Netflix lawsuit / "House of the Dragon" teaser / "Saved by the Bell" canceled / Netflix's Chappelle statement

Plus today's calendar, "Saint X" set shutdown, "Uncoupled" trailer, Hulu submits "Fresh" for Emmys, "Prince of Tides" series, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network May 05, 2022

Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings A lawsuit filed by Netflix shareholders in San Francisco federal district court on Tuesday alleges that the company misled investors by not disclosing key information about password sharing and subscriber losses. According to the lawsuit, Netflix executives allowed the stock to trade "at artificially inflated prices" throughout 2021 and early 2022. More: Netflix declined to comment on the suit. In court documents, shareholders claim that Netflix forecasted significant subscriber increases during an investor showcase in October 2021, initially setting expectations for the fourth quarter of 2021 at 8.5 million and Q1 of 2022 at 2.5 million. Overall, Netflix subscriptions dropped by 200,000 in Q1 2022; the company shed $54 billion in market value in a single day after the numbers were released. The class action suit seeks an undisclosed amount in damages that would be split among investors holding the stock between October 2021 and April 2022. GIZMODO

A new trailer from HBO gives us our most detailed look yet at the upcoming "Game of Thrones" prequel series "House of the Dragon." The new show is set 200 years prior to the events of the previous series, and was inspired by George R. R. Martin's book "Fire & Blood," about the history of the Targaryen dynasty. More: The new series features Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, and Matt Smith. "Thrones" vet Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal ("Colony") serve as co-showrunners. Though this is the second and longer trailer that HBO has released, the network is still referring to it as a "teaser." "House of the Dragon" debuts on August 21. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, MAY 5 STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS: Debut "Star Trek" spinoff series, following the adventures of the USS Enterprise and its crew in the years just before the original 1960s series. Anson Mount stars as Captain Christopher Pike; the cast also includes Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong, and Celia Rose Gooding. [Paramount+] THE STAIRCASE: Scripted true-crime drama series, inspired by the iconic docuseries, about the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette) and the ensuing investigations into, and legal proceedings against, her novelist husband, Michael (Colin Firth). Antonio Campos ("Christine") and Maggie Cohn ("American Crime Story") co-created the series; the cast also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Juliette Binoche, Parker Posey, and Sophie Turner. [HBO Max] LAS BRAVAS F.C.: Debut Spanish-language sports comedy-drama series, starring Mauricio Ochmann as a legendary European soccer star who suffers a career-ending injury, then returns to his Mexican hometown to coach the local women's team. Mauricia Barrientos, Iran Castillo, Ana Valeria Becerril, and Esmeralda Soto co-star. [HBO Max] GIRLS5EVA: The comedy series about a short-lived girl group from the early '00s who reunite for a middle-aged comeback returns today for a second season, which finds the ladies prepping a new album. Sara Bareilles, Busy Phillips, Paula Pell, and Renée Elise Goldsberry co-star; "Kimmy Schmidt" vet Meredith Scardino created the series and serves as showrunner. [Peacock] DRAGONS: THE NINE REALMS: The animated adventure series -- part of DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise -- is set in the present day, and follows a group of kids who discover the hidden, underground world of dragons. Season 2 debuts today on both Hulu and Peacock. [Hulu and Peacock] LAST SURVIVORS: 2021 direct-to-VOD thriller starring Drew Van Acker and Stephen Moyer as an adult father and son living alone in the wilderness, 20 years after the fall of civilization, whose idyllic and serene lives are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Alicia Silverstone). [Hulu] THE PENTAVERATE: Six-episode limited comedy series from creator Mike Myers, about an ancient Illuminati-esque society of five men who secretly control global events, and the Canadian journalist attempting to expose them to the world. Myers stars in multiple roles alongside Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West. [Netflix] WILD BABIES: Eight-episode nature series tracking 17 animal families in 16 countries, with a focus on the birth and early development of their young. Subjects include lions, wild dogs, sea otters, orangutans, and grizzly bears. Helena Bonham Carter narrates. [Netflix] CLARK: Six-part Swedish-language limited crime drama series starring Bill Skarsgård as notorious gangster Clark Olofsson, who became legendary after a failed '70s bank robbery that gave rise to the term "Stockholm Syndrome." The series is loosely based on Olofsson's own, dubious autobiography. Jonas Åkerlund ("Polar") directed. [Netflix] BLOOD SISTERS: English-language crime drama series from Nigeria starring Ini Dima-Okojie and Nancy Isime as two friends who go on the run together after accidentally killing the groom on the night before one of them is set to get married. This is Netflix's first-ever original series from Nigeria. [Netflix] THE BIG CONN: Four-part true-crime docuseries from "McMillions" duo James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, profiling Kentucky lawyer Eric C. Conn, who orchestrated a $550 million Social Security scam as part of the largest theft of government money in the program's history. [Apple TV+] THE PORTER: Eight-part fact-based period drama series, originally produced for Canada's public broadcaster the CBC, set among a group of unionizing Black train porters in '20s Montreal and Chicago. Aml Ameen and Ronnie Rowe Jr. co-star as war buddies who find themselves at the center of the fight; Alfre Woodard co-stars and executive produced. [BET+] TASTE OF THE BORDER: Debut culinary and travel docuseries in which cookbook author and "MasterChef" Season 6 champ Claudia Sandoval takes in the culinary landscape of the US-Mexico border, from San Diego to South Padre Island, and investigates how cooks blend foods, flavors, techniques, and experiences from separate cultures. [Discovery+] THE DRY: Debut comedy-drama series from Ireland starring Roisin Gallagher as a 35-year-old Londoner who returns to Dublin for her grandmother's wake, and finds staying with her family and remaining sober more challenging than she expected. Ciarán Hinds, Pom Boyd, Siobhán Cullen, and Moe Dunford co-star. [BritBox]

