Formula 1 film to Netflix / "Strange World" skips France / HBO shuts down "Demimonde" / "Day Shift" featurette

Plus today's calendar, potential Roku takeover, "Ted Lasso" ending, Netflix films to Venice, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network June 08, 2022

Apple picked up a Formula One-themed film project from actor Brad Pitt and "Top Gun: Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski. Pitt will star as a driver who comes out of retirement to help a rookie take on a legendary champion. More: Screenwriter Ehren Kruger and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, both of whom collaborated with Kosinski on "Maverick," have also signed on for the new project. Apple first entered negotiations to pick up the film exclusively back in January. Earlier this year, Apple grabbed a separate Brad Pitt project from "Spider-Man: No Way Home" vet Jon Watts; that one stars Pitt and George Clooney as two professional fixers who are assigned the same job. DEADLINE

Disney plans to release the animated film "Strange World" directly to Disney+ in France. In a statement to Deadline explaining the decision, Disney referred to France's mandatory four-month theatrical window as "anti-consumer," putting the company "at increased risk for piracy." More: Earlier this year, France agreed to drop its traditional 36-month SVOD waiting period down to four months; though a number of studios and streamers signed on to this new agreement, Disney and Amazon both declined. Under France's current system, Disney releases can debut on VOD platforms after four months, and then become available to Canal Plus at six months; at 17 months, the films can debut on Disney+. The sci-fi adventure "Strange World" comes from "Big Hero 6" director Don Hall, and follows a family of explorers seeking out fantastical creatures; it will bow in US theaters on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. DEADLINE

DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 MS. MARVEL: The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series stars Iman Vellani as 16-year-old Kamala Khan, an ordinary New Jersey teen and Captain Marvel superfan who gets powers of her own from a magical bangle. "Loki" vet Bisha K. Ali created and wrote the series; "Bad Boys for Life' vets Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah led the directing team. [Disney+] ULTRA VIOLET & BLACK SCORPION: Debut fantasy comedy series from Disney Channel, starring Scarlett Estevez as 13-year-old Violet, who's given a magical luchador mask that transforms her into a superhero. Now, she fights side-by-side with her similarly-powered uncle, Black Scorpion (J.R. Villareal). The first 10 Season 1 episodes hit Disney+ today. [Disney+] INCREDIBLE DR. POL: Nat Geo Wild reality series centered on veterinarian Jan Pol and his practice in rural Weidman, Michigan. 12 episodes from the show's 20th season come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] BAYMAX DREAMS: Collection of short films exploring the digital dreams of the medical robot character from the film "Big Hero 6" (and the upcoming spinoff series "Baymax!") The shorts were produced using a cutting-edge "real-time" animation process. [Disney+] HUSTLE: Sports drama feature starring Adam Sandler as a former basketball scout attempting to revive his stalled career by bringing a hot international prospect (Juancho Hernangómez) into the NBA. Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, and Robert Duvall co-star; the film also features numerous cameos from NBA players. Jeremiah Zagar ("We the Animals") directed; Sandler and LeBron James executive produced. [Netflix] KEEP SWEET: PRAY AND OBEY: Docuseries profiling fundamentalist Mormon sect leader and self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs, whose group practiced polygamy and forced underage marriage prior to his 2007 arrest. Jeffs was ultimately prosecuted by the states of both Utah and Texas; he's been sentenced to life in prison. Rachel Dretzin ("Who Killed Malcolm X?") directed. [Netflix] BABY FEVER (SKRUK): Comedy-drama series from Denmark starring Josephine Park as a fertility doctor who gets drunk one night and artificially inseminates herself with her ex-boyfriend's sperm, leading to a host of complications. [Netflix] GLADBECK: THE HOSTAGE CRISIS: Documentary feature from Germany, looking back on an infamous 1988 bank robbery in Gladbeck, in which two armed offenders took hostages and led police on a two-day manhunt, culminating in a shootout. The incident became a media circus that raised new questions about the role of journalism in a crisis. [Netflix] THE JANES: Documentary feature about an influential group of pre-Roe v. Wade female activists who covertly helped an estimated 11,000 women access safe, low-cost abortions. The film features memories and insights from several of the activists, who called themselves "Janes." Emma Pildes ("Jane Fonda in Five Acts') and Tia Lessin ("Trouble the Water") directed. [HBO Max] HUNGRY FOR ANSWERS: Food and travel docuseries in which writer and restauranteur Caroline Randall Williams travels across the US revealing the fascinating and frequently untold Black stories behind popular American foods. [Discovery+] YELLOWJACKETS: Season 1 of the acclaimed Showtime mystery-thriller series will start streaming on Paramount+ as well; the first two episodes arrive this week. The story jumps back in forth in time, between a 1996 plane crash that strands a girls' high school soccer team in the Canadian wilderness, and the still-lingering consequences of the incident on the player's lives in the present day. The cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Juliette Lewis, Sophie Nélisse, and Christina Ricci. [Paramount+] AMAZING ANIMAL FRIENDS: Nature series featuring stories of unconventional animal friendships from around the world, including an orphaned rhino calf living among dogs and sheep in South Africa; duck and dog besties from France; and an elephant who thinks it's a buffalo in Zimbabwe. Lara King narrates. [Paramount+] PAW PATROL: JET TO THE RESCUE: 2020 animated TV movie -- produced for Nickelodeon -- in which the pups of the Paw Patrol defend Barkingburg from the Duke of Flappington's latest villainous scheme. [Paramount+] KILLER CASES: Each episode of the A&E true-crime series examines a different criminal case, from the initial incident, through the investigation, the courtroom and judicial process, and ultimately the verdict. Season 2 aired in 2021 on cable and comes to Hulu today. [Hulu]

