Netflix Tudum Event Showed Off So Many Wild Things, From Squid Game Finale to Lady Gaga's Surprise Appearance

Netflix recently put on its Tudum Global Fan Event in Los Angeles, and let me tell you, it was packed with news about all the shows and movies coming our way. Among the biggest moments were the official trailer for the third and final season of Squid Game, the first six minutes of Wednesday season 2, a teaser for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and finally some solid release dates for the fifth and last season of Stranger Things and the next Knives Out mystery. If you missed it, you really missed out on some wild stuff.

As we all know, the first season of Squid Game showed us Seong Gi-hun, a gambler who had nothing left to lose. He agreed to play children's games for a massive prize, but with a deadly twist: lose and you die. The first season ended with Gi-hun winning, but at a huge cost, as his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo took his own life. It was a brutal way to end things. Season 2 picked up three years later with Gi-hun trying to get back into the game, set on getting revenge against the Front Man. His brother, Jun-ho, a police officer, was also trying to find the island where the game happens. It was all about shifting loyalties, betrayals, and a big cliffhanger.

Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk originally thought of seasons 2 and 3 as one long season. But there were too many episodes, so he split them up. We got a tiny peek of season 3 back in January with a 15-second teaser that introduced a new killer doll named Chul-su. This doll is similar to the giant "Red Light, Green Light" doll Young-hee. The premise for season 3 sounds intense. It talks about a failed rebellion, a friend's death, and a secret betrayal. Gi-hun is at his lowest point after season 2's bloody ending. But the Squid Game does not stop for anyone. Gi-hun will have to make big choices as he and the surviving players face even deadlier games that really test them. Each round brings worse and worse consequences. Meanwhile, In-ho is back as Front Man, welcoming some mysterious VIPs. His brother Jun-ho is still looking for the island, not knowing there is a traitor among them. Will Gi-hun make the right choices, or will Front Man finally break his spirit? It sounds like it will be a truly emotional ending.

Wednesday Season 2 Teases Lady Gaga Performance And A Shocking First Six Minutes

Get Ready For More Spooky Fun With Jenna Ortega And Some Exciting New Cast Members

Jenna Ortega really made the character of Wednesday her own in the first season. At Tudum Netflix showed off the first six minutes of season 2. It featured a performance by Lady Gaga, who came out of a coffin to sing a couple of spooky songs. One of them was "Bloody Mary" from her album Born This Way. This was a clear nod to a viral video that used that song with Wednesday's amazing season 1 dance scene. It was a fun surprise.

Most of the main cast is coming back for season 2. Emma Myers as Enid and Joy Sunday as Bianca are returning. Luis Guzman and Catherine Zeta-Jones are back as Gomez and Morticia Addams. Isaac Ordonez plays Pugsley Addams again. Victor Dorobantu returns as Thing. Fred Armisen is back as Uncle Fester. Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo plays Deputy Ritchie Santiago. Hunter Doohan returns as Tyler Galpin, who we found out was a murderous Hyde in the season 1 finale. Jamie McShane, who plays Donovan Galpin, the Jericho sheriff and Tyler's father, will be a guest this season. It sounds like a lot of familiar faces will be around.

We will miss Gwendoline Christie’s Principal Larissa Weems and Christina Ricci’s villainous botany teacher Marilyn Thornhill, but at least we are getting the amazing Joanna Lumley as Hester Frump, Morticia’s mother. Other new cast members include Billie Piper as Capri, Steve Buscemi as the new Nevermore principal Barry Dort. Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, and Noah Tyler have also joined in roles we do not know about yet. Plus, Lady Gaga will have a guest appearance, and the new footage shows Haley Joel Osment making a cameo. Wednesday season 2 will come out in two parts. Part 1 arrives on August 6, 2025. Part 2 will follow on September 3, 2025. This means we will get to enjoy the spooky fun for a while.

Stranger Things Season 5 Will Finally Deliver Its Epic Conclusion In Three Parts

Get Ready For The Final Battle Against Vecna With A Time Jump And Huge Episodes

It has been a long and wild ride with the brave residents of Hawkins. Now we are finally getting close to the ultimate showdown against the dark force that has bothered the town since season 1. The fifth season will have eight episodes, and each one will be very long, almost like a feature-length film. I hope you have enough snacks ready. Along with the returning main cast, Amybeth McNulty and Gabriella Pizzolo are back as Vicki and Dustin's girlfriend, Suzie. Jamie Campbell Bower will return as the big bad, now known as Vecna. Linda Hamilton joins the cast as Dr. Kay, along with Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow, and Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers. It is great to see so many familiar faces returning for the end.

Season 4 ended with Vecna opening the gate that allowed the Upside Down to pour into Hawkins. We are getting a time jump for season 5, but in a way, it feels like we are coming full circle. The events happen around the third anniversary of Will's original disappearance in season 1. The official premise tells us it is the fall of 1987. Hawkins is damaged by the Rifts, and our heroes have one goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has disappeared, and his plans are unknown. To make things harder, the government has put the town under military quarantine and is hunting Eleven even more, forcing her to hide. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance gets closer, so does a heavy, familiar fear. The final battle is coming, and with it, a darkness more powerful and deadly than anything they have faced before. To end this nightmare, they will need everyone, the full group, standing together one last time. This sounds truly intense.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will drop in not one, not two, but three parts. Yes, you read that right. Volume 1 premieres on November 26, 2025. Volume 2 drops on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. The series finale will air on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025. I find this multi-part release schedule a bit annoying. Just give us the whole season at once, Netflix!

