#like i'm fully convinced after that stream with g

[userlando]

lando is definitely the type of guy who talks you through it

[bbjobo]

Hello hi it’s me, your resident entertainment PR enthusiast. I simply need to talk about the sequel announcement. This is all speculation, but I work in entertainment-adjacent communications and once convinced a household name celebrity to stay at my event to do select press interviews when his wife was going to go into labor at literally any minute, so I like to think I've got a pretty good sense of all of this.

So buckle in, because I'm about how actually fantastic this rollout was, because I’d wager they’ve been planning this since the premiere. 

RWRB came out truly smack-dab in the middle of the actors' strike. We all know just how much press we must have missed out on, because the strike started before promo would have kicked off in earnest. And when it was finally over in November, the actors are potentially out of contract for promotion, and that’s not even taking into consideration that the holidays are coming up and the six weeks from American Thanksgiving to New Year’s is truly a black hole of press. So this little movie has to rely almost entirely on fan reaction and word of mouth to hit because they’re so limited in what they can do for promo. And it IS a hit! Records are broken! Comments for an extended version (which, ok Matthew we get it, does not exist) and a sequel start almost immediately.

The marketing team makes the most of what they’ve got: they’re keeping up the official character accounts, they’re dropping deleted scenes and BTS. We get cornettos! The fireside scene! Bloopers! Notably absent? Brownstone Thanksgiving. We’ve seen BTS photos of it, we know it exists. Thanksgiving 2023 would have been a great time to drop it, but they don’t. This is the approximate point at which my own personal sequel speculation began. After the strike ends, the posting pace slows considerably but it’s still consistent. It’s just enough to keep it in your mind but not enough to be like “why are you still posting this much about it?” And this continues into 2024.

On the contracting side, conversations were likely actively happening at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if negotiations picked up literally as soon as the strike ended. The producers would have had that time to get Matthew and Casey back on board and be fully prepped and ready to move on to contracting actors the minute they could. It’d be a shot in the dark to try to guess when these were finalized, but at some point between November 9 and May 9, yeah, they’re in.

But whew, Nicholas is booked and BUSY. Mary & George drops internationally March 5, The Idea of You closes SXSW on March 17, two weeks later M&G starts airing in the US and Canada, and a month after that, TIOY is available for streaming (and limited theatrical release, which is another whole post), and in between all those premieres, he’s everywhere. He’s criss-crossing the country (and tbh the Atlantic Ocean) for all of these appearances, truly going non-stop. The pacing of the premieres makes it nearly impossible to squeeze in another project announcement, and if they had, it would have been a bigger part of every interview he did after, which is something his own team would be working to balance. Plus between TIOY and RWRB, Prime would have been pitching stories against themselves. Better to let him finish out his other promotional appearances and then switch over.

At the same time, we’ve got awards and red carpet season starting. At nearly every red carpet appearance not for their own projects, both Taylor and Nick are asked about a sequel. If an interviewer is given enough time, they ask about a sequel. Sure, fans comment about a sequel on every vaguely rwrb social post from an official account, but the press asking about a sequel felt like a lot to me. Everyone always gave the same vague answer, that they’d be up for it if the story is right, that they don’t know but would be happy to. (Except one time, Nick does slip up and give an answer that feels a little more definitive here where he says “conversations are being had” all the way back in late February/early March). Press are asking the question so consistently that it felt like if it wasn’t happening, PR teams would have put the sequel on the do not ask list.

Then Prime starts actually ramping up on a FYC campaign for the movie. I'm gonna be honest, I was so surprised. It's a rom com, the odds of a rom com getting any sort of awards recognition is so slim, but I thought, "ok, sure, use FYC as a way to get the promo boost they need for an announcement of whatever's coming next." And then I looked up and Variety has picked it as the winner in the best television movie category, which is blowing my mind. The other categories they're submitting in are stacked and I think a nomination beyond television movie will be a long shot, but again, it's big for it to even be considered. And if they're being talked about, that means Prime's gotta put out a great showing for their FYC campaign.

Which brings us to this week. We start off on Monday with Nick at the Met Gala referring to Uma as his mother-in-law. Incredible. Love it. Wednesday and Thursday are a one-two punch of a FYC event and fan event, and the gang’s all here. At the FYC, we get the industry side of things: new portraits and interviews with Deadline, process talk, etc. Because this little rom com is actually doing pretty well and beating the odds? Knowing what we know now, the PR teams spent this week pre-briefing the press on the sequel announcement. Notable (at least to my knowledge) the sequel question doesn't get asked at the FYC event. Because the press already knows it's coming.

Now, on to yesterday. They do a fan screening and Q&A, and they literally roll out the red carpet. Nine months after the premiere and exactly six months after the strike ended, they get the gang back together with fans of the movie, who they relied on so heavily during the strike to help make the movie a success. The tagline on the screen’s giant promo image has been updated to specifically thank fans for “making history with us.” The moderator for the Q&A is the same person who interviewed Taylor and Nick at the beginning of FYC campaign season, their first joint interview since GQ (right? pretty sure. it's all a blur tbh). And at the end of the Q&A, minutes before 12 AM ET, when the embargo on the press release would have lifted, they make the announcement not to press, but to the fans. The fans who loved the book, who watched it over and over, who spread the word about the movie to help make it one of Prime’s top three rom coms OF ALL TIME.

