Girls5eva
Girls5eva is an American musical comedy television series created by Meredith Scardino that premiered on May 6, 2021, on Peacock. The series centers on four women who were part of a girl group named Girls 5Eva, which was briefly popular around the year 2000 before fading into one-hit-wonder status. Now unfulfilled in their various lives, the women reunite in an attempt to find musical success again. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on May 5, 2022.[1][2]
| Girls5eva | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Meredith Scardino |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jeff Richmond |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | John G. Inwood |
| Editors |
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| Production companies |
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| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | Peacock |
| Original release | May 6, 2021 – present |
Premise
A 1990s girl group that only managed to score one hit gets an unexpected chance at a comeback when their song is sampled by an up-and-coming rapper.[3]
Cast
Main
- Sara Bareilles as Dawn, the self-proclaimed "chill one" of Girls5eva, who now works at her brother's Italian restaurant and has one son with her husband
- Busy Philipps as Summer, the self-proclaimed "hot one" of Girls5eva, who is now married but is mostly neglected by her husband and lives in an expensive mansion with her daughter Stevia
- Paula Pell as Gloria, the self-proclaimed "always working one" of Girls5eva, who is a dentist and is divorced from her wife[4]
- Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie, the self-proclaimed "fierce one" of Girls5eva, who pretends to have a glamorous life but is barely scraping by as an airport employee
Recurring
- Daniel Breaker as Scott, Dawn's husband and an exercise and menswear fanatic
- Jonathan Hadary as Larry Plumb, Girls5eva's sleazy former manager and founder of Plumb Management and Junk Removal
- Ashley Park as Ashley, the fifth member and the self-proclaimed "fun one" of Girls5eva, who was the glue of the band, having been a member of six previous girl groups. She died in an infinity pool accident in 2004 and was memorialized by a bench paid for by her bandmates.
- Erika Henningsen as young Gloria[5]
- Andrew Rannells as Kev, a former boy band member and Summer's long-distance husband who works in Tampa, Florida as an entertainment reporter[6]
- Jeremiah Craft as Lil Stinker, a rapper who samples Girls5eva and brings them back to prominence.[6]
- Julius Conceicao as Max, Dawn's son, a "New York Lonely Boy"[6]
Guest
- Dean Winters as Nick, Dawn's brother and an entrepreneur who owns ten businesses, one of which is an Italian restaurant where she works
- Jimmy Fallon as Himself
- Tina Fey as Dolly Parton, who appears in Dawn's imagination to help inspire her to write songs again
- Bowen Yang as Zander, a fan of Wickie's who manipulates her ego for his own personal benefit
- Vanessa Williams as Nance Trace, a famous manager whom Girls5eva approaches to manage them after they fire Larry
- Janine Brito as Caroline Bianca Diaz[6]
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | ||||
| 1 | 8 | May 6, 2021 | |||
| 2 | TBA | May 5, 2022 | TBA | ||
Season 1 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Kat Coiro | Meredith Scardino | May 6, 2021 | |
| While Dawn is getting her first mammogram, she hears a song from the rapper Lil Stinker, who has sampled a song her group recorded 20 years earlier. The band reunites for the first time in years to sing backing vocals for Lil Stinker on The Tonight Show. Bored by their humdrum lives and energized by performing again, they ask to support Lil Stinker on tour, but he tells them they're too old, a sentiment their former manager repeats. Wickie, the only member of the band who's wealthy and apparently happy, heads to the airport, and Dawn chases her to confront her about the way she left the band years ago to start a solo career. Wickie confesses her career never went anywhere. Her glamorous life on social media is a sham; she actually works at an airport. In the morning, Wickie shows up at Dawn's apartment with her suitcase and says she wants to restart the band after all. She apologizes for the past and admits the band members make her better. The four women reunite on a bench they dedicated to their former band member, Ashley, who died in 2004, and confirm their decision to restart the band. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "D'wasg" | Brennan Shroff | Matt Murray & Meredith Scardino | May 6, 2021 | |