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Gets A Teaser And The Knives Out Mystery Continues

Exciting Previews For Horror Fans And Mystery Lovers From The Tudum Event

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to adapt Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for more than ten years. There have been so many versions of Shelley's book, and even more new takes. We finally got the first teaser for del Toro's movie, and it looks exactly what you would expect from the man who made movies like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. It is beautifully horrifying and visually rich. The official premise says "A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.” The story takes place in 19th-century Eastern Europe. Oscar Isaac stars as Victor Frankenstein, with Jacob Elordi playing the monster. Christopher Waltz plays Dr. Pretorious, who wants to continue Victor's work by tracking his monster. It turns out the monster did not die in a fire 40 years before. The cast also includes Mia Goth as Victor's fiancée Elizabeth, Felix Kammerer as Williams, Lars Mikkelsen as Captain Anderson, David Bradley as a blind man, and Ralph Ineson as Professor Kempre. Charles Dance will also appear in an undisclosed role. This looks like a must-watch for horror fans.

Rian Johnson's Knives Out film series is still going strong. The third movie, featuring Daniel Craig as the brilliant detective Benoit Blanc, is set to arrive a couple of weeks before Christmas. It is called Wake Up Dead Man: a Knives Out Mystery. Johnson is keeping plot details close to his chest. But we do know he has put together another all-star cast of suspects. This includes Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. This new mystery arrives on Netflix on December 12, 2025. Or, if you want to be fancy like Benoit Blanc, XII.XII.MMXXV.

Other Big Announcements From Netflix Tudum, From Happy Gilmore To The Rip

Matt Damon's Beard, Cookie Monster, And More Surprises Spotted At The Event

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were on hand to tease their upcoming film The Rip, a gritty crime thriller. Before showing the first footage, Affleck joked about Matt Damon's beard. "I trusted Matt would shave the beard before Tudum — and here we are," he said. Damon has the beard because he is working on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, where he plays Odysseus. The movie's plot says: "Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including whom they can rely on." Affleck mentioned that The Rip is aiming for a mix of Heat meets Narc meets Training Day. He called it a "really fun, engaging ride that keeps you guessing." The Rip comes to Netflix on January 16, 2026. Plus, for a fun little moment, Cookie Monster even made an appearance with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon at the event.

One of Adam Sandler's most well-known characters is coming back to the streaming screen on July 25. Happy Gilmore comes out of retirement to help his daughter's ballet dreams. The cast includes Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny as Happy's new caddie, Margaret Qualley, and Martin Herlihy from SNL's Please Don't Destroy. There will also be some sports cameos from Travis Kelce, AEW star MJF, and golf legend Rory McIlroy. This sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Also, fans of the live-action One Piece adaptation got their first look at the popular Straw Hat Crew member Tony Tony Chopper. He is voiced by Mikaela Hoover. Season 2 of One Piece will not be out until 2026.

Tudum's Impact And What It Means For Netflix's Future

A Look At How Netflix Connects With Fans And Its Strategy Moving Forward

The Tudum event, named after the sound Netflix makes before a show starts, is part of Netflix's ongoing effort to use fan excitement for its popular shows and keep people watching. Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee said it is about celebrating fans and giving them something back. She also admitted it is about promoting the huge list of content coming up. Netflix has been increasing its efforts in retail, with plans for physical stores and selling merchandise based on its shows. This shows they are serious about connecting with their audience in more ways.

Netflix held its first Tudum event in 2020 in São Paulo, Brazil. It started as a way to reward fans of young adult shows. It then grew into different types of events like festivals and live streams, feeling more like a fan convention. In 2023, Tudum in São Paulo had over 35,000 attendees and more than 78 million views across Netflix's social channels. That year was the first time Tudum was livestreamed directly on Netflix itself. The event felt like a two-hour variety show with Q&A segments and performances. Lady Gaga performing at the event, who will also be in the next season of Wednesday, shows how Netflix promotes its content across different platforms.

What makes Tudum special is how it brings together different fan groups. WWE wrestlers talked about their show on Netflix and their love for One Piece. Sofia Carson, a Netflix star, promoted her upcoming movie. Even Cookie Monster made an appearance with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Lee said she does not think another studio could pull this off. She noted that putting WWE fans next to Knives Out fans next to Lady Gaga fans for Wednesday is a huge accomplishment that only Netflix can do. While Netflix does not have classic characters like Mickey Mouse or old franchises like Star Wars, its strength is having something for everyone. This strategy makes people less likely to cancel their subscriptions. Industry experts say this is Netflix's competitive advantage. They have invested a lot to build a massive amount of content. The event itself showed this wide appeal with fans dressed up as characters from Wednesday, One Piece, and Squid Game. It was a true celebration of fandom.