Seth Rogen worries he's ruining movies in first look at Apple TV+’s The Studio

Over the past few years, the bad guy studio owner who hates movies and loves money has become a truly inescapable real-life trope. (Looking at you, Mr. Batgirl murderer.) If you’re a movie fan who’s in the market for some good old cinematic escapism, The Studio follows a good guy studio owner who loves movies and, well, still has to love money, but only because it’s his job—one that he may be starting to regret. “You know, I got into this because I love movies, but now I have this fear that my job is to ruin them,” Seth Rogen’s character, Matt Remick, says in the clip. What’s a poor movie lover to do?

The answer seems to be, in part, to run around in a tense and high-pressure trailer interfacing with dozens of real-life Hollywood’s best and brightest. The Studio features a star-studded supporting cast including Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders. But just in this short teaser, we also see cameos from Martin Scorsese, Zoë Kravitz, Zac Efron, Charlize Theron, Anthony Mackie, and more. It’s like a high school reunion for all the people suffering under the suits they’re attempting to parody.

The Studio‘s official synopsis reads as follows: 

Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their own insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their neverending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting, and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him. 

If you’re worried this thing is going to get a little too real, you can probably put those concerns to bed. While The Studio doesn’t seem to be selling itself as any kind of deliberate period piece, there’s a distinctly nostalgic, old Hollywood flavor to the tone and style that makes it seem like questions of streaming residuals and AI aren’t going to be a major focus here. You know, just the good old-fashioned erosion of “artsy fartsy films” in favor of big studio fare. Comforting!

In addition to starring, Seth Rogen also wrote, directed, and executive produced The Studio. The first two episodes of the 10-episode comedy premiere March 26 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes every Wednesday.