Comcast launches StreamSaver / Apple "Wolfs" trailer / Latest on "Yellowstone" sequel / Galitzine to star as He-Man

Plus today's calendar, Kidman and Efron in "Family Affair," "Rings of Power" intros Bombadil, Scott joins "Knives Out 3," and more

Inside Streaming For May 29, 2024

Hey there! Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming daily brief. I started up Season 2 of Amazon's sci-fi Western "Outer Range" last night. I enjoyed Season 1 a lot but it debuted on Prime Video way back in April of 2022, and I discovered soon after hitting play on the first of the new episodes that I don't really remember the show that well. Oh, I recalled the BASICS. Josh Brolin is a rancher in Wyoming who discovers a mysterious void on his property with the ability to seemingly warp time and space in confusing ways. But I wasn't too clear on the specifics, and as Season 2 picks RIGHT UP on the action in the midst of a CHAOTIC NIGHT for all of the characters, I found myself completely, hopelessly lost. Wikipedia helped somewhat, but it just took a full two episodes of patience before I finally pulled it all back together. This isn't really the show or the creative team's fault. I'm sure they'd have preferred Season 2 to follow Season 1 in a more timely fashion, and they can't help it if there's a series of Hollywood strikes that push everything back a year. It's a sad symptom of the streaming era, when there are lots more shows, but most of them only run for 6-10 episodes at a go. So you only get to visit with them for a few weeks, maybe once every 12-16 months, and just have to either rely on your long-term memory to hold out, or just rewatch things to refresh before new seasons. Which is time-consuming! If nothing else, Amazon should at least produce a more thorough, helpful "Previously On Outer Range" prologue to help people like me, who are making a good faith effort. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Comcast officially launched its StreamSaver Bundle offer on Wednesday in the US. Xfinity broadband customers now have the option to subscribe to Apple TV+, along with ad-supported Netflix and Peacock plans, for $15 a month all together. More: Comcast had already offered Peacock at no additional charge to Xfinity broadband and cable subscribers. Nonetheless, the company suggests that customers will now receive 30% off -- saving nearly $100 a year -- by combining all three services. StreamSaver Bundle subscribers also have the option to add Comcast's "NOW TV" package for an additional $15 per month; this includes access to 40 live streaming channels, featuring content from cable networks like AMC, A&E, Hallmark, and Lifetime. Comcast owns NBCUniversal, which includes the Peacock streaming service.

2 Apple and Columbia Pictures released a trailer for the action comedy film "Wolfs." George Clooney and Brad Pitt co-star as a pair of elite professional fixers who always work alone, until they're both brought in for the same discreet and dangerous assignment. More: The film comes from Jon Watts, who's best known for directing the Tom Holland "Spider-Man" trilogy; he also wrote and directed the 2015 indie thriller "Cop Car." "Wolfs" reunites Clooney and Pitt, who co-starred in the "Ocean's Eleven" series together; the pair co-produced the film as well, alongside Clooney's frequent creative collaborator, Grant Heslov. Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan co-star. The film will open in movie theaters on September 20 before moving to Apple TV+.

3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 DANCING FOR THE DEVIL: THE 7M TIKTOK CULT: Three-part true-crime docuseries looking into allegations against 7M Films and its founder, Robert Shinn. The organization presents itself as a management company for dancers, models, actors, and social media influencers, but has been accused of operating as a cult. Derek Doneen ("Heist") directs. [Netflix] BIONIC (BIÔNICOS): 2024 sci-fi thriller film from Brazil, set in a dystopian future in which robotic prosthetics have changed the way athletes compete. Jessica Córes stars as a competitive long jumper who has to compromise her personal ethics in order to move up in the sport. Alfonso Poyart ("Solace") directs. [Netflix] THE LIFE YOU WANTED (LA VITA CHE VOLEVI): Limited Italian comedy-drama series starring Vittoria Schisano as Gloria, a transgender woman who reluctantly welcomes an old friend (Pina Turco) from her pre-transition days back into her life. Giuseppe Zeno, Alessio Lapice, and Nicola Bello co-star; Ivan Cotroneo ("Kryptonite!") created. [Netflix] COLORS OF EVIL: RED (KOLORY ZŁA: CZERWIEŃ): 2024 crime thriller from Poland, based on a novel by Malgorzata Oliwia Sobczak, about the police investigation into the body of a young girl that washes up on a beach, which connects to a prior case from 15 years earlier. Maja Ostaszewska and Jakub Gierszal co-star; Adrian Panek ("Werewolf") co-wrote and directs. [Netflix] CAMDEN: Four-part music docuseries from the UK, looking back at the many iconic artists and cultural figures who have passed through the titular London neighborhood over the years. The film features commentary from Chris Martin, Little Simz, Nile Rodgers, Boy George, Yungblud, Pete Doherty, Mark Ronson, Questlove, and Dua Lipa, who also executive produced. [Hulu] LAINEY WILSON: BELL BOTTOM COUNTRY: Music special from ABC News in which the country singer-songwriter looks back on her life and career, ahead of the release of her fourth studio album, "Bell Bottom Country." "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts hosts. [Hulu] BEAT SHAZAM: The Fox game show, in which contestants attempt to identify songs faster than the famous mobile app, returns this week for a seventh season, with Jamie and Corinne Foxx back as hosts. New episodes air Tuesdays on TV and stream Wednesdays on Hulu. [Hulu] THE QUIZ WITH BALLS: Debut game show from Fox in which families face off in trivia challenges; players giving incorrect responses are knocked into a pool of water by a giant ball. Jay Pharoah hosts. New episodes air Tuesdays on Fox and hit Hulu on Wednesdays. [Hulu] MOVIEPASS, MOVIECRASH: Documentary examining the rise and fall of the beloved but ill-fated subscription service, which offered deep discounts on movie tickets for a monthly fee before quickly going bankrupt and prompting investigations. Muta'Ali Muhammad ("Cassius X: Becoming Ali") directed. [Max] HOMICIDE HUNTER: AMERICAN DETECTIVE: True crime docuseries from Investigation Discovery in which homicide detectives from across the US recount their most difficult or memorable cases. Lt. Joe Kenda hosts. It's back this week for a fourth season. [Max] TRACES OF LOVE (EVIDÊNCIAS DO AMOR): 2024 romantic comedy-drama feature from Brazil, starring Fábio Porchat as a heartbroken guy getting over a devastating breakup, who unwittingly travels through time whenever he hears he and his former fiancé's favorite song. Pedro Antonio co-wrote and directs. [Max]