HBO canceled plans to produce the sci-fi drama series "Demimonde" with filmmaker J.J. Abrams and his company, Bad Robot. At issue was the proposed budget, said to be in the $200 million range for the show's first season. More: According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Television and HBO had hoped to rein in the costs, but Bad Robot refused. WB Discovery is reportedly reviewing the company's overall deal with Abrams and Bad Robot, which it inherited following April's merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. Abrams wrote the pilot for "Demimonde" and planned to direct; Danielle Deadwyler was to star as a scientist attempting to reconnect with her family after they were separated by a tragic accident. DEADLINE

The Making of "Day Shift" Netflix's Geeked Week continued on Tuesday and Wednesday with updates about films and animated projects. The action-comedy film "Day Shift," starring Jamie Foxx as a pool-cleaning single dad who hunts the undead by night, got a behind-the-scenes featurette; the film arrives on August 12. More: "The School for Good and Evil" -- based on the book by Soman Chainani -- co-stars Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso as girls from the same village sent to an academy for princesses and witch queens; Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron co-star as the respective headmistresses. "School for Good and Evil," from "A Simple Favor" vet Paul Feig, debuts in the fall. Netflix announced the development of a "Ghostbusters" animated series from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" collaborators Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan. Anthony Hopkins joined the cast of "Rebel Moon," the sci-fi adventure film from director Zack Snyder. The streamer also dropped a trailer for "The Sea Beast," a new animated adventure film from "Moana" vet Chris Williams, featuring the voices of Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, and Dan Stevens. Geeked Week continues on Thursday with a full day dedicated to "Stranger Things" news and updates. POLYGON

According to Business Insider, Roku is exploring a potential takeover bid by Netflix. Following the publication of the report, Roku shares jumped in value. More: Business Insider reported that Roku recently closed the window during which employees can sell vested stock grants. The Roku purchase would grant Netflix access to the company's ad sales platform, just as it begins its transition away from an all-subscription revenue model. Netflix could theoretically also promote its subscription content on the free-to-watch and widely-viewed Roku Channel. THE STREET

"Ted Lasso" writer and co-star Brett Goldstein told The Sunday Times that the beloved Apple TV+ comedy series will wrap up after its third season. Goldstein said "It was planned as three," adding "spoiler alert: everyone dies." More: Goldstein co-stars as the show as prickly soccer icon Roy Kent. Co-creators Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis have yet to comment on the potential end of the series; in the past, Lawrence has indicated that it's Sudeikis' call when to wrap up the story. Season 3 of "Ted Lasso" is currently in production; no release date has been announced. CNN

Ana de Armas According to Variety, four Netflix originals are in consideration to screen at this year's Venice Film Festival in September. Netflix prefers launching new titles in Venice as opposed to France's Cannes Film Festival, as that event requires the movies to screen for a 15-month theatrical window before heading to streaming platforms. More: The films include Andrew Dominik's Marilyn Monroe biopic "Blonde," starring Ana de Armas as the screen icon; Noah Baumbach's adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel "White Noise," starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig; Alejandro Iñárritu's "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths"; and Romain Gavras' tragedy "Athena." Last year, Netflix premiered "The Power of the Dog" in Venice; the film's director Jane Campion went on to win the Oscar for her work on the film. The festival's final line-up will be selected by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera, who apparently has yet to view all the US submissions. VARIETY

Apple released a trailer for the upcoming limited series "Black Bird." The six-episode drama -- which is based on a true story -- features one of the final screen performances from late actor Ray Liotta, who died in May at age 67. More: Taron Egerton stars in the series as the son of a police officer who's sentenced to 10 years in prison; to get time knocked off of his sentence, he agrees to befriend a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser) in the hopes of extracting a confession. Liotta will play the Egerton character's father. The series was created by "Mystic River" and "Shutter Island" author Dennis Lehane, who called working with Liotta the "culmination of a lifelong dream." "Black Bird" hits Apple TV+ on July 8. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

QUICK HITS Everything you need to successfully create and launch an influencer campaign. Get the influencer program starter kit.* Insider reported that three companies -- ESPN, Netflix, and NBCUniversal -- are currently bidding on the US streaming rights for Formula 1 racing; so far, ESPN is the only company to confirm the report. Amazon dropped a new trailer for the military thriller series "The Terminal List," starring Chris Pratt and based on the novel by Jack Carr; the series arrives on July 1. HBO Max renewed the crime drama series "Tokyo Vice" -- starring Ansel Elgort as an American reporter covering the crime beat in Japan in the 1990s -- for a second season. Though the film was produced mostly in English, an entirely Comanche language dub of the upcoming "Predator" film "Prey" will be available to stream on Hulu; this will be the first time a feature-length film has been made available on a streaming platform in Comanche. Netflix apparently isn't planning any further changes to its "Stranger Things" release schedule; Netflix's head of scripted series for the US, Peter Friedlander, said during a Variety panel that the show's final season would proceed with the "binge" model, despite Season 4 being divided into two parts. According to Decider, MUBI's release of "Decision to Leave," the new noir film from acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook, marks the platform's transition from a niche streaming service into a major player on the international arthouse scene. Reality stars and real estate developers Todd and Julie Chrisley ("Chrisley Knows Best") were convicted in federal court on Tuesday of tax evasion, conspiring to defraud banks of $30 million, and other financial crimes; their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted of filing false tax returns. Netflix grabbed the global streaming rights to the Taiwanese found footage horror film "Incantation," centered on a family of cult worshippers in Kaohsiung; it's the year's top-grossing film at the Taiwan box office. *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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