The Studio (2025) * *

 

Directed by:  Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Starring:  Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O' Hara, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Chase Sui Wonders, Bryan Cranston

The Studio's first episode is a satirical skewering of Hollywood.  Even a legend like Martin Scorsese isn't immune to being screwed by Continental Studios head Matt Remick (Rogen), who is tasked by his boss Griffin Mill (Cranston) to make a movie about Kool Aid.  Scorsese later brings Matt a script about Jonestown.  What did Jim Jones' followers drink?  Cyanide-laced Kool Aid, so Matt kills two birds with one stone by convincing Scorsese to name his movie "Kool Aid" and away we go. 

Naturally, the foolproof plan experiences hiccups, with Griffin killing the deal to finance a Kool Aid movie with any connection to Jonestown, so Matt now has to break the news to Scorsese that his movie is dead in the water.  The first episode of The Studio crackles, but the subsequent episodes lean more on slapstick and schtick than satire.  It grows tiresome and the early promise dissipates.  

However, it is fun to see Ron Howard playing against his "good guy" image in an episode in which Matt is reluctant to propose that Howard change the boring ending to his passion project.  He tries to pass the responsibility off to his underlings, mostly because Howard freaked out on him years ago when he suggested a change to A Beautiful Mind which was truly a head scratcher.  There are loads of amusing celebrity cameos in which they actors and directors play themselves.  Rogen is up to the task of a generally nice guy who finds running a studio can be a pride-swallowing siege, to quote Jerry Maguire, and that's on its good days.  

The Studio finds a consistent tone, but it's mostly harried and physical.  Watching Rogen and company screaming at each other while bungling another project or task only reminds us of how the opening episode packed such promise, only to fizzle later.