Cordkillers 552: Weekly Dose of Marination
HBO defends its weekly release model as a better cultural conversation driver than binge drops. Meanwhile, Marvel delays its Avengers sequels, YouTube dominates TV viewing time, and Netflix starts phasing out support for old Fire TV devices.
This week on The FULL Experience: Andor (102 - "That Would Be Me")
Next week: Andor (212 - "Jedha, Kyber, Erso")
YouTube: https://youtu.be/qgnruJ8ZBCo
Top Stories:
HBO defends its weekly release model as a better cultural conversation driver than binge drops. Meanwhile, Marvel delays its Avengers sequels, YouTube dominates TV viewing time, and Netflix starts phasing out support for old Fire TV devices.
Supply Run
Weekly vs. Batch TV Releases:
HBO’s Casey Bloys is doubling down on weekly releases for Max, citing cultural resonance and budget constraints. The approach, used successfully on shows like Succession and Euphoria, encourages ongoing buzz and engagement.
Search Party
Marvel Release Shuffle:
Marvel pushes back Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars to December 2026 and 2027, respectively.
New Cast for Harry Potter Series:
Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout are set to portray the iconic trio in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot.
Yellowjackets Season 4 Confirmed:
Showtime has renewed Yellowjackets for a fourth season, which might be its second-to-last.
Pixar’s New Toy:
Conan O’Brien will voice a character named Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5, hitting theaters June 2026.
Wheel of Time Ends at Amazon:
Amazon’s live-action Wheel of Time series is ending after three seasons due to production costs.
Upcoming Releases:
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The Dog Stars (Ridley Scott) – March 27, 2026
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The Devil Wears Prada 2 – May 1, 2026
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Avatar: The Way of Water re-release – October 3, 2025
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Avatar: Fire and Ash – December 19, 2025
Buried Treasure
Brian’s Picks: The Studio Finale, Hacks, Murderbot
Tom’s Pick: Tastefully Yours on Netflix
Got a hidden gem? Email us at cordkillers@gmail.com
Scanning the Horizon
YouTube Rules TV Time:
For the third month running, YouTube leads all platforms with 12.4% of total TV viewership—beating Disney, Netflix, and others.
Box Office Showdowns:
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Lilo & Stitch had the year’s second-biggest global opening at $313M
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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning earned a franchise-best $63M domestic
Lionsgate Posts Big Gains:
Post-Starz split, Lionsgate’s profits soared thanks to Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and Flight Risk.
Disney’s Cricket-Powered Surge:
JioHotstar added 230 million subscribers in 3 months, riding the wave of IPL cricket viewership. It now trails Netflix by just 20 million.
Netflix Ends Support for Old Fire TVs:
Netflix will stop working on 1st-gen Amazon Fire TV devices starting June 3. Some users may qualify for upgrade discounts.
Chatter
Keith (FlocktimusPrime):
Reflected on the limitations of the FULL Experience format when applied to a series like Andor, suggesting that some story arcs—like Narkina 5—are too critical to skip.
Andrew:
Shared thoughts on why ad-supported streaming is tolerable for many users: multitasking habits and the ever-present temptation of checking phones.