Streaming Roundup (3/31/21), Including ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” an original animated series, is launching on Disney+ May 4, with a special 70-minute premiere. New episodes follow every Friday, starting May 7. The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch as they navigate the galaxy after the Clone War. Bad Batch — a squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — possess skills that make them formidable soldiers.
Here’s a look at other deals and upcoming projects:
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“The Handmaid’s Tale” has a new trailer out for season four. June (Elisabeth Moss) is now deemed “Public Enemy No. 1” in Gilead. June strikes back against Gilead as a fierce rebel leader, but the risks she takes bring unexpected and dangerous challenges. Per Hulu: “Her quest for justice and revenge threatens to consume her and destroy her most cherished relationships.” “The Handmaid’s Tale” upcoming season, debuting April 28, stars Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, Max Minghella and Madeline Brewer.
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The “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series at Disney+ begins production in April. Ewan McGregor reprises the role of Kenobi from the “Star Wars” prequel films. The story begins 10 years after “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” Kenobi confronts the corruption of Anakin Skywalker, his best friend and Jedi apprentice, who turns into Darth Vader.
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Top division Italian Serie A soccer games are moving from ESPN To CBS Sports and Paramount+ next season. The agreement will include around 400 club matches live each season through 2024. You can read more about the deal here.
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“The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo” has been renewed for a second season at HBO Max. The live-action preschool series kicks off this fall. It will include more interactive games and a new look. Elmo returns as host, with Cookie Monster as his co-host.
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Amanda Seyfried and Naveen Andrews have been cast in the Hulu drama series “The Dropout.” Seyfried plays Elizabeth Holmes, who founded the medical testing start-up Theranos. Her empire crumbled when it was discovered none of the technology worked and thousands were put at grave risk. Andrews (“Lost”) stars as Sunny Balwani, Holmes’ business partner and secret boyfriend who served as president of the doomed enterprise.
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Wagner Moura joins Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”) in the Apple TV series “Shining Girls,” an adaptation of the 2013 Lauren Beukes novel. Moss plays a Chicago reporter who survives a terrible assault, then tries to hunt down her attacker. Moura (“Narcos”) portrays a veteran journalist breaking the story of a copycat attack.
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“Leonardo” one of this year’s most anticipated period dramas, will stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.K. April 16. The U.S. release date is still to be confirmed. “Leonardo” is an eight-part dramatized retelling of the life of the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, played by Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit” franchise). The series is produced by Lux Vide and Rai Fiction with Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and RTVE in Spain.