Poker Face Creator Rian Johnson Slams Hollywood's Recent Practice of Canceling Finished Projects
The streaming era has reached a critical time as it's becoming more and more common for shows and movies to be canceled despite having already been renewed or even completed their production on a project. Some shows are even being wiped from existence, and it looks like it could lead to another writers' strike in Hollywood. Recently, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director and Poker Face creator spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about these recent practices and expressed his concerns. Of course, Glass Onion was only released in theaters for a week before streaming exclusively on Netflix, and Poker Face is a Peacock exclusive, so Johnson is no stranger to the wide world of streaming.
"It's been horrifying," Johnson told THR. "The fact that it's becoming common practice is terrible and adds to the awfulness. In the history of the business, there has been a constant evolution of horrible things."
What Have Other Showrunners Said About the Current State of Streaming?
Earlier this week, some creatives took part in a panel hosted by the Writers Guild of America in New York (via Deadline). One person to comment on the current era of streaming was Tony Gilroy, who is the showrunner of Disney+'s Andor series.
"We're in a total free-form right now. I don't think anything matters whatsoever," Gilroy explained. "I think what's happening right now is not just happening on the screen or on the page or in this room. I think it's happening in business as well, which we're all going to be at the meeting – you know, the strike and everything – I think it's absolute and utter chaos right now. I think anything goes. I don't think there are any rules. I think it's so frickin' exciting that it doesn't matter if you – two episodes, an episode and a half, five episodes, this, that, a play – it doesn't matter! I don't think there are any rules."
Is Poker Face Getting a Season 2?
While Johnson is right to express his concerns about the current state of streaming, it looks like Poker Face is safe for now. The new series premiered with the biggest streaming ratings in Peacock's history, so it's no surprise the streaming site has already renewed the series.
"Poker Face is one of those rare, undeniable shows that we all fell in love with from the start, but the critical acclaim and viewer response has been beyond our wildest dreams," Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement. "Working alongside the creative genius of Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, and Ram Bergman, along with our partners at MRC and T-Street, has been a spectacular ride, and we can't wait to hit the road for another season as we continue to build momentum across Peacock's originals slate."
Do you agree with Rian Johnson's statement about streaming? Tell us in the comments.