Streaming News Roundup: ‘Salem’s Lot’ Moves To Streaming-Only Premiere, ‘Them: The Scare’ First Look, More
“Salem’s Lot” Will Skip Theaters to Stream Exclusively
The long-in-development film adaptation of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” is being made, after all, but will no longer premiere in theaters, opting for a Max-exclusive streaming premiere this year with an official date to be announced later.
Originally intended for a September 2022 theatrical release, New Line Cinema pushed the film to 2023 citing the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown for delays before removing it from its release calendar entirely. King’s 1975 novel was first adapted for the screen with CBS’s 1979 miniseries starring David Soul.
“Salem’s Lot” is written and directed by Gary Dauberman (“Annabelle”). The new version will see Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) return to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot looking to come up with an idea for a new novel but discovers his hometown’s residents are becoming vampires.
The ensemble also features Alfre Woodard, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou Asbæk, and John Benjamin Hickey.
Prime Video Releases First Look at “Them: The Scare”
Evil is among us. Prime Video has released the first-look images for the second installment of its Black horror anthology series “THEM.”
The second installment, entitled “THEM: The Scare,” will once again be set in Los Angeles and will center on LAPD Homicide Detective Dawn Reeve (played by Deborah Ayorinde), who, in 1991, is assigned to a new case: the gruesome murder of a foster home mother that has left even the most hardened detectives shaken. Determined to stop the killer, something ominous grips her and her family as she edges closer to the truth.
The season cast will also star Pam Grier, Luke James, Joshua J. Williams, Jeremy Bobb, Wayne Knight, Carlito Olivero, Charles Brice, and Iman Shumpert.
The first season, entitled “THEM: Covenant” debuted in April 2021 and also starred Ayorinde as part of a Black family who moves from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles during the Second Great Migration and whose “idyllic home slowly transforms into an epicenter of evil forces.” Ashley Thomas, Alison Pill, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Melody Hurd, and Ryan Kwanten co-starred.
All eight episodes of “Them: The Scare” will be available to stream on Prime Video] on Thursday, April 25.
“Conan O’Brien Must Go” Sets Max Premiere
Conan O’Brien is on the move! Max has set the premiere date for its upcoming international travel series “Conan O’Brien Must Go.”
A spin-off of his popular podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” the new series follows O’Brien as he travels to Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland to meet people had previously interviewed on the pod.
Watch the sneak peek for “Conan O’Brien Must Go” below:
“Conan O’Brien Must Go” marks the comedian, podcaster, and longtime late-night host’s return to the small screen since his late-night show “Conan” ended in 2021. All four episodes will be available to stream on Max on Thursday, April 18.
The CW and Roku Team Up For Leighton Meester-Led “Good Cop/Bad Cop”
Queen Bee and “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester is back for her crown at The CW. The network has announced a new collaboration with [The Roku Channel] for the new original scripted series “Good Cop/Bad Cop,” an eight-part procedural dramedy.
Created by John Quaintance (“Reboot”), the series follows Lou (Meester) and Henry (Luke Cook), an
“Odd Couple”-like sister-brother detective team who “must contend with colorful residents, a serious lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamic with each other and with their police chief, Big Hank (Clancy Brown)— who happens to be their father.”
Production is scheduled to begin later this spring in Australia with the series expected to premiere on both The CW and The Roku Channel in the United States next year.
Oscar Nominee “To Kill a Tiger” Now Streaming
While “To Kill a Tiger” may not have taken home the statuette for Best Documentary Feature Film at this weekend’s Oscars, Netflix subscribers around the globe can now stream the nominee.
Directed by Nisha Pahuja, “To Kill A Tiger” follows the story of Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, India, who takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of sexual assault.
Watch the trailer for “To Kill A Tiger” below:
The Hindi-language Canadian documentary lost to Ukraine’s “20 Days in Mariupol” at this year’s Academy Awards but has otherwise collected 27 awards since its premiere.
NCPA Pickleball Comes to TrillerTV+
Pickleball fans will get a full serving at TrillerTV+ this weekend. The global sports streaming service has announced it will stream live the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA) Championship this March 15–17.
Live from The Hub in San Diego, the NCPA Championship will feature top athletes from nearly 40 schools across the country, including Duke, University of Virginia, University of Florida, and more, competing for a $30,000 prize pool.
This will be the streamer’s first time presenting both pickleball and college sports. Formerly FITE+, TrillerTV+ has been expanding beyond combat sports since its rebranding this past December. Subscribers will be able to access the stream as part of their plan, and prospective customers can get a seven-day free trial.