Stuck In Development

In his followup to last year’s excellent Let Them All Talk, producer Steven Soderbergh attempted to create a modern, COVID-safe Oscars ceremony. While Carl and Eitan mostly appreciated this year’s changes, they spend this episode debating one question: what is the point of Hollywood’s biggest night when nobody is watching? In news this week, the two discuss the NHL’s new streaming deal, Sony’s pos...

Grab your vaccine passport and join Eitan and Carl on an unusually chaotic tour through the world of entertainment. In an episode recorded during the brief wondrous life of the European Super League, the two popcorn through a variety of topics: an apathy-inspiring Oscars race; rumblings of stagnation at Netflix; Sony’s blockbuster-based gaming IP strategy and the Sony-Netflix deal’s impact on Star...

With an announcement last week, Sony cemented their position as an “arms dealer” within Hollywood. Though both Carl and Eitan bristle at this description, the deal does establish Sony as a content free agent in a Hollywood increasingly focused on DTC streaming. Eitan and Carl debate the merits of Sony’s decision to shed itself of all DTC platforms and become a company focused on development and pr...

Will someone at Warner please remember that the Iron Giant is not a gun? Eitan and Carl stare into the endless abyss of Space Jam: A New Legacy’s Warner 3000 Entertainment Server-verse and try to discern the factors that drove Warner to make such a thing. The Space Jam sequel is just the latest in a bizarre genre that Carl calls “Oops! All IP!” films. In these films, iconic characters and imagery...

Despite repeated threats, Carl and Eitan decided to make this episode about more than just Disney World transit systems. As Eitan wraps up a month living and working remotely from Orlando, they check in on the Walt Disney World Resort in the time of COVID-19. They chat about everything from the 5-hour virtual queue at a cookie bakery to Eitan’s assessment of the cultural accuracy of Epcot’s Mexico...

Much like the return of Darkseid to Earth, the #SnyderCut episode of Stuck in Development was inevitable. Eitan and Carl dive into the torturous history of the DC Extended Universe and chart its evolution against that of the modern superhero-industrial complex. They discuss the hubristic mediocrity of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and what it means for the future of franchises and fan engagement. C...

Kevin Sachs returns to guide Eitan and Carl through the strange, muted 2020 Oscars race. After walking through the nomination and voting process, the three present their predictions, dreams and snubs for most of the awards. Join them as they gush about Minari , throw shade at Soul and bemoan the lack of Borat in the Best Picture race. In news this week, Carl, Eitan and Kevin have a nifty and bemus...

Carl and Helios & Matheson shareholder Eitan welcome guest Alex Pellegrino to retrace the glorious rise and fall of MoviePass. In their attempt to growth hack their way to Hollywood dominance, MoviePass gave away millions of movie tickets before becoming a user-hostile laughing stock. Alex, Eitan and Carl take this chance to fondly remember the lengths they would go to get free tickets through...

As the 2020 awards season and the streaming wars heat back up, Eitan and Carl spend an episode catching up with some major news items. First, they take a look at the Golden Globes and what they mean for this year’s Oscar race. They next check-in with the launch of Paramount+ before reviewing HBO Max’s Q4 results (spoilers: this sparks yet another debate around Wonder Woman 1984’s profitability). F...

On Disney California Adventure’s 20th anniversary, Eitan and Carl chauffeur you to the park’s grand opening. This park represented the culmination of a decade of disaster for Disney’s theme parks. Nothing exemplifies DCA's early, dark days more than one garish, dark ride: Superstar Limo. Carl and Eitan use this attraction as a case study to explore the tradeoff between artistic dreams and limited...

Due to internet and power disruptions caused by winter weather, Carl and Eitan are taking an unexpected break this week. They'll be back next week with an episode celebrating Disney California Adventure's 20th anniversary through the prism of its infamously terrible opening day attraction: Superstar Limo. Follow us on Twitter @stuckindevpod Music/FX: Feather Duster by Silverman Sound Studios – htt...

Movies! Stars! Bad corporate activations! Specific and annoying logistical challenges! In a normal year, the Sundance Film Festival has everything Carl, Eitan and guest Christina Troitino could ever want. Sundance is the first big event of every film year, and even a pandemic couldn’t stop the festival from dominating the cultural conversation. The three recap the 2021 festival while also providin...

