Hulu rejects political ads / "Eragon" Disney+ series / "Undeclared War" trailer / ClixTV hits 6M monthly users

Plus today's calendar, Paulson joins "Dust," animation chief exits Netflix, "Gray Man" at #1, "Me Time" trailer, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network July 26, 2022

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Hulu has declined to run political ads about a number of hot button issues heading into the 2022 midterm elections. A Hulu policy against running any political ads on "controversial" subjects has led to rejections of campaign spots from Democratic candidates and organizations discussing topics like abortion and gun control. More: Unlike broadcast networks, Hulu is not bound by the Communications Act of 1934, meaning that it's not required to provide candidates with equal access to its platform. New York Democratic candidate Suraj Patel was the first to speak out about the policy; Patel claimed he was also limited from speaking in an ad about climate change and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Ads from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association have since been rejected, but were okayed to air on ESPN and an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, both of which are also owned by parent company Disney. Disney and Hulu declined to comment. According to tracking firm Kantar Media, about $7.8 billion will be spent on political advertising during the 2022 cycle. WASHINGTON POST

"Eragon" (2006) Variety reported that Disney+ entered development on a live-action series based on "The Inheritance Cycle" YA fantasy novels by author Christopher Paolini. The first book in the series, "Eragon," was self-published in 2002 and inspired a widely-panned 2006 film of the same title starring Rachel Weisz, Jeremy Irons, and John Malkovich. More: According to the report, Paolini will executive produce and co-write the series. The series follows the story of a farm boy named Eragon who discovers a dragon egg, raises the dragon that emerges, and learns to become a legendary Dragon Rider. The series contains 4 books, and has sold over 41 million copies worldwide. VARIETY

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DAILY CALENDAR TUESDAY, JULY 26 SHANIA TWAIN: NOT JUST A GIRL: Documentary profile looking back at the life and career of the country music artist, from her humble beginnings in Timmins, Ontario, through preparations for her forthcoming sixth studio album. The film features appearances from Lionel Richie, Diplo, Avril Lavigne, and Orville Peck. [Netflix] STREET FOOD: USA: The "Street Food" culinary docuseries returns for a third season, focused on delicacies prepared in carts, booths and stalls across the United States. (Previous editions focused on Asia and Latin America.) Featured locations include Los Angeles, Portland, New York, New Orleans, Miami, and Oahu. [Netflix] WHITNEY CUMMINGS: JOKES: The comedian's fifth special -- recorded at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark -- was entirely self-financed. Topics include dating young men, life before social media, and what it's like to have your photos leaked online. [Netflix] DI4RIES: Debut coming-of-age comedy series from Italy following the everyday lives of students at Galileo Galilei middle school. [Netflix] NEVER SEEN AGAIN: Debut true crime docuseries in which real people search for answers about their missing loved ones, and recount the stories about the last time the individuals were ever seen. Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry executive produced and appears in the debut episode. [Paramount+] SANTA EVITA: Spanish-language period drama series from Argentina about the 22-year journey of First Lady Eva Perón's corpse following her death in 1952. Prior to the completion of a monumental burial site for Perón, her husband's regime was overthrown, turning the fate of her remains into a political controversy. [Hulu] BUGS BUNNY BUILDERS: Debut animated series for young kids from Cartoon Network, streaming on HBO Max's Cartoonito hub. A group of Looney Tunes characters -- including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Lola Bunny, Porky Pig, and Foghorn Leghorn -- take jobs working for the ACME Construction Company. [HBO Max] HUDSON & REX: Procedural crime drama series from Canada following the investigations of Major Crimes Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon) and his partner, a trained German Shepard named Rex. Season 2 comes to the US today via the UP Faith & Family streaming service. [UP]

Peacock released a new trailer for the techno-thriller series "The Undeclared War." The show debuts on August 18. More: The series depicts a cyber-attack on the UK, taking place on the eve of 2024 national elections. "Wolf Hall" vet Peter Kosminsky wrote and directed; he describes his goal as "giv[ing] audiences an insight into a world certain to impact our lives significantly in the years ahead." The cast includes Hannah Khalique-Brown, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, and Adrian Lester. COLLIDER

