Tom's Top 3: February 24, 2026
TV and Film
Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s installment of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays, where I highlight three pieces of content (Podcasts/Shows/Songs/Articles/etc.) that I found interesting or noteworthy from the prior week.
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[TV Show] HBO - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Whether you are a Game of Thrones fan or not, there is something in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for everyone. It’s a beautiful, well-paced adventure centered on a “hedge knight” looking for something more, set 100 years before the plot of GoT.
Each episode is around 30 minutes, making it an enjoyable binge if you are looking for something to watch. While certainly reminding me of what I love about GoT, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings a fresh amount of levity and feel-good brotherhood that is lacking in the flagship shows.
It has reignited my love of Westeros, and now I can’t wait for the next season of House of the Dragon coming this summer.
[Movie] Lionsgate - Fruitvale Station
I finally got around to watching Fruitvale Station last week. This movie tells the heartbreaking story of the 2009 murder of 22-year-old Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan) by a BART police officer in Oakland. This movie put Ryan Coogler on the map, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
I was fortunate to see this on the big screen for my first time. The shared experience in the audience heightened the devastating impact of the film, leaving many in tears. If you have the chance to see it theaters, you should. Many theaters are re-airing the movie to highlight Black stories during Black History Month.
[2-Part Podcast Series] The Town - Sony Film CEO on Losing ‘Sinners’ and the Endless Big Tech Battle and Part 2: Sony Film CEO on Marvel’s Decline and Hollywood’s Originality Crisis
I think Tom Rothman is one of the most interesting and entertaining film executives in the business. He’s very funny, and he showed he can command a room in this interview with The Town’s Matt Belloni and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw.
This interview was really more of a call to action: “Make Dope Shit.”
Rothman explained that the film industry is in a crisis of unoriginality. Studios need to lean into scarcity as an asset (for characters, actors, or franchises), drive cultural urgency, and promote robust windows (where movies stay off streamers for 45 days). He described how Sony’s data shows box office success is driven by longer theatrical windows and their streaming success is driven by the benefits of theatrical marketing.
If you made it to this point, drop a comment to say hi. And as always, please like and consider sharing with a friend who you think would enjoy! I’ll be back next week. ✌️