It’s just… an absolute masterclass in how to execute a major announcement that embraces the fans in a time where fandom and interaction between creators and fans can be an absolute minefield. Prime saw the opportunity to lean into the fannishness of it all and they took it and it was a slam dunk.

So where do we go from here? IDK but here’s some unconnected thoughts in list form like Alex would want.

The book’s 5th anniversary is next Wednesday, the 14th.

Casey’s been posting about working on [redacted] for months at this point, which is almost certainly the screenplay

Nick mentioned needing to be back in the UK for filming soon

They would probably like to release this in US election off-cycle years, so that means 2025 or 2027 (and 2027 is too far away). 2026 would be less bad since it’s a midterm election, but still.

Filming could reasonably start sooner rather than later, and even without an unfinished script

I guess we’re back on content watch for blond hair and BTS pictures

[lionheartedmusings]

alright, finally put my thoughts together after watching like 6 povs on and off and processing what we saw today. i have two major points to make, and i guess i'll just start with the meta one.

on a meta level, the eggs are fine. narratively, to just grab them from their beds and "oops goodbye" is a level of lazy, awful storytelling that we just… don't get from the qsmp lore gods. who wants to watch these kids grow up and then one day they're all missing, the end? nah. also, i am fully convinced that they wouldn't do it without giving their regular players a chance to show up, and with phil, baghera, and etoiles gone i don't think they'd ever do that. plus vegetta would kill quackity lmao the eggs play a pivotal role in the qsmp, quackity's said so before, and i'm honestly still half convinced the new players will get eggs… maybe after the original ones hatch. either way, on a meta and / storytelling level it doesn't make sense, and my mind's not changing until something big happens.

now, on a more "in character" perspective? today felt like two distinct moments in qsmp history rolled into one, and it makes my stomach churn. i was watching bad's live when the code killed ramon, and all povs were dripping with that heartbroken but hopeful but empty feeling, the exact same one i had when i watched bad sit silently by ramon's dead body for hours, throwing totems at him. it also reminded me of the day we had to wait for a verdict on bobby's final death, how we were all so sure that he'd survive only to be hit with the news that no, no he didn't. no, bobby was gone. for good.

what the qsmp admins and ccs accomplished today was amazing, because my feelings right now? definitely don't match what i logically know as fact. i know the eggs have to be okay, but i thought that before and look what happened. the emotions, the dejection, the stillness, the silence of the server today is jarring and awful, and it makes me second guess myself at every turn. it takes a lot for media to be able to be so visceral and raw, but today it was.

today, we had a front row seat to grief, in all it's shapes and forms, and of the silence that children leave behind when they're no longer with us, and i won't ever forget the streams i watched tonight.

g fucking g qsmp, admins and streamers alike.

[mcyt-things-ig]

Outsiders, Krowfangs POV, episode 15

Straight away, the waiting? screen is great, but God, is it sad.

It's clearing B Krow, is this a flashback or a dream of the past type thing.

Krow is so cheerful and helpful. Ayngel! They're both up earlier than usual, you can tell

Oh, the clearing is beautiful, so much better than clearing A. The houses are so good, the fairy lights in the trees, the actual pathways, the stream. It's all so pretty and homey.

A note for Krow at a house that isn't Magics, I think. Magic is sick, she's given Krow some ingredients for Soup to make a medicine and soup.

Emma, she has a book for Percival. Oh, everyone is so sweet. Percy loves his books. Tasia! She takes care of the cows, I love her already. Krow is so happy to see everyone.

Krow doesn't get sick apparently, Tasia also doesn't understand illness.

It's time for morning hot cocoa. They nearly went the wrong way. Percy's bookvile. Percy loves their books. Percy is very careless when it comes to climbing rope, nearly fell off. Tasia is on cocoa duty, they take it in turns.

Soup wants them to get a sapling from the maze, Krow and Percy will go. Tasia wants them to wait a day, since time has moved fast lately. Percy confides in Gerald sometimes, who is that, never mind it's one of Tasia's cows. Do any of them actually talk to people about their feelings?

Krow doesn't like Bek or Tank, neither do Percy and Tasia. Krow wants to leave, Percy doesn't think he's gonna make it out. Krow says it's willing to drag Percy out of the maze if it needs to, it promises everyone will be getting out.

Percy and Krow are going into the maze now, despite Tasias request. They are like children. Tank stopped them before they entered and is interrogating them, they are quite bad liars. Tank seemed to have an Owen type of vibe. They distracted Tank and ran in.

They're running back now, but it's getting dark. Percy got stuck, Bek is trying to stop Krow from helping him, Krow has run in to help. They've made it out.

