Think back to a time before you were able to stream any movie and/or TV show you could imagine. It was an era of walking into a physical brick-and-mortar store and having to walk up and down the aisles of selections, looking at the physical cover of the movie you sought out. It was a simpler time and is now the subject, ironically, of a new comedy series on Netflix. The series entitled Blockbuster will star internet-favorite Randall Park (Wandavision, Always Be My Maybe) and comes from the mind of writer and executive producer Vanessa Ramos (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
Variety reports that the series is begin described as a single-camera comedy, in the vein of Ramos‘ former show Superstore, that will take place in the last Blockbuster Video in America. The series will explore “what it takes – and more specifically who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.”
Superstore alum Jackie Clarke and executive producer of Happy Endings, David Caspe will work alongside Ramos as writers and executive producers for the new series.
In a press release, Ramos expressed her jubilation for working on this show, saying:
“To say getting to make a show about a place I love, with my friends Jackie and David, and Randall Park as our star is a dream come true, somehow feels like an understatement. I could not be more grateful to Jim and Megan at Universal for supporting this project since day one and Tracey, Andy, and the whole team at Netflix for being on board with so many weird jokes.”
For many, the idea of the last Blockbuster Video in America represents the pinnacle of nostalgia. What people experience now with surfing Netflix for content, so too was that feeling shared by those who walked through the doors of Blockbuster Video. Especially now, at a time when physical media is all but dead, to showcase a group of workers who cling on to an archaic way of watching movies was a very exciting prospect for Ramos. “When Vanessa and David first came in and shared this idea for a comedy series, we were immediately excited.”
Park has been in high demand since his first appearance on the ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat and only was more well known after his turns in Always Be My Maybe and of course as Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ramos gushed about being able to work with Park saying, “…with the hilarious Randall Park signing on to play the lead, it’s a no brainer.”
For those wondering there is in fact still one Blockbuster Video left in America. It resides in Bend, Oregon, and was the subject of the 2020 feature documentary The Last Blockbuster. There is no word yet on when Blockbuster will begin filming. No other casting has been announced at this time.
via Collider