is yet to reveal further details about Blockbuster, including a release window and trailer.
You can check out a short official synopsis below:
An ensemble comedy that takes place in the last Blockbuster Video in America, that explores what it takes – and more specifically who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.