It's an exciting month ahead on Netflix. There's Selection Day, the platform's second Indian original after Sacred Games, Alfonso Cuaron's Roma that's already generating Oscar buzz, a Sandra Bullock movie, and Ellen DeGeneres returns to stand-up. Here's a list of things to look forward to.
Selection Day (28th December)
Based on Aravind Adiga's novel of the same name, Selection Day is one of the 7 Indian TV series commissioned by Netflix earlier this year. It is a coming-of-age cricket drama about two brothers who are forced into the world of cricket by their strict and overbearing father. This TV series stars Mahesh Manjrekar, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Rajesh Tailang. "When I read Aravind Adiga's beautiful and brilliant book, I felt that this was a story that deserved a global stage," producer Anand Tucker, who is co-founder and CEO of Seven Stories, said. Selection Day has been produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7He5XaQKuc
Roma (14th December)
Alfonso Cuaron's Roma has already generated major Oscar buzz. It follows the life of a maid, Cleo, who works for a middle-class family in Mexico City in the 1970s. This black and white, Spanish language movie is inspired by Cuaron's personal life and the nanny he had as a child. "I ask that you give Roma a little bit of time," Cuaron told USA Today. "If you give it a tiny bit of patience, you'll have the most amazing, beautiful, emotional experience."
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (7th December)
This movie is based on Rudyard Kipling's collection of stories called All The Mowgli Stories. It follows the life Mowgli and how things get intense when he is forced to face the dangers of the jungle and confront his human origins. Director Andy Serkis has called this "a more emotionally truthful" iteration of Kipling's book. This movie has been in the making since 2014 and this year the rights were shifted from Walt Disney to Netflix. The film has an A-list cast featuring Rohan Chand, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale.
You (26th December)
You is a psychological thriller based on Caroline Kepnes's novel of the same name. It follows the story of Joe, who becomes obsessed with Guinevere, and stalks her on social media so as to tailor himself as the perfect man for her. This TV series stars Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, and Shay Mitchell. The show has a 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable (18th December)
Ellen DeGeneres is back to the stand-up comedy business after a 15-year hiatus. "I mentioned that I worked a lot over the summer. What I did was I went back to stand-up," DeGeneres told Huffington Post. "I just all of a sudden was like I miss stand-up, I want to do it." Ellen will be joining the list of other comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer who have also done Netflix specials in the past.
Bird Box (21st December)
Based on Eric Heisserer's debut novel of the same name, Bird Box is about a mother and her two children who strive to survive blindfolded in a world dominated by creatures. The children can't see the creatures because it could lead them to lose their minds and eventually kill themselves. The film stars Sandra Bullock and is directed by Susanne Bier. "It's a thriller about motherhood," Bier explains to Entertainment Weekly. "Malorie's (Bullock) very forceful, very uncompromising. She's a very contemporary female hero."
ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? (7th December)
This docu-series is based on the 2002 murder of Jason Mizell aka Jam Master Jay. He was a part of the hip-hop group called Run-DMC. He was killed at the age of 37 by assailants who entered his recording studio and opened fire. 16 years later, his murder continues to remain a mystery to the world.
Springsteen on Broadway (16th December)
This solo show of the rock legend features acoustic renditions of his songs, personal history and anecdotes from his life. "I wanted to know my story, your story, wherever we're going together as a people," he says in a clip from the show. "More than anything else, I wanted to be able to tell that story well to you."