Streaming News Round-Up: ‘Umbrella Academy’ Renewed, ‘White Noise’ Teaser, McGregor to Lead ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’
Netflix has renewed its hit comic book drama “The Umbrella Academy” for a fourth and last season, which will complete the story of the Hargreeves “siblings,” superpowered orphans who spend their time saving the world. The show, which manages to blend thrills and family dysfunction with humor, is based on the graphic novels by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá. The full cast — Tom Hopper, Elliot Page, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallaghe, Justin H. Min, and Colm Feore — will be back in action for the sendoff.
Watch the trailer for “The Umbrella Academy”:
It was announced this week that “White Noise,” Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of the 1985 Don DeLillo novel, will open at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, followed by a stop at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 30, before heading to Netflix this fall.
In the film, Greta Gurwig and Adam Driver star as a married couple with kids who face disaster, a chemical spill has released a deadly toxic cloud. In the face of danger, they have to find some semblance of sanity and happiness. Netflix released an exciting teaser trailer for the film on Thursday.
Check out the teaser for ‘White Noise’:
Emmy winner Ewan McGregor — most recently seen on streaming in Disney+’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” will next lead Paramount+’s highly anticipated series adaptation of “A Gentleman in Moscow.” Based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles, McGregor plays a Russian count who, in the days following the Russian revolution, is sentenced to a life of house arrest in an attic room at the luxe Hotel Metropol after the Russian Revolution. Facing death if he steps outside, he is forced to build a new life within four walls. Kenneth Branagh had originally been announced for the role in 2018.
This week, Hulu released a trailer for its upcoming comedy “Reboot,” created by Steven Levitan (“Modern Family”). The show, coming Sept. 20, debuts with three episodes and follows the premise of a studio rebooting a once-popular family sitcom, which forces its crazy cast back together — with all their problems intact. The cast includes Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer, Johnny Knoxville, Paul Reiser, Rachel Bloom, and Krista Marie Yu.
Watch the trailer for “Reboot”:
A new version of “King Kong” is headed to Disney+. Based on Merian C. Cooper’s 1933 film, the latest incarnation will be partially set on Skull Island, but in the present day. The character of King Kong has spawned numerous films and even a Broadway musical. This project is from James Wan and his Atomic Monster production company and Stephany Folsom, who has worked on “Toy Story 4” and “Thor: Ragnarok.”
HBO and Larry David are enjoying the success of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — which explains its season 12 renewal. The award-winning comedy features David playing a semi-fictional version of himself, the “Seinfeld” creator obsessed with social interactions and the minutiae of everyday life. The series also features his friends: Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis, and Ted Danson. The first season of the long-running show aired in October 2000.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Walking Dead,” “Friday Night in with The Morgans”) has joined the cast of Amazon’s subversive superhero dark comedy “The Boys” as a recurring guest star for Season 4. No specifics about his role have been released, but based on his years as “TWD” villain Negan, it will be interesting to which side he ends up on: The Boys or The Seven.
“A Jazzman’s Blues,” a story of forbidden love in the Deep South, arrives on Netflix on Sept. 23. The film, set to a blues score, was written and directed by Tyler Perry. The streamer’s logline reads: “Set from 1937 to 1987, an investigation into an unsolved murder unveils a story full of forbidden love, deceit, and a secret that has been held for 40 years.” The film, first debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, stars Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as star-crossed lovers.
“Kiddie Kai,” a new series focused on kids in the martial arts, is set to debut on discovery+ on Sept. 6. The series takes place in the South at a martial arts hot spot known as the Blackbelt Byway. The competition is fierce, but the kids get a chance to prove what they’ve got.
Capitol Broadcasting Co. has launched WRAL News+, a 24/7 multiplatform streaming-first local news network that targets both streaming and radio audiences. WRAL News+ can be accessed in Raleigh, Durham, and across North Carolina’s Research Triangle, online at WRAL.com, the WRAL app on a smart TV, and the WRAL mobile app. Raleigh-Durham is home to Duke, the University of North Carolina, and NC State University.