This just in: The STW Daily News Round-Up featuring all the news that’s fit to (digitally) print for Wednesday, July 27, 2022. In a surprise announcement, Netflix gives The Gray Man a shot at a cinematic universe, and Amazon Prime Video’s new user interface begins to appear on newer streaming devices.
Netflix greenlights a sequel to The Gray Man
Despite receiving mediocre reviews from critics (The Gray Man sits at 44% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences have praised the film, which sits at a 92% favorable rating among non-critics.
“What a surprise! Based on the reviews I had low expectations, I usually don’t like these “action” movies but I was pleasantly wrong. This movie had great acting and an actual story that kept me interested. I was thoroughly entertained. A big thumbs up!!!”
A quick peek at other reviews by viewers summed it up pretty well.
“Great Action Movie. Hope they will make a sequel. Ryan Gosling was terrific as well as the rest of the cast!”
Well, turns out they are.
On Tuesday it was announced that Netflix had given the thumbs up to a sequel and The Verge reported later in the day that there was also a spin-off planned, laying the groundwork for a potential cinematic universe for the spy thriller.
According to reports, Ryan Gosling and directors Joe and Anthony Russo are set to return to help Netflix turn The Gray Man into a budding movie franchise.
Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool & Deadpool 2) will serve as writers.
The Gray Man is streaming this weekend on Netflix.
Amazon gives Prime TV a redesign
A little over a week ago it was reported that Amazon was giving Prime TV a facelift and we finally got a glimpse of what the new design looks like on Tuesday.
In addition to a more intuitive user experience, which Amazon has said was to place emphasis on its large content library, the streamer seems to have adopted what is slowly becoming an industry-standard design, with its navigation menu set to the left and individual tiles incorporating an interactive feature that allows user to hover over content to learn more rather than having to load the title’s landing page.
Major changes include an improved and simplified navigation menu, new and improved carousels, cues to convey free vs. paid content, a “Find” page, and a dedicated page for live tv and sports.
Unfortunately, the redesign has thus far only appeared on higher-end streaming devices – we looked for it on the mobile app (Apple), an older Roku television, and the site itself – goose eggs. However, we expect it to begin popping up anywhere Prime Video is supported, so be sure your app is up-to-date for a new and improved streaming experience.