Streaming Roundup (5/14/21), Including ‘The Beast Must Die’ and ‘Friends: The Reunion’
The AMC+ six-part revenge thriller “The Beast Must Die,” starring Jared Harris (“Mad Men”) and Cush Jumbo OBE (“The Good Fight”), streams July 5. The remaining episodes debut on the streamer each Monday. Learning the police have dropped the hit-and-run case of her young son, Frances Cairnes (Jumbo) ingratiates herself into the family of George Rattery (Harris), the man she deems responsible, and plots to kill him. “Beast” is based on the Nicholas Blake novel.
HBO Max has set May 27 for its long-awaited “Friends: The Reunion” special, taped at the original “Friends” soundstage on the Warner Bros. lot. Special guests include David Beckham, Justin Bieber, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon.
Here’s a look at other deals and upcoming projects:
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Joel Coen wrote and directed “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” a Shakespeare adaptation starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) for Apple Original Films in partnership with A24. “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will be released in theaters later this year and then debut on Apple TV+.
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The Law & Crime network is now available on The Roku Channel, which offers 190 free linear TV channels. Law & Crime’s original programs include “Brian Ross Investigates” and “Trial File.” Blanket coverage similar to the Derek Chauvin trial is planned for the trial of real-estate heir Robert Durst beginning May 17.
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Darren Star (“Emily in Paris”) will have his next rom-com, “Uncoupled,” on Netflix. It’s about a gay New Yorker in his 40s whose husband walks out on him after 17 years. Also, “Enola Holmes” has been renewed for a second season on the streamer.
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“Paris in Love,” a 13-part Peacock docuseries on Paris Hilton, follows her as she preps for her wedding to venture-capitalist Carter Reum. Plus, it has ordered the six-episode “Baking It” from executive producer Amy Poehler. Two home bakers compete and three baker grandmothers judge them. Poehler’s celebrity friends will host the competition. Peacock has also ordered a third “Psych” movie: “Psych 3: This Is Gus” that precedes the birth of Baby Guster. James Roday and Dulé Hill lead the cast of regulars. It’s being shot this summer in Vancouver.
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Chef Wolfgang Puck reveals his story in “Wolfgang,” premiering on Disney+ on June 25. The documentary chronicles his troubled childhood in Austria, training in France and tenure at Ma Maison in Hollywood in the Seventies before launching Spago, an instant hit with stars. Puck now runs over 100 restaurants worldwide, holds two Michelin stars, and is the only two-time recipient of the James Beard Outstanding Chef Award. He also hosts “Wolfgang Puck” on the Food Network.
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“Gordita Chronicles,” which counts Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) and Zoe Saldana among its executive producers, was greenlit by HBO Max. The comedy centers on a 12-year-old Dominican girl who struggles to fit into hedonistic Miami in the 1980s. Longoria directed the pilot.
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Russell Wilson and Ciara have signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. The husband-and-wife duo will develop film and TV projects for the studio via their production company, Why Not You Productions. Wilson is the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, with back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Ciara is a Grammy winner who has sold over 23 million records and 22 million singles worldwide.
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Restaurateurs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio started cooking as kids. Now, the brothers are hosting the discovery+ culinary competition series “Battle of the Brothers.” The pair mentors eight promising chefs for a competition testing their talents. The winner gets a guest-chef takeover of one of the Voltaggios’ restaurants and a chance to put their name on the food world’s map.