| Dawn's husband Scott is getting tired of Wickie's stuff taking over their apartment when her clear grand piano is delivered. It becomes a point of tension until he hears Dawn and Wickie playing and singing together, which makes him relent. Wickie tells Dawn she's her best friend. Summer is having her own marital issues; her husband Kev lives in Tampa and is rarely reachable. She plays a Cameo of Kev for Dawn and Wickie and pretends it's a FaceTime conversation. Meanwhile, the women decide their aim is to play at December's big Jingle Ball concert. Their first step is to gain traction by playing a pop-up show at the mall where they first played as a band. They mall's shut down, but they livestream the performance of "Dream Girlfriends" and are happy with it. However, later that night, they discover the video has been removed because their old manager Larry owns the rights to their songs. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Alf Musik" | Brennan Shroff | Lauren Gurganous & Michael Koman | May 6, 2021 | |
| The women realize they can't perform their songs without Larry's permission, so they need new songs. They approach Alf Musik, the reclusive Swedish man who wrote their old songs and has written many hits. He writes another song for them, but they reject it as too misogynistic. They realize all their old hits were misogynistic, too. He writes a new song to better reflect who they are now, but it's about being sad and invisible, which is how Alf sees them. They reject it, too, and decide Dawn will write their new songs instead; she used to write before Larry shot down her efforts twenty years earlier. Meanwhile, Dawn has been putting off her planned attempts to get pregnant because it would interfere with the band. However, she's afraid of raising Max as a "New York lonely boy," an eccentric only child who befriends doormen and is more at home with adults than kids. But when they run into John Slattery, Talia Balsam, and their adult son on the street, she's reassured. She tells Scott she's okay with Max being an only child, but he says he really wants a second child. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Carma" | LP | Anna Drezen & Azie Dungey | May 6, 2021 | |
| Dawn attempts to write her first song by fasting and writing all night. Dolly Parton comes to her in a hallucination, and Dawn tells her she doesn't remember how to do anything but be a mom. Dolly helps her write what Dawn thinks is a fantastic song, "I'm Afraid (Dawn's Song of Fears)." Having stayed up all night writing it, she rushes over to an event at Kev and Summer's house to perform it for the band. They immediately realize it's awful and pull the plug on Dawn's microphone. Back at home, Dolly tells Dawn that she wrote 5,000 songs before writing her biggest hits, so Dawn should keep trying. Meanwhile, Wickie has been dating a younger man who turns out to be a set of twins pranking her for TikTok, but Wickie was too narcissistic to notice. And Summer becomes convinced Kev is cheating on her because of certain credit card charges, so she damages his convertible. But when he tells her his credit card was stolen, she believes he's innocent, blames the car damage on their daughter, and talks him into coming home one additional weekend each month. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Catskills" | LP | Chelsea Devantez & Berkley Johnson | May 6, 2021 | |
| The women go to a cabin in the Catskills to write songs. When they discover the cabin's owner hiding in a closet because she has nowhere else to go, Dawn gives her money to stay in a motel. Wickie tells Dawn she's too much of a people-pleaser and that the band will never succeed if Dawn doesn't learn to speak up. Gloria goes to the farmers market to "accidentally" run in to her ex-wife Caroline, and even though the two sleep together, Caroline says she doesn't want to get back together because Gloria is a workaholic. Gloria realizes her tendency toward overwork began when Girls5Eva started in order to avoid attention from boys before she came out. Summer, who's been tasked with making a salad because Wickie and Dawn don't like her songwriting ideas, confesses she doesn't know how to make a salad or do anything else useful. And Wickie is forced to confess she charged the others for the cabin rental even though she was getting it for free as an Instagram influencer. As the women admit their flaws to each other, they're inspired to write the song "Four Stars" about being imperfect but still good enough. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Cease and Desist" | Kimmy Gatewood | Matt Whitaker | May 6, 2021 | |
