Surprise! Steven Soderbergh may have already dropped a new series—the botched-kidnapping drama “Full Circle,” which premiered yesterday, July 13, on MAX (read our review)— but the uber-prolific filmmaker has yet another series premiering in three days. No, really. Titled “Command Z,” the series, which premieres July 17, is only 90 minutes long, but there are eight episodes of varying length. What’s more, you’ll only be able to see it in one place: Soderbergh’s Extension765 website.
The “Command Z” series stars Michael Cera, comedian Roy Wood Jr. (“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”), Liev Schreiber, comedienne Chloe Radcliffe (“The Middle Place”), Jacqueline Antaramian (who played Ilona Shenoy on “Succession”), and J.J. Maley, a producer, actor, writer and director who won a Tony Award for “A Strange Loop.” If some of this sounds familiar, it should. We revealed details of the project exclusively earlier this year after Soderbergh made its bare-bones existence known in his annual Seen, Read list (then, the series was called “The Pendulum Project.”).
What is “Command Z” about? Well, it’s a sci-fi-ish time-traveling satire set in a dystopic future about a group of people who go back in time to fix the irreparable damage that America has caused the world. The year they pick? Determining the exact inflection point when American society and civilization went off the rails? 2023. A wormhole is placed in a washing machine, and voila, this group can go back in time to “fix” all the problems. So they think anyhow.
The series was written by celebrated American author, journalist, essayist, and radio host Kurt Anderson, known as one of the editors of the beloved satirical Spy magazine, several novels, non-fiction works like “Evil Geniuses” and “Fantasyland,” and various TV and screenwriting gigs.
Here’s the closest thing to a “Command Z” synopsis that Soderbergh provided from his newsletter written by the imaginary Extension 765 assistant Fabrizia del Dongo (Soderbergh).
If I seem hedgy, it’s because A) None of us have seen it; and B) it’s apparently about ninety minutes long, but there are eight episodes of varying length, so is it an actual series or just a movie cut up into pieces? Frankly, I don’t care because what this means IN THE REAL WORLD is those of us in the Fulfillment Center (aka The BB, aka BLOFELD’S BASEMENT) are about to get some heavy traffic and oh, did I happen to tell you I ALSO RUN THE I.T. DEPARTMENT? So: we are absolutely fulfilling Mr/Dr Soderbergh’s directives to the letter, but I’m just letting you know: even the smallest increase in traffic is going to make my life a living hell, possibly forever. So think about that and then think about this: When I asked Mr/Dr Soderbergh why he’d done this, why he’d made this project, and why he’d made it in secret, he said, “Hope, Fabrizia. Hope and laughter.” Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this guy.
Earlier in the year, sources close to the project said Soderbergh had hoped to shop the project around to various streamers, but that plan has obviously changed. Anderson is an exec on the project, and we know Greg Mottola—known for “Superbad” and the recent “Confess, Fletch” comedy; Soderbergh also produced his debut, “The Daytrippers”—also worked on the project.
“Command Z” premieres July 17 only on Soderbergh’s Extension765 website. In fact, you can only see the trailer there, too, so click on the poster below and be taken to the filmmaker’s website, where you can see the trailer in all its full glory.
