The Studio Pulls Back The Curtains Of Tinseltown, Offering A Satirical Glimpse At Hollywood’s Elite
From the creative minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comes The Studio, a new Apple TV+ series that brings viewers behind-the-scenes of the world of Hollywood and moviemaking magic.
Rogen plays Matt Remick, the new head of Continental Studios who struggles to balance his corporate obligations with his passion for making “art.” Alongside Rogen is Catherine O’Hara as Matt’s recently fired boss and mentor Patty, Ike Barinholtz as his party-hardy VP best friend Sal, Kathryn Hahn as the aggressively hip head of marketing Maya, and Chase Sui Wonders as their ambitious colleague.
With a cringe-inducing earnestness, Matt aspires to be the “most talent-friendly studio executive in all of Hollywood” as he inserts himself onto film sets to the point of disrupting production or desperately pushes to be thanked in acceptance speeches. While Matt sees himself as an auteur — one who could transform a Kool-Aid movie from a commercial cash grab into a meaningful artistic statement — the filmmakers humor him as a means to get what they want.
From its visuals to its self-referential commentary, the attention to detail in The Studio is impressive. The show explores a tug of war between New and Old Hollywood, using a 70s color palette and vintage style to highlight Matt’s nostalgic fantasies versus his modern challenges. Each episode features lengthy, sweeping shots that add to the chaos Matt is dealing with. There are meta parallels that blur the lines between the corporate drama and the projects being produced. A chapter centered around a detective noir film finds Matt playing detective to uncover who stole a missing reel, while a pretentious final act of an Oscar bait film is mirrored at the end of another episode. A particularly compelling storyline finds the corporate team driving themselves crazy trying to cast the “right” mix of ethnicities for a blockbuster… only to find themselves in hot water for AI instead.
Then there’s the cameos! Everyone from award-winning directors to prolific actors appear as exaggerated versions of themselves in the series, including Martin Scorsese, Zac Efron, Zoë Kravitz, Ron Howard, Greta Lee, and Olivia Wilde. It’s a testament to the good will Rogen has built over his career to be able to get so many A-listers to appear in the series.
The Studio pulls back the curtains of Tinseltown, offering a satirical glimpse at Hollywood’s elite. You don’t know whether to root for Matt and his colleagues or cover your eyes over the messes they get into. With witty commentary and biting charm, this is clearly a show by cinephiles who have something to say and aren’t afraid to poke fun at the industry they love.
The Studio premieres March 26 on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday.