Last fall, Eitan and Carl set out on a quest to understand the muted reaction to The Rise of Skywalker and the Galaxy’s Edge lands at Disneyland and Disney World. Along the way, this quest became about uncovering the very soul of modern Hollywood. In the final episode of their miniseries on Disney’s Star Wars films, Carl and Eitan discuss the merits of Episode XI and Galaxy’s Edge. From reviewing...

Carl and Eitan take a tour of Night City with guest Pete Sampson. Pete talks them through the development and disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077. On one hand, the game is a case study in mismanaging hype, developers, and distribution channels. On the other, it’s a surreal, glitchy mess that is magnificent to behold. In news this week, Eitan, Carl, and Pete debate the merits of postponing 2020 fil...

Guest Sam Parker joins Carl and Eitan to take them from the sewers of Paris to the top of the Burj Khalifa. They discuss filmmaker Brad Bird and his place in the evolution of franchise filmmaking. The three also dig into how Bird’s influences and animation background shape his films’ visuals and narratives. In news this week, Eitan and Carl skeptically respond to Netflix’s announcement that they w...

A week in, predicting what will happen in 2021 already seems impossible. Eitan and Carl wanted to try anyway. They share their boldest predictions across every Stuck In Development vertical, tracing 2020’s impact on everything from Disneyland’s eventual reopening to visual effects labor reform. One thing is certain: Carl and Eitan will be here all year to make sense of any news story that develops...

Happy New Year, #OakesHive! Carl and Eitan spent the last two weeks relaxing and watching films with loved ones. They caught the month’s two biggest films – Soul and Wonder Woman 1984 – and walked away (from their couches) with many questions. Join the two as they discuss the film’s releases and what they mean for their respective studios.  In news this week, they react to a rumor that Roku i...

Happy Holidays from Stuck in Development! We're off this week, but we'll be back in January 2021. Music: Feather Duster by Silverman Sound Studios – https://www.silvermansound.com

It’s been a long year, but Eitan and Carl found a lot to celebrate. The two recap their favorite films, TV shows and media moments from 2020. In news this week, they dissect a rumored MGM sale, react to Alan Horn’s retirement announcement and spend way too long spiraling down a Mandalorian rabbithole. The main topic starts at 32:10 this week. Music: Feather Duster by Silverman Sound Studios – http...

Did COVID-19 simply accelerate disruptive strategies at AT&T and Disney? As the dust settles from weeks of HBO Max and Disney news, Carl and Eitan check in on the two most aggressive combatants in the streaming wars. They react with both horror and intrigue to Disney’s Investor Day announcements, and they follow multiple tangents through the histories of Disney’s content verticals. They also d...

What does the consolidation of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster mean for the media world at large? Eitan and Carl take a step into trade publishing to discuss a seismic shift in the industry’s power dynamics. In this episode, they walk through this merger’s potential effects on creators, small businesses, Amazon and Hollywood. This merger also opens up a broader discussion on whether...

In a radical move, Warner Brothers announced that they will release all 2021 films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Carl and Eitan couldn’t wait, so they paused a production meeting to react in real time to this game-changing news. Follow us on Twitter @stuckindevpod  Music: News Intro Sound by Maximilien – http://soundbible.com/2041-News-Intro.html

Can Warner Brothers turn a profit on direct-to-streaming blockbusters? ….maybe. In a timely episode, Eitan and Carl model hypothetical theatrical and streaming releases for three films: Godzilla vs. Kong, Wonder Woman 1984 and Soul. This discussion showcases the hard path to profitability that streamers face. Though this episode was recorded before the announcement that Warner Bros. would put all...

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks for good audio quality and experienced hosts. Unfortunately, this episode from our archives has neither. Listen to Carl and Eitan’s very first attempt at Stuck in Development. They explore the troubled past and hopeful future of their favorite Disney ride, Splash Mountain. Eitan and Carl will be back next week with a brand new episode. Follow us on Twitter @stucki...

On the heels of another bewildering rumor – Jon Chu’s Lilo and Stitch?  – Eitan and Carl dig into Disney’s “live action remakes.” They trace the history of this zombie subgenre and share their hypothesis for its true purpose: replacing the artificial scarcity of the now-defunct Disney Vault. In the news, they revisit the Wonder Woman 1984 release and discuss director David Fincher’s new...