Seth Rogen is calling out Hollywood…via satire.
The actor co-created series “The Studio,” which parodies the inner workings of Hollywood; Rogen also writes, directs, and executive produces the Apple TV+ show, which will make its world premiere Opening Night at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Rogen plays fictional studio executive Matt Remick, who is the newly appointed head of the embattled Continental Studios. The official synopsis reads: “As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their own insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their neverending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting, and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him.”
Rogen and his Emmy Award-nominated partner Evan Goldberg co-created the series with multi-Emmy Award winners Peter Huyck and Alex Gregory and Frida Perez. The show boasts an impressive ensemble cast and cameos. Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders are series regulars, with Bryan Cranston, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, and Dewayne Perkins billed as major recurring guest stars.
Rogen admitted to Esquire that starring in “The Studio” actually made him more empathetic to real-life executives, some of which served as inspiration for characters.
“It made me understand and be more sympathetic in many ways to studio people, but also in some ways, much less sympathetic because I see now they could also just do the right thing,” Rogen said. “Like, a thing they say a lot in Hollywood is, ‘It’s show business, there’s a reason they call it show business because it’s equal parts show and business.’ And studio executives really are the inflection point between the show and the business and between art and commerce. They are almost daily put in a position where they have to choose between enabling and encouraging some bold creative act or being [in a] self-preservation [mode] and mitigating their risks of things going wrong, which usually makes them think that they should discourage bold acts of creativity. I think the good studio executive encourages it. Bad ones are more self-preservation.”
He added of certain similarities between real-life Hollywood titans and their onscreen counterparts, “Yes, I am very worried that real-life people will recognize themselves in the show. We’ve already shown the show to a few people that have inspired some of the moments and storylines of the episodes. People are mostly flattered.”
Note: Apparently Cranston’s character’s fashion choices are based on WBD CEO David Zaslav…
“The Studio” is a Lionsgate Television series, with Point Grey Pictures’ James Weaver, Alex McAtee, and Josh Fagen serving as executive producers alongside co-creators Rogen and Goldberg.
“The Studio” premieres March 26 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode every Wednesday through May 21, on Apple TV+. Check out the trailer below.
