Netflix is finally bringing back one of Jack Black‘s most beloved comedies. School of Rock, directed by Dazed and Confused legend Richard Linklater, is set to return to service after the holidays. It’s popped up a few times on Netflix over the years — notably cracking the top 10 movie chart back in 2021. It’ll be interesting to see how many people rewatch the Paramount Pictures movie when it returns on Jan. 1, 2024.
School of Rock tells the story of Dewey Finn (Black), who gets kicked out of his rock band for being too much of a showboat. Desperate to pay his rent, Dewey impersonates his more responsible friend Ned (Mike White) In order to get a job as a substitute teacher at a fancy private elementary school. Instead of teaching the kids as expected by the principal (Joan Cusack), Dewey turns the ragtag bunch into a band in order to compete in the Battle of the Bands. Along the way, Dewey learns to grow up and find his true calling, while also helping some kids unleash their inner rock stars.
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Linklater, who was best known for making indies like Before Sunset and Waking Life, was hesitant to come aboard but was convinced by producer Scott Rudin that he was the perfect fit. Plus, Linklater decided that a film like this could be a unique challenge. “I was always a little frustrated with a lot of studio comedies, I just think they’re not working hard enough or they could be better,” he explained in an interview for Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny. “So, I was like ‘OK, big mouth, this is your chance to actually make a studio comedy that maybe works at that level.”
Black credits School of Rock for kicking off a new phase of his career. “I have a big stack of [scripts] at my house, and it’s all garbage,” Black told the New York Times in 2003. “It’s a lot of guys-just-wanna-be-guys garbage. ‘Man, all you gotta do to get a chick is follow my five simple rules. Gimme that beer.’ Boring frat-guy garbage.” However, School of Rock, which was written by his friend and roommate Mike White, was the perfect fit.
“This movie is definitely tailor-made for me,” Black explained. “It’s like Mike White is a suit maker, and he measured me out, every inch of me — my thighs, calves, crotch, breasts, brains — and just fit me with a skintight suit of rock armor.” School of Rock was a bonafide hit, making $131 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