| The group gets asked to perform at a Pride event celebrating music of the 2000s. Gloria expects to be celebrated as a gay icon, but it turns out Wickie is the famous one because YouTube star Zander made a lip synch video to a meltdown Wickie had while performing in a community theater musical based on the movie The Mask. When Wickie learns Zander has made $80,000 off endorsements and merchandise, Wickie and Gloria cut a deal with him: Zander heckles them while they perform their new song "Four Stars," and Gloria tells him off from the stage. Later, Zander will make a video that includes part of the song and a lip synch to Gloria's rant, bringing attention to the song and making Gloria the gay icon she's dreamed of being. After the show, Scott confesses he's worried Dawn will leave him as she rises to fame. She reassures him she loves him for being normal and grounded. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "A.I.R.P.I.G." | Kimmy Gatewood | Ava Coleman & Michael Koman | May 6, 2021 | |
| Dawn's songwriting is taking off and Zander's lip synch with Gloria has 3 million views. They attend an event for radio DJs in Tampa to promote their new song and talk to Nance, a powerhouse manager. She says they'll never work out as a band but offers to help them each find solo success. Feeling confident, they reject her offer, but Larry tells them their music was popular before only because he paid radio stations to play it. Wickie sees Dawn leaving Nance's room with a smile and, thinking Dawn has betrayed the band, takes Nance's offer of a job as a TV competition judge. Then she discovers Dawn only sold Nance some of the songs she wrote that Girls5Eva rejected. But it's too late; Wickie is flying to Atlanta that night to start her new job. Dawn has already spent the money she earned paying radio stations to play their music. Also on the trip, Summer visits Kev's Tampa home for the first time and discovers he's secretly quit his job in order to rehabilitate crabs. Summer at first is relieved, but then she realizes she's tired of pretending their relationship is fine and says she wants a divorce. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Separ8 Ways" | Chioke Nassor | Anna Drezen & Meredith Scardino | May 6, 2021 | |
| The band holds auditions to replace Wickie but can't find anyone good enough. They program a holographic Ashley to sing the national anthem with them at an NHL game, but it malfunctions and ruins the performance. Disheartened, they each take the jobs Nance offered them: Summer does TV ads for shapewear, Gloria becomes a dentist for touring musicians, and Dawn sells her songs to other singers. Wickie continues judging the show "American Warrior Singer," which offers her a 1,000-year contract that forbids her from other work. All four women find themselves at the Jingle Ball for their respective jobs, and when they run into each other, they decide to find a way to perform. When Wickie goes on stage to announce the next act, the other women rush the stage and sing "Four Stars." The crowd appears to love them. The women are immediately kicked out of the venue afterwards, but they're exuberant. As they walk down the street, Gloria says she thinks Ashley faked her death. | ||||||
Season 2 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Album Mode" | TBA | TBA | May 5, 2022 |
| 10 | 2 | "Triumphant Return to the Studio" | TBA | TBA | May 5, 2022 |
| 11 | 3 | "Who U Know" | TBA | TBA | May 5, 2022 |
Production
Development
On January 16, 2020, Tina Fey announced at a Peacock investor presentation event that she was executive producing an original series for the upcoming streaming service, Peacock.[7]
The series is executive produced by Fey, Meredith Scardino, Robert Carlock, Jeff Richmond, David Miner and Eric Gurian.[8] Production companies involved are Fey's Little Stranger, Carlock's Bevel Gears, 3 Arts Entertainment and Universal Television.[3] In October 2020, it was announced that the pilot episode would be directed by Kat Coiro.[9] On June 14, 2021, Peacock renewed the series for a second season.[1]
Some filming took place at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York, best known for being the home of Sesame Street.[10]
Casting
On August 10, 2020, Sara Bareilles was cast in a starring role.[11] In October 2020, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, and Paula Pell were stated to be joining the cast in starring roles alongside Bareilles.[12][13][14] In the same month, Ashley Park joined the cast in a recurring role.[15] On April 14, 2021, Daniel Breaker was announced to have cast in a recurring role.[16] On March 13, 2022, Scardino revealed that Amy Sedaris and Neil Flynn joined the cast for the second season at the SXSW Studio in Austin, Texas.[17] On April 6, 2022, additional guest stars were announced including Amber Ruffin, Chad L. Coleman, Grey Henson, Heidi Gardner, Hoda Kotb, James Monroe Iglehart, John Lutz, Judy Gold, Mario Cantone, Pat Battle, Piter Marek, Tim Meadows, and Property Brothers Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott,[18] alongside returning guest stars Andrew Rannells, Park, Erika Henningsen, Janine Brito, Jeremiah Craft, Jonathan Hadary, Breaker, and Julius Conceicao.[6]
