Streaming News Round-Up: ‘John Wick’ Prequel Heads to Peacock, Apple Announces Steve Martin Doc, ‘Physical’ Gets Season 3
Peacock will stream “The Continental,” the previously announced “John Wick” prequel series set to premiere next year. Originally slated for Starz, the three-episode “Continental” reveals the original story of the Continental Hotel, a key part of the popular neo-noir “Wick” universe, known for safely housing assassins. The action-thriller “Wick” movies star Keanu Reeves as a hitman forced to return to his criminal roots. Reeves won’t appear in the prequel, as it takes place 40 years prior to the movies.
It was announced this week that Apple TV will stream a documentary about iconic actor, comedian, and musician Steve Martin. The film will be directed by Morgan Neville, who helmed the Oscar-winning doc “20 Feet From Stardom.” No title or release date has been announced, but Martin currently stars in “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu with long-time collaborator Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
The Apple streamer also renewed the comedic drama series “Physical” for a third season. Rose Byrne stars as Sheila Rubin, a woman trying to build a fitness empire in the aerobic-crazed 1980s. Though tormented in private, exercise gives her much-needed public confidence. By the end of Season 2, Sheila is caught between her husband and an attraction to another man. At the same time, she has to deal with the threat of new business rivals.
Pixar’s “Cars on the Road” will debut on Disney+ on Sept. 8 and the streaming service released a trailer this week. The animated series follows Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) as they take off on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. “Like any real road trip, every day is a new mini-adventure with unexpected twists and turns,” says director Steve Purcell.
Watch the trailer for “Cars on the Road”:
Prime Video has taken the culinary arts to a whimsical level. This winter, “Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge” will debut, with Tamera Mowery-Housley (“The Real”) as host. Top bakers will be asked to craft creations inspired by famous Dr. Seuss characters. Horton, The Grinch, and Cat in the Hat have already made it to TV and the movies, but how will talented food artists recreate these iconic images in the kitchen?
Fox Nation will stream its first original film, “The Shell Collector,” on Sept. 1. It’s based on a book by bestselling author Nancy Naigle, known for her romantic fiction. Three more films will debut during the holiday season. “The Shell Collector” stars Caitlin Clark, Christopher Russell, and Jennifer Higgin in a story about a widow who becomes friends with offbeat characters in a seaside town. The announced films are part of the streamer’s efforts to introduce “softer, lifestyle content” to its more news-focused slate.
“Shock Docs: The Visitors” will stream on Sept. 5 on discovery+, while also airing on the Travel Channel. It addresses the experience of horror author Whitley Strieber, who claimed to have endured alien abduction in 1985, while spending Christmas at his family’s cabin. He revealed his terrifying experiences in the book – which was later turned into a film – “Communion.” “They are here,” said Strieber, while under hypnosis. Some 37 years later, Strieber is returning to the cabin where his nightmare began.
Tubi will develop the adult animated series “Breaking Bear,” a parody of monster dramas. The streamer says it combines elements of Yogi Bear with HBO’s “The Sopranos.” The show focuses on three siblings who sell drugs to raise money after the gas company starts fracking next to their cave. Eventually, the bears and their fellow creatures take on the Russian Mafia, Hell’s Angels, and polar bears.
“Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles” will stream on Netflix beginning on Sept. 23. Based on the video game “Pokémon Legends: Arceus,” it finds Ash, Pikachu, and friends exploring the Sinnoh region after receiving a mysterious message.