‘Command Z,’ Steven Soderbergh’s Secret Series Starring Michael Cera to Stream on Director’s Website Next Week
Steven Soderbergh’s website probably wasn’t the spot anyone predicted would be the next new hot streaming destination. But it may become just that next week, as starting Monday, July 17 Soderbergh is unleashing a surprise new series on the world, and you can only stream it on the director’s website.
The show is titled “Command Z,” and starts Roy Wood Jr., Chloe Radcliffe, Michael Cera, J.J. Maley, and Jacqueline Antaramian. According to The Wrap, the show is about 90 minutes in total length, split into eight episodes. It’s a sci-fi satire set in the future, where a group of three people are contacted by a mysterious man who sends them back in time to 2023 to right mistakes committed in the past.
“Command Z” has had no advertising, and before Friday’s announcement, it had zero mentions on social media, so Soderbergh has managed to pull off the type of surprise that is difficult to achieve in the internet age. A trailer for the film is available to watch now, but once again, it’s only posted to Soderbergh’s site.
The timing of the release of “Command Z” is conspicuous. It comes just days after the release of Soderbergh’s new series “Full Circle,” the first episode of which is now available to stream on Max. The mystery series has a magnificent cast, including Claire Danes, CCH Pounder, Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beetz, and Dennis Quaid.
There aren’t many big-name directors like Soderbergh financing and producing content to release to their own websites, these days. Some streamers have taken to releasing premiere episodes on social media sites like Twitter — as Apple did recently with the first episode of “Silo” — or video hosting platforms like YouTube. It’s a novel way to deliver audiences new content, especially as writers and actors are currently on strike.
“Command Z” will be released Monday, July 17, and users can head to Steven Soderbergh's website to stream the series starting then.