Brand New Cherry Flavor is an American horror drama television miniseries created by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, based on the novel of the same name by Todd Grimson. The cast includes Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, Eric Lange, Manny Jacinto, and Jeff Ward. The series premiered on Netflix on August 14, 2021.
Lisa, a young filmmaker, arrives in 1990s Hollywood to meet a well-connected film producer who has been impressed by her short horror film. Lisa signs a contract with the producer based on his promise that she can direct, but after rebuffing his sexual advances she is dropped from the film. Feeling powerless, she makes a deal with a witch to help her on a quest for revenge.
Contents
Cast and characters
Main
Rosa Salazar as Lisa Nova
Catherine Keener as Boro/Jennifer Nathans
Eric Lange as Lou Burke
Jeff Ward as Roy Hardaway
Recurring
Manny Jacinto as Chris/Code
Hannah Levien as Christine Woods
Siena Werber as Mary Gray/Boro
Daniel Doheny as Jonathan Burke
Darcy Laurie as Ralph
Sean Owen Roberts as James
Guest stars
Leland Orser as Mike Nathans
Patrick Fischler as Alvin Sender
Gabriel LaBelle as Tim Nathans
Production
On November 15, 2019, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for an 8-episode series. The miniseries was created, written and executive produced by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion. Arkasha Stevenson directed the first episode. Production companies involved with the series consists of Eat the Cat and Universal Content Productions. Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, Eric Lange, Manny Jacinto, and Jeff Ward had joined the cast. On December 17, 2020, Hannah Levien, Leland Orser, and Patrick Fischler were announced as recurring cast members. Principal photography took place on location in Vancouver and Los Angeles from November 2019 to March 2020. The series was released on August 13, 2021.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes collected 37 reviews and identified 78 percent of them as positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The critics consensus states, "Though definitely not for all tastes, Brand New Cherry Flavor is a delightfully deranged trip anchored by another incredible performance from Rosa Salazar." According to Metacritic, the series received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 from 13 reviews.