1. Master auteur of political comedy Armando Iannucci is switching gears oh so slightly and mounting a live stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick‘s iconic Cold War dramedy Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Deadline). Finally, Martin McDonagh might have some competition in dark comedic theater.

2. Alexander Payne and his muse, Paul Giamatti, reunite for another showcase of how fun Giamatti is when yelling out of existential frustration with The Holdovers. This time, Giamatti plays a despised teacher tasked with looking after students who have nowhere to go during winter break and chaos (and heart-to-heart vulnerability too). Perhaps, a Breakfast Club for 2023?  Please enjoy a very retro style trailer for The Holdovers here, then look for its limited release come Oct. 27th.

3. For some comedians, the more dark and absurd the world is, the more they are called to push back with every bit of satire they can muster. That’s why UK comedian Dom July was seen leading a protest against illegal immigration to Great Britain dressed as Mickey Mouse (Variety). As to whether Disney cares about this use of Mickey Mouse, Disney CEO Bob Iger thankfully has bigger problems on his hands (WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strike and the Gov. of FL).

4. Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman‘s sensational debut/love letter to theater kids everywhere, Theater Camp, makes for Searchlight‘s best speciality box office numbers since JoJo Rabbit (Deadline). That should slightly make up for co-star Ben Platt side-stepping a question about nepo babies from Rolling Stone.

5. Love Actually‘s writer/director Richard Curtis is doing a live variety show called Christmas Actually that, apparently, has nothing to do with Love Actually in support of his charity Comic Relief (Deadline). If there is a running gag about how this isn’t related to seminal rom com Love Actually, they’ll probably raise more money.

6. Get ready for a bunch more comedy benefits supporting the Entertainment Community Fund and strike related mutual aid and to go and support.