On Saturday May 31st, Netflix brought their signature style (and sound) to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles with TUDUM. There were a bevy of announcements to sift through, and now that the adrenaline has worn off, we’re reflecting on some highlights of the day.
“Frankenstein“
Any fan of Guillermo del Toro will know that “Frankenstein” is a deeply influential story for one of the most imaginative directors around. The vibe in the room was electric when del Toro and stars Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth took the TUDUM stage to introduce the teaser trailer. You could feel del Toro’s giddiness at the opportunity to present a glimpse of his opus to an audience in person.
Now that we’ve had the opportunity to scrub through the teaser 100000x here’s what we’re most excited for. Isaac is already giving layers of madness as Victor Frankenstein. We get a several glimpses of him in various stages of sanity, and all are serving hardcore (Mary) Shelly vibes. While we only get a brief glimpse of Goth as a veiled woman we’re fine with some secrets being left for when we see the actual film.
As for the monster, we already knew Jacob Elordi was bringing the role to life, and though much like Goth’s character we were only given a few moments with him he certainly made an impact. While we dont’ get to see even a hint of the creature’s face we do get to witness him go full vengeance seeking mode. Also this monster ain’t afraid of no fire.
There are flashes of imagery evocative of del Toro’s signature style, a burning masked figure here, a gorgeous desolate landscape there. All of which has us beyond hyped to see this piece so many years in the making.
We’re certainly counting down the days until November 2025.
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery“
Who has two thumbs and loves a whodunit? We do! Returning for a third case to crack is Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”. Writer / director Rian Johnson took to the TUDUM stage with yet another spectacular ensemble of actors joining the franchise. In a reveal bit (that probably actually played even better in the room than it did on the stream) performers emerged from various parts of the Kia Forum to reveal themselves.
Craig, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington, Cailee Spaeny, and Daryl McCormack were all met with thunderous applause. It probably didn’t hurt that several had t-shirt cannons and were distributing swag into the crowd. When Jeremy Renner was revealed he received a standing ovation in the room, looking hearty and hale.
Glenn Close had to dial her bit in but given the number of f-bombs she dropped we’re pretty sure no one else on the cast would’ve been able to keep a straight face and stick to the teleprompter if she’d been in person.
While we didn’t get a chance to see any footage we did get a release date. “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” will hit Netflix on December 12, 2025.
“Wednesday“
The showstopper (and closer) of the evening was season 2 of “Wednesday.” Audiences both in person and online were treated to the first six minutes of the sophomore season. Our titular hero, played still by Jenna Ortega, will be on the hunt for a doll-obsessed serial killer. Haley Joel Osmet joins the cast as Chet, the main suspect (but nothing is ever as it seems so who knows if he’s just a red herring).
What drew the most applause and excitement of the evening was the announcement that the Monster Queen herself, Lady Gaga, will be joining the cast. She’ll be playing Nevermore teacher Rosaline Rotwood.
Gaga then proceeded to take the stage in an exhilarating performance that was truly a logistical masterpiece. She medleyed “Zombieboy,” “The Addams Family” theme song, “Bloody Mary,” and “Abracadabra.” She even adjusted her signature choreography to pay tribute to the now viral dance Ortega performed on season one.
While there were a ton of additional announcements (you can catch up here), these were the three that have been living rent free in our brains since. That and Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”
Netflix subscribers can stream the TUDUM 2025 event here.