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The free streaming guide app ClixTV has passed 6 million monthly unique users only 10 months after its launch. The app is now available on over 80 platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and a number of mobile devices. More: More than 99% of overall ClixTV use comes from mobile devices. The app offers lists of top-rated and new release series and films, along with recommendations, filters by genre and categories, and trailers. The app earns revenue via advertising and sponsorships, rather than revenue-sharing deals with streamers. Clix has more than 8 million registered users. Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Stacy Jolna previously led the marketing team at TiVo, and has also worked for CNN and News Corp./TV Guide's Digital TV Group. DEADLINE

Sarah Paulson signed on for the lead role in the Searchlight horror thriller film "Dust." The movie will premiere as a Hulu Original in the US; production is scheduled to begin in August. More: Paulson will star as a woman trapped with her family in a perilous dust storm during which she encounters a "terrifying presence." "Westworld" vet Karrie Course wrote the film and will co-direct along with her frequent collaborator, Will Joines. Paulson is also attached to star in a TV adaptation of Glennon Doyle's memoir "Untamed" for J.J. Abrams' company, Bad Robot. DEADLINE

Netflix's Director of Adult Animation, Mike Moon, announced plans to exit the company at the end of the month. Moon joined Netflix 4 and a half years ago following stints at Sony Pictures Animation, Disney Television Animation, and Cartoon Network. More: Moon's departure is apparently not connected to the recent management changes within Netflix's family animation division. Netflix remains committed to the Vine Studios production facility, the creation of which was largely overseen by Moon. Animated projects shepherded and developed by Moon include "F is for Family," "BoJack Horseman," and "Big Mouth"; both "BoJack" and "Big Mouth" are considered among the streamer's biggest animated hits to date. DEADLINE

The $200 million action-thriller "The Gray Man" -- from directors The Russo Brothers and stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans -- was the #1 most popular movie on Netflix in the US over the weekend, following its July 22 debut. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how successful or widely-viewed the high-profile film has been for the streamer overall. More: Most new Netflix films featuring notable stars debut at #1 on the streamer's own internal chart; for example, last week, the Jane Austen adaptation "Persuasion" with Dakota Johnson held the top spot. As "The Gray Man" is Netflix's most expensive original film this year, the streamer is likely hoping it demonstrates staying power over the next few weeks. "The Man from Toronto" -- starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson -- remains in the #6 spot on Netflix's Top 10 in its second month on the site; so far, it's holding better than the Adam Sandler sports drama "Hustle." The Sony horror film "Umma" starring Sandra Oh debuted earlier this week on Netflix; the studio's video game adaptation "Uncharted" arrives on August 19. INDIEWIRE

Netflix dropped a trailer for the upcoming buddy comedy film "Me Time." Kevin Hart stars as a stay-at-home dad who reconnects with an old friend (Mark Wahlberg) for a wild weekend away from his wife and kids.  More: The cast also includes Regina Hall, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Jimmy O. Yang. "Along Came Polly" and "I Love You, Man" vet John Hamburg wrote and directed. The film hits Netflix on August 26. FIRST SHOWING

QUICK HITS When you align headless CMS with a modern DAM and analytics, you can serve personalized content that keeps people coming back.* Selena Gomez's cosmetics company, Rare Beauty, teamed with Hulu on a curated collection of products themed after "Only Murders in the Building" and her character, Mabel Mora. According to original author Richard Riordan, the Disney+ "Percy Jackson" TV series likely won't debut until early 2024. Paramount+ renewed the true crime docuseries "Never Seen Again" -- in which families seek help from viewers in the search for their missing loved ones -- for a second season. The 8-part darkly comic British thriller series "Wedding Season" comes to Hulu in the US on September 8; Rosa Salazar stars as a woman whose husband and family are murdered at her wedding, leading her to blame the man (Gavin Drea) with whom she's been having an affair. Netflix grabbed the global rights to the BBC drama series "Champion" from creator Candice Carty-Williams ("Queenie"); the story centers on siblings who become rival rappers in the south London hip-hop scene. "Winning Time" writer/producer Rodney Barnes extended his overall deal with HBO for three additional years; Season 2 of the sports drama series is currently in pre-production. Super Coffee, the #3 ranked bottled coffee brand in the US behind Starbucks and Dunkin’, is replacing the negatives with only positive ingredients.* *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 Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade.

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