Sequels take starring role on TV: Follow-ons and adaptations the pick of the viewing bunch

In 2019, US writer-director Rian Johnson’s film Knives Out (TVNZ+) was one of the year’s best surprise hits. A murder-mystery told in an original way, with an exceptional cast, the film garnered acclaim from both critics and audiences. So, when Johnson announced in 2021 that Netflix had purchased the rights to two sequels, many people (myself included) were excited for what was to come. Finally, on 23 December last year, after a one-week limited-release in cinemas in November, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery became available on Netflix.

Leaving behind the setting of a Massachusetts mansion, Johnson’s latest whodunnit takes us to a Greek island, where tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) has invited his oldest friends, made up of politicians, internet celebrities and business partners, to partake in a murder-mystery party. The first mystery; who invited the worldrenowned detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig)? Before long, however, it becomes clear that not all of Bron’s friends may have the best of intentions, and the murder-mystery game becomes all too real.

Johnson’s sequel provides everything that made its predecessor great: a phenomenal cast, a punchy script, and enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning throughout the entire runtime.

Something else Netflix chose to keep in its back pocket until the end of December, was Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. This latest iteration of the classic story sees its titular wooden boy brought to life with stop-motion animation. As with most reinterpretations of existing stories, there are many familiar elements.

Geppetto, the puppet’s creator (David Bradley), Sebastian J Cricket, an insect tasked with serving as Pinocchio’s conscience (Ewan McGregor), and the blue fairy who gives life to Pinocchio (Tilda Swinton) are all present in del Toro’s film, but along with them comes a setting of early 20th century Italy, conversations on mortality, and an earnestness matched only by Pinocchio himself, as this film contains the same heart as everything del Toro commits himself to.

It’s also a passion that Netflix seems quite proud of as, along with the film, they released a half-hour documentary called Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the film, giving special insight into del Toro’s use of stop-motion.

So, with those final gems of 2022 behind us, let’s move on to 2023.

Some of last year’s heaviest hitters, such as House of the Dragon (Neon), Stranger Things (Netflix), and The Rings of Power (Prime Video) won’t be returning to our screens until 2024, but there will be plenty to keep viewers occupied until then.

First, if you are a fan of Rian Johnson’s forays into the mystery genre, then you will want to check out Poker Face (TVNZ+). Natasha Lyonne stars as Charlie Cale, a casino owner with an innate ability to know when people are lying. Charlie finds herself on the run, drifting from town-to-town, and using her unique talent to solve the mysteries she comes across. It’ll be interesting to see if Poker Face manages to rise Charlie to the ranks of the great sleuths.

Of course, if you’re a science-fiction fan, there’s possibly one name at the forefront of your mind, as Star Trek: Picard (Prime Video) returns for its third and final season on 16 February.

But Patrick Stewart won’t be farewelling his titular character alone. This season will see the return of the rest of Stewart’s castmates from The Next Generation (Netflix), reprising their roles as they band together to save the galaxy one last time.

Three may be the magic number this year, as the Star Wars series The Mandalorian (Disney+), with Pedro Pascal in the titular role, returns for its third season in March. However, if that’s too long to wait, you can already see Pascal’s latest starring role in The Last of Us (Neon).

Based on the critically acclaimed 2013 video game of the same name, The Last of Us follows Joel (Pascal), a survivor of an apocalyptic outbreak, as he is tasked with smuggling a special cargo across the US. The cargo in question is a young girl named Elle (Bella Ramsey), who may carry a cure for the virus that has ravaged the world. Once they leave the quarantine zone, however, the dangers they face are numerous. They must work hard to avoid threats posed by both the infection, and people left behind.

After years of mediocre to downright awful films, it looks like video-game adaptations may have finally found a home on our TV screens. After the success of action-packed fantasy, The Witcher (Netflix), and the promise shown by The Last of Us, we could soon be seeing studios regularly tap the wide range of stories provided by the video-game industry. Let’s just pretend that last year’s Resident Evil (Netflix) didn’t happen. True to form for a franchise about zombies, no matter how many times it falters, it just won’t stay dead.

On the topic of rising from the grave, this year, That 70s Show receives a long-awaited revival with That 90s Show (Netflix). This sitcom follows the daughter of two characters from the original show, as she spends the summer with her grandparents and does her best to connect with her peers, while making a few discoveries about her parents’ old hobbies.

And with that, I wish you a belated Happy New Year and hope that you will find 2023’s shows fulfilling. More choices are given in the panel.