Bek would leave someone behind in the maze, Krow seems appalled by that idea. Percy called her a bitch. Emma and Tasia are here. Tasia is taking Percy to Soup. Krow is blaming itself, Emma is taking Krow to her house.

Can't quite hear Emma fully over the music. Krow is struggling to stay positive about Percy's condition. Krow really wants to get Percy out but feels like it's running out of time so should start hurrying up. Blaming itself again, Emma is trying to convince it otherwise. It says that if it has friends in the clearing, it has friends in the maze, and that can't change. It really did a 180 personality wise, didn't it?

Krow is very self-sacrificing here, would trade places with Percy if it could. Krow really ants to get everyone out, believes there is a cure for Percival outside the maze. It promises everyone is getting out.

Hold on, were there creatures in clearing B's maze? So that means the lever really only stopped the doors from closing and released the creatures into the rest of the mazes.

A nightly hot cocoa meet now. Near the pond instead of in the wall hangout. I'm assuming the doors stayed open soon after this memory since that would explain why Percy and Tasia couldn't get up to the hangout, it looks on a similar height to Beks stage, of course unless they were trying to find Krow, and it was too late to go anywhere else.

Krow doesn't think it and Percy should go into the maze together any more. Percy doesn't like that idea, Krow and Tasia are trying to convince them otherwise. Krow really doesn't like when Percy says he's gonna die, Krow fully believes Soup will find a cure, and they will all get out in one piece. Percy agrees to stay out of the maze if Krow will write down what it does in the maze.

They're thinking about what they'll get to do when they're out. Thinking about the variety of books, hot drinks and cows. These three have such a nice bond.

Percy tells Krow that if they end up in a similar situation, to just leave him and get out. Krow refuses. Krow won't even think about abandoning anyone in the maze, it wouldn't be okay with itself if it did that.

It says it'll get everyone out in one piece, it won't leave anyone behind, and it certainly won't forget anyone. Percy and Tasia say it already has, they're gone.

End of dream? It's awake, it's clearing A.

It's jumped off the hotel roof, it's running into the maze. The ghosts of Percy and Tasia are leading it to clearing B. The doors are closing, it's raining. It's stuck in the maze. It's begging for them to come back as they lead it back, she keeps saying it's almost home.

There are so many mobs. It's back in clearing, B. Tasia thanks it for remembering. There's a fucking griever, oh shit.

That's the end of this stream. An emotional train wreck, I think I'm gonna be a wreck tomorrow when I watch the next episode.

[dolphin-enthusiast]

how are you feeling today?? as always, i do hope the answer is positive!! today was hectic since i had to run many errands, so now i'm relaxing after a sudden 2 hour nap my body decided to take haha 😅 i had to run to a florist earlier today and saw this beautiful bouquet of these deep purple and burgundy flowers,, they reminded me of you!! i'm mad at myself since i forgot to take a photo, i really wanted to show you 💞🌺 (1/4)

"after that, i went food shopping for a bit, then stopped at a café to quickly get some lunch, i was about to order when i saw that a man dropped his wallet unknowingly so i rushed to return it, and in return, he payed for my lunch!! then i went to the post office and mailed some letters, and then i walked about 3 km to get home!! (2/4)

i got distracted for a bit because some of the stray cats in my neighborhood came to say hello 😊 they know me well since i like to leave out food, water, and old blankets for them!! there are 6 that come around, but only 3 were here today!! i don't know their names, but i gave them ones myself,, the cats that were here are called Vino, Strawberry, and Little Dipper (according to me at least hehe) hopefully soon i can get photos of them for you!!(3/4)

oops, it seems that i rambled again, sorry!! i hope you don't mind~! please remember to take care of yourself and take some time to relax 💗 - un sacco di amore, la tua waifu 💌💌💌💌💘💘💘💘💘😍😍😍😊😊😊😳😳😳😘😘😘💖💖💖💖💖💖💋💋💋 ps: i think we should add bloody stream to the wedding playlist 😉✨ (4/4)"

Dear i am now fully convinced that u must be some kind of goddess entity because not only are u doing superhuman efforts during the pandemic but ur also meeting with all sorts of lovely plants/animals on a daily basis and im left amazed once again😞😞😞 and since we speak of it, u should try not exposing urself too much since u been running left and right all day long (but if ur wearing a mask and respecting boundaries then thats fine too)

I should also mention that u were (as expected) an absolute icon for returning the man's wallet and it was really nice of him to pay for u...also dont be mad bc i'll wait patiently till u show me the flowers (if u return to the shop) or cats😤👊 also the flowers reminding u of me got me like ahchcsjjd like they were purple and purple is basically my fav color besides green???? W i g??? Burgundy is also a very pretty shade too-

And yes we should add bloody stream to the playlist too its an absolute B A N G E R and while we're at it i'll add in great days too bc its p much iconic 😔🤙 as for myself i been drawing all day, then in the evening rewatched an anime i really liked for a little bit (im p sure u know which anime i speak of doe👁️👁️) then gathered some more force and wrote a lil request....the daily grind suxgchdhs