Mumblecore fans rejoice!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker Joe Swanberg got a series- order from Netflix for his new project Easy. Easy  is an anthology series that follows an ecclectic group of characters in Chicago as they deal with love, sex, technology, and culture on the modern age. The series will consist of 8 half- hour episodes.  

The show is already boasting an impressive cast- Orlando Bloom, Malin Ackerman, Michael Chernus, Marc Maron, Elizabeth Reaser, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Aya Cash, Dave Franco, Jane Adams, Hannibal Burress, and previous Swanberg collaborator Jake Johnson (Drinking Buddies, Digging Fire) are all set to appear.

So, many of you are probably wondering what mumblecore is exactly. There’s a loose list of characteristics that define the very loose film genre. The main one is tone- mumblecore is usually very ordinary, day- in-the- life, slightly deconstructionist dramedy, though it can also be deconstructionist horror (see: You’re Next, which Swanberg also stars in).  Dialogue’s often improvised. Up until recently, non- famous actors were usually used. It’s a timely genre to be talking about seeing as it came into the cultural lexicon at SXSW, the annual tech and pop culture festival that’s currently being held in Austin, TX. It’s always very auteur- centered- the directors often write, produce, and act in their projects as well. Mumblecore emerged from the growing indie film scene where more and more directors made films for lower and lower budgets. Mark and Jay Duplass (Cyrus, Safety Not Guarenteed) are a coupleof the most breakthrough successes from the genre.

Swanberg was one of the people at the forefront of the movement with his film Kissing on the Mouth. He’s  directed and appeared in several mumblecore movies over the past decade. He’s dabbled in the horror (I’d tell you what his film V/H/S is about but I was unable to see the trailer through my hands) but is firmly rooted in the dramedy category. In fact, Easy has a seemingly identical premise to his previous web series (created with brother Kris) turned IFC show Young American Bodies.

This is a part of Netflix’s $5 billion investment into original programming. It’s already added a few auteur comedies with Aziz Ansari’s sweet Master of None and more recently Judd Apatow’s very Judd Apatow-y Love.