4 Puck News has posted a number of rumors and updates about Paramount's plans for a "Yellowstone" sequel series. Puck reported that a number of "Yellowstone" veterans -- including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, and Luke Grimes -- are finalizing deals to appear in the follow-up series. More: Though Matthew McConaughey and Michelle Pfeiffer's involvement in the new "Yellowstone" has been rumored for months, their participation apparently remains uncertain. The second half of "Yellowstone's" fifth and final season goes into production over the summer, for a planned November premiere. Those episodes will set up the sequel series, and will reveal the fate of original star Kevin Costner's character, John Dutton. Costner exited "Yellowstone," at least in part, to develop his new franchise of epic Western films, "Horizon: An American Saga"; the first film in the series his theaters in June.

5 Nicholas Galitzine will star as He-Man in Amazon MGM's upcoming "Masters of the Universe" film. The remake, inspired by the iconic Mattel toy line, is headed for theaters in June 2026. More: "Bumblebee" vet Travis Knight has been tapped to direct. English actor Galitzine had a breakthrough role in Amazon's 2023 rom-com "Red, White & Royal Blue," and co-starred with Anne Hathaway in this year's Prime Video comedy feature "The Idea of You." In the new take, Prince Adam (aka He-Man) comes to Earth as a child, and then later decides to return to his home world of Eternia to defeat the powerful villain, Skeletor. "Masters of the Universe" previously inspired a famously campy 1987 film adaptation, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man. There have been several failed attempts to revive "Masters of the Universe" for film and TV over the last few decades; "Kung Fu Panda" vet John Stevenson, "Wicked" helmer Jon M. Chu, McG of "Charlie's Angels" fame, and "The Lost City" duo Aaron and Adam Nee have all been attached to direct at various points.

6 Netflix released a trailer for the romantic comedy feature "A Family Affair," starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King. King plays a young woman who discovers that her mother (Kidman) is having an affair with her boss (Efron), a self-absorbed movie star. More: Kidman and Efron previously co-starred in the 2012 crime drama "The Paperboy." Richard LaGravenese ("The Last Five Years," "Beautiful Creatures") directs. The film comes to Netflix on June 28.

7 Season 2 of Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" series, "The Rings of Power," introduces actor Rory Kinnear as the J.R.R. Tolkien character Tom Bombadil. Vanity Fair ran a few first-look photos of Kinnear in costume for the role. More: Kinnear co-starred in Daniel Craig's James Bond films as Bill Tanner, chief of staff for M; he also co-starred as numerous characters in Alex Garland's 2022 horror film "Men." In Tolkien's writings, Bombadil is a supernatural character who appears to exist outside of time, and is largely unconcerned with the day-to-day business of the world. As "Rings of Power" co-showrunner J.D. Payne explained to Vanity Fair, Bombadil is a largely "anti-dramatic character" who "observes drama, but largely doesn't participate in it." "Rings of Power" returns for Season 2 on August 29.

8 QUICK HITS "Ripley" and "Fleabag" vet Andrew Scott joined the cast of Netflix's third "Knives Out" film; Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, while Josh O'Connor and Cailee Spaeny also joined the ensemble this week. HBO announced "City of God: The Fight Rages On," a sequel series continuing the story from the 2002 Brazilian crime epic "City of God"; the new series hits Max and HBO in August. Verizon is offering a discount on YouTube Premium for its myPlan subscribers; the service, which typically costs $13.99, is available via Verizon for $10/month. Both seasons of the Showtime crime drama series "Your Honor" -- starring Bryan Cranston as a New Orleans judge desperate to protect his son following a deadly hit-and-run accident -- come to Netflix this Friday. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai makes a guest appearnace on Season 2 of Peacock's "We Are Lady Parts," arriving later this week; an early peek at the episode features Yousafzai dressed as a cowgirl atop a horse. Netflix's sci-fi action film "Atlas" received around 28 million views over the Memorial Day weekend, according to the company's internal data, hitting the streamer's Top 10 chart in 93 countries. Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli -- the writer/director behind last year's Nicolas Cage indie hit "Dream Scenario" -- will direct episodes of the upcoming HBO thriller "The Shards"; the series -- about a serial killer stalking Los Angeles in the 1980s -- is based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, which also inspired a popular 2022 podcast. "Daisy Jones & the Six" vet Camila Morrone took a role in the second season of "The Night Manager"; Tom Hiddleston returns for the revivial of the classic BBC John le Carré adaptation. "Hit Man" and "Andor" actress Adria Arjona joined the cast of the upcoming Prime Video series "Criminal," based on the graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Netflix ordered the eight part Italian comedy series "Maschi Veri," about four male friends in their 40s who must come to grips with their deeply-held prejudices and "toxic masculinity."

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Lon Harris Writer 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." This newsletter was edited by Lon Harris

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