Music
Most of the original songs for Girls5eva were composed by executive producer Jeff Richmond with lyrics by Meredith Scardino.[19] The songs were inspired by music of the late 1990s.[20] Bareilles also contributed to writing "4 Stars" and "I'm Afraid (Dawn's Song of Fears)";[20] she revealed that she was influenced by the music of Destiny's Child, NSYNC, and ABBA.[21] A soundtrack album was released on May 6, 2021, through Epic Records.[20]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Famous 5eva" |
| 3:03 | |
| 2. | "Dream Girlfriends" |
|
| 2:30 |
| 3. | "New York Lonely Boy" |
| The Milk Carton Kids | 2:34 |
| 4. | "Space Boys" |
|
| 2:31 |
| 5. | "I'm Afraid (Dawn's Song of Fears)" |
| Bareilles | 3:22 |
| 6. | "The Splingee" |
|
| 2:12 |
| 7. | "Boyz Next Door (Puber-Dude)" |
| Andrew Rannells | 2:36 |
| 8. | "Line Up" |
|
| 2:51 |
| 9. | "4 Stars" | Bareilles |
| 3:34 |
Release
Marketing
On February 17, 2021, an official teaser for the series was released.[23]
Broadcast
The series premiered on May 6, 2021, on Peacock.[24] Selected episodes made their linear TV debut on E!. In Canada, the series was set to debut on W Network on June 3, 2021.[25] The second season premiered on May 5, 2022, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis.[2]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 98% based on 45 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Smart, funny, and just nostalgic enough, Girls5Eva's intelligent insights are brought to brilliant life by its talented quartet, whose individual gifts come together to make sweet comedic harmony."[26] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 80 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]
The second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 6 critic reviews, with an average rating of 9.2/10.[28] On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 88 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[29]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 |
Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | [30] |
| Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series | Vanessa Williams | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing, Comedy Series | Chioke Nassor (for "Separ8 Ways") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series | Anna Drezen & Azie Dungey (for "Carma") | Nominated | |||
| Dorian TV Awards | Best TV Comedy | Girls5eva | Nominated | [31] | |
| Gold Derby TV Awards | Best Comedy Series | Girls5eva | Nominated | [32] | |
| Best Comedy Actress | Sara Bareilles | Nominated | |||
| Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | ||||
| Best Comedy Guest Actress | Tina Fey | Nominated | |||
| Best Comedy Guest Actor | Andrew Rannells | Nominated | |||
| Ensemble of the Year | The Ensemble of Girls5eva | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Series, Comedy | Girls5eva | Nominated | [33] | |
| Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Paula Pell | Nominated | |||
| International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) | Program of the Year | Girls5eva | Nominated | [34] | |
| Best Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Paula Pell | Nominated | |||
| Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Tina Fey | Nominated | |||
| Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Stephen Colbert | Nominated | |||
| Bowen Yang | Nominated | ||||
| Best Writing in a Comedy Series | Meredith Scardino (for "Pilot") | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Ensemble of Girls5eva | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Meredith Scardino (for "Pilot") | Nominated | [35] | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | Girls5eva | Nominated | [36] | |
| Individual Achievement in Comedy | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | |||
2022 |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Nominated | [37] |
References
