Steven Soderbergh undoes the future in the Command Z trailer
Steven Soderbergh completes a hat trick of new works in five months with Command Z
Hours after releasing his latest project, HBO’s Full Circle, director Steven Soderbergh is ready to unveil his next. Known for releasing more work in a single year than most people can reasonably watch, Soderbergh is now on his third release in less than six months. Unlike Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Full Circle, though, his latest defies all explanation.
Soderbergh’s new whatsit Command Z falls somewhere between a movie and a TV show. Described in an accompanying blog post on his website Extension 765 as “apparently about ninety minutes long” and comprised of “eight episodes of a variety of length,” the post doesn’t answer what format Command Z takes. “Frankly, I don’t care because what this means IN THE REAL WORLD is those of us in Fulfillment Center (aka The BB, aka BLOFELD’s BASEMENT) are about to get some heavy traffic,” it reads.
Command Z stars Michael Cera as a talking head on a television screen who leads a trio of time travelers on a mission to make some critical corrections in the year 2023, America’s “last inflection point.” Cera put “a wormhole in a washing machine” that allows the three scientists to enter the consciousness of specific people in a way that can only be described as Being John Malkovich style. Such key people include Liev Schriber and Succession’s Zoe Winters.
Here’s the full post from Extension 765:
I think by now you’re used to me describing the somewhat MERCURIAL behavior of our boss, Mr/Dr Soderbergh, but this most recent development is next level and can’t be kept to myself for reasons you’ll soon understand. This very morning, our fearful leader explained that in three days (July 17th for those who don’t want to do the math) we will be “dropping” a series of some sort called COMMAND Z. 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.
The series will stream exclusively on Extension 765 on July 17.