Peacock's "Saved by the Bell" revival series has been canceled after two seasons. Season 2 debuted back in November of 2021. More: The show featured a number of returning cast members -- including Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, and Mario Lopez -- alongside a new group of student characters. The show earned largely positive reviews and won the GLAAD Media Award for best comedy series last month. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Netflix released a statement condemning the attack on Dave Chappelle during its Los Angeles comedy festival. The streamer wrote: "We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence." More: A spokesperson for Chappelle also released a statement noting that his combined four nights at the Hollywood Bowl tied the all-time record for comedy performances at the venue, first set by the Monty Python troupe. Chappelle's statement said that he "refuses to allow [the attack] to overshadow the magic of this historic moment." According to TMZ, Chappelle's alleged attacker -- 23-year-old Isaiah Lee -- is a rapper who previously posted a 2020 song inspired by the comedian; he's being held on $30,000 bail. VARIETY

Filming on the Hulu drama series "Saint X" shut down this week in the Dominican Republic following a pay dispute between the production and multiple crew members. According to Deadline, the key grip and several members of the team's electric unit walked off the set, alleging they have not been compensated for overtime work. More: The series is being produced by ABC Signature, a division of Disney Television Studios. A representative for Disney TV said that the crew members will be replaced by different union members from the US. The series is based on a 2020 novel by Alexis Schaitkin and centers on a woman's search for her missing sister, who disappeared during a Caribbean vacation. Earlier this week, lead actor Victoria Pedretti announced she was leaving the project; she will be replaced by Alycia Debnam-Carey. DEADLINE

"Uncoupled" Netflix dropped the first trailer for "Uncoupled," a new comedy series from "Emily in Paris" creator Darren Star. Neil Patrick Harris stars as a gay New Yorker who finds himself suddenly single in his mid-40s when his husband walks out after 17 years of marriage. More: Star co-created the series with "Modern Family" and "Frasier" vet Jeffrey Richman. MTV Entertainment Studios produced the series, as part of its overall production deal with Star. The eight-part first season arrives on July 29. DEADLINE

Hulu submitted the horror-comedy film "Fresh" for Primetime Emmy consideration. "Fresh" now has a chance to become the first-ever horror film to earn a nomination in the Emmy TV movie categories. More: The film, the feature directorial debut of Mimi Cave, debuted at this year's Sundance, where it was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan co-star as a new couple whose romance is challenged by his unconventional dietary habits. Stan is also considered an Emmy contender for his role in the Hulu limited series "Pam & Tommy," in which he plays Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. "Fresh" is now streaming on Hulu. VARIETY

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple is developing a TV adaptation of the 1991 drama film "The Prince of Tides." "The Help" vet Tate Taylor is attached to write the script; the original film was based on a 1986 novel by Pat Conroy. More: No actors have yet signed on to the project, though it's apparently being shopped around to "A-list talent." Apple declined to comment on the report. The original film stars Nick Nolte as a troubled man who falls in love with his sister's psychiatrist; Barbra Streisand co-starred as the psychiatrist and also directed. Taylor is best known for his work on films, including "Get On Up" and "The Girl on the Train"; he previously created and directed the short-lived Fox drama series "Filthy Rich." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

QUICK HITS Pitch to Jesse Draper, Baron Davis, and more at SeedInvest's pitch competition for historically underrepresented founders. Over $40,000 in prizes. Apply now.* Netflix previewed its upcoming reality series "Love on the Spectrum," an adaptation of an Australian format following a group of singles with autism as they navigate the world of dating. Disney+ is developing a film adaptation of the YA novel "Out of My Mind" by author Sharon M. Draper; Phoebe-Rae Taylor will star as Melody Brooks, a bright 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Netflix released a trailer for the Adam Conover-hosted educational docuseries "The G Word," which takes an unconventional look at the inner workings of the US government. "Game of Thrones" vet Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will join Jennifer Garner in the Apple limited series "The Last Thing He Told Me," based on the novel by Laura Dave; he'll co-star as Garner's husband, who has mysteriously disappeared. Netflix dropped a trailer for the action film "Interceptor," starring "Fast and Furious" vet Elsa Pataky as an officer who single-handedly defends a key military installation from an elite team of mercenaries; it arrives on June 3.  YouTube announced plans to shut down its international Android app -- YouTube Go -- in August; the company will recommend that users download the main YouTube app instead. For the first time since 1998, The SAG Awards will not air on TNT; the ceremony is currently seeking a new broadcast or streaming home. If your site is struggling, it may be time for a more powerful commerce platform. Read our eBook and find out if your business is ready.* *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Jonathan Harris is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles.

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