‘The Studio’ TV Review: Seth Rogen’s Scathing and Hilarious Look at Hollywood From the Inside Gets the Green Light [B+]
“Is it weird that all of the live-action characters are white and all of the non-white actors are CG?” Crafting a Kool-Aid adaptation should feel simple, but tackling how the film will be received by mass audiences is a pressure point in the midst of Diversity and Inclusion issues across the industry. The moving parts of producing a film include more than the actual creation of the film, pushing into how the film will be received by different audiences, budgeting day-to-day expenses, and keeping the people on set content. Many know the film industry as a collaborative effort but probably disengage when it comes to how these projects are put together, the hoops that must be jumped through to get funding and films green-lit, and the strategies behind marketing unmarketable films. Filmmaking can be hellacious, unpredictable, and messy. Seth Rogen, hot off his last Apple+ comedy Platonic, has returned to the streamer to skewer the process in his newest series, The Studio.
A promotion to Studio Head for Matt Remick (Rogen) catapults him into the chaos of being in charge of every moving part inside Continental Studios, a job just made vacant by the ousting of former Head, Patti Lee (Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek). Matt’s excitement for the job clashes with his underestimation of the convoluted situations he will soon find himself in after his boss, Griffin Mill (Emmy winner Bryan Cranston) pushes a new movie idea his way: a live-action adaptation of Kool-Aid. Eager to please, he pushes it to fruition with his core team that includes his newly minted creative executive Quinn (Chase Sui Wonders, Bodies Bodies Bodies), head of marketing, Maya (Kathryn Hahn), and longtime friend Sal Sapperstein (Ike Barinholtz). Any scene that includes the four of them is a high wire act of overlapping dialogue, differing opinions, praising each other’s originality and arguments over how they should proceed with each new project they’re presented with. There’s a hilarious dynamic between them that pushes each scene to the point of auditory overstimulation while grounding them in realism. A last-ditch effort to gain control over his new job forces him to reach out to Patti for a helping hand, who only gives in after receiving a lucrative first-look offer with the studio. Every scene is a pissing contest that Matt almost seems eager to lose as long as he can gain some help.
As the season progresses, the situations Matt finds himself in become increasingly frustrating. Soon after his promotion, he gets involved in a heated argument with Martin Scorsese after accidentally making the director believe he wanted his newest script — he later finds out that Matt is buying the script to kill it so no other studio is able to bid on it or produce it. The entire conceit is hilarious and imaginative of a world where deals go sour: Scorsese wants to direct Matt’s new Kool-Aid film after Matt convinces him that it should be intertwined with his Jonestown film. After Scorsese gives out some verbal lashings that end up causing him to break down sobbing at a party, Matt flees to escape the party — not that he has a choice after Charlize Theron asks him to leave. The pilot sets the hilarious precedent that will be followed in each subsequent episode, all showcasing issues and underhanded machinations that exist within the world of filmmaking. With Sal — a pitch-perfect and hilarious performance by Barinholtz — close by his side, Matt finds a way to create problems anywhere he goes: film sets with big name stars, charity galas, even the Golden Globes. Every place he visits is a new opportunity to cause a shitstorm using only his presence.
Matt’s ability to cause chaos is only further exacerbated by the people he’s surrounded by. He uses them as sounding boards for what he believes are his better ideas, only to cause a four-way argument on how to handle each situation differently. One of the most hilarious sequences in the series surrounds the possibility of being perceived as racially insensitive in the casting of a particular new film: each new casting replacement only causes more problems than the last. As the team scurries to figure what they believe will be perceived as the most inclusive and thoughtful choices, the pressure mounts until their decision-making process turns into crossed wires that confuse them all. The Studio manages to cover old ground with new hilarity, able to push past its generic subject matter to concoct a a laugh-per-minute series that will shock you as much as it makes you laugh. Kathryn Hahn arrives in each scene with a new hairstyle and accessories, her best being a braided triple-ponytail that she swings with vigor as she speaks. Her brash line delivery is a humorous force and brings intensity to each new scene. It’s a role that seems suited for her, possibly even fine-tuned for her specific brand of humor.
Expected from any project from Rogen, but especially this one, is a slew of his famous friends as guest stars. The Studio is packed wall-to-wall with guest appearances with an increasing amount of absurdity. You want Martin Scorsese? See above. Sarah Polley? Got her. Greta Lee? Done. Most guests play a heightened version of themselves, leaning into Hollywood stereotypes like actors being awards-hungry and producers needing on-stage gratitude from actors to gain relevance and recognition. It’s an enlightening series for anyone who isn’t well-versed in film production and a side-splitting inside joke for anyone who is. As Matt moves through life in his new role, he finds challenges he didn’t expect and rewards he couldn’t imagine while attempting to create films that both cause excitement and grab audiences, wanting a coexistence between art house and blockbuster films. As the youngest person in each room, Quinn, assistant turned creative executive, consistently pushes Matt towards originality while her overbearing neurosis keeps her from making decisions under pressure. Even so, the entire team meshes and is able to create magic together.
Though nothing new narratively, The Studio provides a freshly humorous take on the jobs inside a film studio. Matt’s excitement at his promotion quickly shifts into hilarious panic and frustrating attempts to figure his job out while not screwing up everything around him. He pisses off directors, actors, his friends and more, but Matt’s dedication to pushing Continental to the top allows him to see past everything that stands in his way. One of the funniest ensembles of the year is in The Studio, a carefully crafted comedy that sees the entire cast — most notably Ike Barinholtz —at the top of their comedic abilities., you’re going to want to green light this one yourself.
Grade: B+
The Studio premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film and Television Festival. The series will make its global debut on Apple TV+, with the first two episodes on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, followed by one episode every Wednesday through May 21, 2025.
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