- Hayes, Dade (June 14, 2021). "'Girls5Eva' Renewed For Season 2 By NBC Universal's Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- Nemetz, Dave (March 12, 2022). "Girls5eva Lands Season 2 Release Date at Peacock — Watch a Sneak Peek". TVLine. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- Andreeva, Nellie (January 16, 2020). "Tina Fey Producing 'Girls5Eva' Girl Group Original Comedy Series For NBCU's Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Justin, Neal (May 6, 2021). "The new sitcom 'Girls5Eva,' a parody of girl groups, is what you really, really want". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- Ashton, Will (May 15, 2021). "Peacock's Girls5eva Cast: Where You've Seen The Comedy Actors Before". CinemaBlend. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- NBC (April 6, 2022). "Peacock's Emmy-Nominated and Critically Acclaimed Comedy Series "Girls5eva" Casts Un4gettable Guest Stars in Season 2". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- Otterson, Joe (January 16, 2020). "Peacock Announces Original Series From Tina Fey, Partnership With Kevin Hart". Variety. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Nakamura, Reid (January 16, 2020). "Tina Fey-Produced Pop Star Comedy 'Girls5Eva' Ordered at Peacock". TheWrap. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Kroll, Justin (October 2, 2020). "Kat Coiro To Direct 'Girls5eva' Pilot For Peacock And Tina Fey". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- "At Kaufman". Kaufman Astoria Studios. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Petski, Denise (August 10, 2020). "Sara Bareilles To Headline Tina Fey's 'Girls5eva' Comedy Series For Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- Petski, Denise (October 1, 2020). "Renée Elise Goldsberry Joins Sara Bareilles In Tina Fey's 'Girls5eva' Comedy Series For Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - White, Peter (October 5, 2020). "Busy Philipps Joins The Band In Peacock's 'Girls5eva' Alongside Sara Bareilles & Renée Elise Goldsberry". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Pedersen, Erik (October 6, 2020). "'Girls5eva': Paula Pell Joins Peacock Comedy Series From Tina Fey". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- White, Peter (October 11, 2020). "Ashley Park Back In The Band In Peacock's 'Girls5eva'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 14, 2021). "'Girls5eva': Daniel Breaker Joins Cast For Peacock Music Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- Donnelly, Matt (March 13, 2022). "Amy Sedaris, Neil Flynn Join 'Girls5Eva' Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- White, Peter (April 6, 2022). "'Girls5Eva': Amber Ruffin, Heidi Gardner, Mario Cantone & Record Label-Owning Property Brothers Among Guest Cast For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- Gajjar, Saloni (May 8, 2021). "Meredith Scardino and Renée Elise Goldsberry on crafting Girls5eva's catchy original songs". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Memo, Heran (May 3, 2021). "'Girls5eva' Soundtrack to Arrive With Peacock Series, Including Sara Bareilles-Penned Song: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Atkinson, Katie (May 6, 2021). "Ahead of New Live Album, Sara Bareilles Is Taking Fans Back to the Hollywood Bowl". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- "Girls5eva (Music From The Peacock Original Series) by Girls5eva". Jaxsta. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- N'Duka, Amanda (February 17, 2021). "'Girls5eva': Peacock Series Unveils Teaser; Creator Meredith Scardino On Why Pop Music Was The Right Backdrop – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 6, 2021). "'Girls5Eva': Peacock Comedy From Tina Fey, Meredith Scardino Gets Premiere Date, Trailer & Art". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- "High Profile Comedy Girls5eva Takes the Stage Exclusively on W Network June 3". Corus Entertainment. April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- "Girls5eva: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Girls5eva: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- "Girls5eva: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
- "Girls5eva: Season 2". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- "PLENTY OF "LOVE" IN THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY!".
- "'Pose' and 'WandaVision' Lead Dorian TV Nominations".
- "2021 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations: 'The Crown,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'SNL,' 'Mare of Easttown' among top shows". Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association". Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- "International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)".
- "Girls5eva". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- "Television Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards". The Critics Choice Association. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
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