Not many people are talking about this amazing series: The White Lotus! The series is considered one of the best shows of the past few years. This brilliant, layered satire on the super-rich is uncomfortable, hilarious, and an absolute must-see that you should not miss.

The series unexpectedly emerged during the pandemic. Creator Mike White wanted to film a "COVID-bubble" production at one location. What began as a miniseries of six episodes grew into a critically acclaimed anthology series thanks to its immense success.

Now Three Seasons

Season 1 (Hawaii) and 2 (Sicily) follow wealthy people at a luxury resort. Behind the perfect facade lurk tensions, hypocrisy, and privilege. The series provides a razor-sharp, darkly comedic analysis of the 'one percent' and their blind spots.

The long-awaited third season shifts the setting to Thailand. This season is also a satirical look, this time about spirituality, Eastern religion, and death. Of course, it features a new, impressive cast at the luxury resort, along with some familiar faces from the earlier seasons.

Now Three Seasons

Good news for fans: season 4 has been officially confirmed by HBO Max. The new season will take place in Paris and the French Riviera. You can watch the first three seasons of The White Lotus, winner of 15 Emmy Awards, exclusively on HBO Max. There are a total of 21 episodes.

Less than a week after its launch, IT: Welcome to Derry has turned into a global phenomenon. The horror series from HBO Max, based on the universe of Stephen King, has been available for three days and is already topping the list of most-watched HBO series in 57 countries, including the Netherlands. Fans and newcomers are eagerly diving into the origins of the evil that once plagued the town of Derry.

The series begins with a relentless first episode that builds palpable fear. Welcome to Derry takes place in 1962 and explores the events leading up to King’s well-known story about Pennywise. The creators, Andy Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, loosely based the series on the “Interludes” from King’s book and establish new connections between the mythical entity and the town’s residents.

The Origin Of Evil

Bill Skarsgård steps back into the role of Pennywise, the demonic clown who also starred in the films released in 2017 and 2019. According to Muschietti, the idea for the prequel was born during the production of IT: Chapter Two. “We wanted to explore how the entity IT took on the form of the clown. There was a story there that needed to be told,” said the director.

Alongside Skarsgård, the cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso. The series not only explores the origin of Pennywise but also the way his presence influences Derry through generations.

Stephen King's Endorsement

King himself was closely involved in the development. According to co-creator Fuchs, the author had to approve almost every script. Eventually, King shared via Threads that he found Welcome to Derry “fantastic and terrifying.” For those who dare, a new episode awaits weekly on HBO Max.

October has been a disastrous month for the American film industry. According to Comscore, theaters in the US generated about $425 million at the box office. This amount falls far below expectations for October.

In fact, if you exclude the revenue of October 2020 (due to the pandemic), this is the lowest revenue for the month since 1997. The Hollywood Reporter summarizes it as follows: "We have not seen this in 27 years."

Flops

How did this happen? According to THR, there are several reasons for the low revenue. Firstly, the month saw several flops in American cinemas, such as the sci-fi epic Tron: Ares and The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson.

The Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere also disappointed. And even the successful The Black Phone 2, which has now earned $52 million in America, wasn't enough to make a significant impact.

Delayed Releases

Another reason for the dismal revenue is that Mortal Kombat II has recently been significantly delayed. The film was supposed to be the big blockbuster of the month, but will now only release next year.



What 'saved' the cinemas this month was twofold. Firstly, there was the success of The Life of a Showgirl featuring Taylor Swift. Secondly, several anime films were released, such as Chainsaw Man, which earned $18 million in its opening weekend.

Future Outlook

The big question now is how the rest of the year will pan out. Fortunately, analysts believe that several popular films are on the way, including The Running Man and Wicked: For Good. November will likely turn out to be a much better month.