Blockbuster: Release Date, Cast And More

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One Upon A Time, the long-fabled business known as the video rental store reigned supreme. In nearly every U.S. town, one could walk up to the local video rental location and select classics and new releases alike in a variety of formats. With the rise of streaming pioneer Netflix, however, the ease of home streaming saw the gradual decline of all the major home video rental chains. With the collapse of chains like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster Video, the era of video rentals is all but over (minus select boutique rental houses).

Bucking the fall of the former behemoth Blockbuster is one remaining location in beautiful Bend, Oregon. Chronicled in the documentary "The Last Blockbuster," an ironic twist of fate saw the documentary picked up by Netflix, the pioneer that buried the company. As it turns out, Netflix isn't done with the concept of a lone Blockbuster standing against the tide. In the new single-camera workplace comedy series "Blockbuster" we'll get a comedic look at the final Blockbuster of an era. Coming this fall to Netflix, here's everything you need to know about "Blockbuster."

While the concept packs plenty of ironies, the series itself promises an earnest outing with plenty of heart. After its announcement almost an exact year before its premiere, we finally have the release information for the comedic video rental nostalgia trip. "Fresh Off The Boat" and "Always Be My Maybe" star Randall Park will attempt to keep the final Blockbuster Video store afloat in "a dying strip mall in a dying town" this November 3, 2022, the premiere date of the new series. It's set to premiere in a set of 10 half-hour episodes on the streaming giant Netflix, and it will almost certainly follow Netflix's traditional binge-watch model of programming with all 10 episodes available at once.

Early November is an excellent time for the debut of a charming new comedy, following a month or more of streamers' traditional Halloween horror/thriller focus. As we transition into colder months and the nostalgic feel of the fall and winter holidays, a visit to the video store sounds quite pleasant. 

In the series, Timmy Yoon (Randall Park) is a movie-loving dreamer who finds himself at the helm of the last Blockbuster in the United States, the final remnant of a dying video store chain that he deeply loves. Timmy works alongside a talented and quirky cast of characters, including his long-term coworker and crush Eliza, played by "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" co-star Melissa Fumero. These champions of the video store experience work to keep the store afloat and relevant by showcasing to their town the one factor that algorithms and digital content libraries can't replicate: the human touch. While the series will undoubtedly be infused with a love of movies and the video store experience alongside a host of real-world challenges, it isn't currently clear what specific antagonistic forces we'll get to see as the series progresses.

"Blockbuster" will be produced by Universal Television, created by "Superstore" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" producer Vanessa Ramos. Her writers will include fellow sitcom stalwarts David Caspe ("Happy Endings" and Jackie Clark ("Happy Endings" and "Superstore"). Both "Superstore" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" are loving send-ups of their respective occupational locales, with "Superstore" finding heart in the workers of an everyday Walmart-esque big-box outlet Cloud 9. We can expect similar earnestness in a video store world in "Blockbuster."

Joining stars Randall Park and Melissa Fumero are Olga Merediz's blunt Connie, Tyler Alvarez's filmmaking aspirant Carlos who searches for the American Dream, and Madeleine Arthur as the sweet but naive Hannah. Joining the main announced cast are a pair of recurring guest stars, including JB Smoove's strip mall owner and Timmy's friend Percy, and Kamaia Fairburn as Percy's scary teen daughter Kayla. With a strong focus on the store's community engagement and customer focus, notable special guests are highly possible (though undoubtedly Netflix is playing this close to the digital chest). 

Currently no trailer for "Blockbuster" has been released. You can, however, find the official synopsis for the Netflix comedy here:

Timmy Yoon (Randall Park) Is an analog dreamer living in a 5G world. And after learning he is operating the last Blockbuster Video in America, Timmy and his staff employees (including his long-time crush, Eliza (Melissa Fumero) fight to stay relevant. The only way to succeed is to remind their community that they provide something big corporations can't: human connection.