Posted Fri May 19, 2017 at 07:00 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
A Dark Crystal prequel series and a Netflix adaptation of The Witcher fantasy series are among the latest streaming announcements.
Netflix and Amazon have released new trailers, date announcements, and other info for several of their upcoming shows and movies, including F is For Family, GLOW, Okja, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Witcher, and Long Strange Trip.
In addition, Motor Trend OnDemand has announced plans to stream special free content on May 20 through May 26.
Check out a full rundown of the latest streaming news and trailers below:
F is For Family: Season Two (Netflix, May 30) - From comedian Bill Burr and Emmy award-winner Michael Price, F is for Family transports viewers back to the 1970s, a time when political correctness, helicopter parenting and indoor smoking bans weren't part of anyone's vocabulary, let alone the norm. Featuring the voices of Burr, Laura Dern, Justin Long, Sam Rockwell and more.
GLOW (Netflix, June 23) - Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the 80s, GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women's wrestling. In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin), a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture perfect life turns out not to be what it seems. At the wheel is Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling super stardom.
Okja (Netflix, June 28) - Follows Mija, a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named Okja. Mija will be played by Seohyun An. The movie also stars Tilda Swinton (Hail, Caesar!, Moonrise Kingdom), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Everest), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave), Devon Bostick (The 100), Lily Collins (To The Bone), Byun Heebong (The Host), Shirley Henderson (Anna Karenina), Daniel Henshall (The Babadook), Yoon Je Moon (Mother), Choi Wooshik (Set Me Free) and Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead). Producers include Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Lewis Taewan Kim, Dooho Choi, Woo-sik Seo and Bong Joon Ho.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix, Coming Soon) - The 10-episode fantasy adventure series is a prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan favorite The Dark Crystal, and takes place many years before the events of the film. The series will be shot in the U.K., and will star an ensemble of fantastical, state-of-the-art creatures created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop and Brian Froud, the original feature's conceptual designer. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance returns to the world of Thra with an all new adventure. When three Gelfling discover the horrifying secret behind the Skeksis' power, they set out on an epic journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save their world. Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk) will executive produce and direct the series. An exact release date has not been announced yet.
"The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will combine the art of puppetry perfected by The Jim Henson Company, with Louis' vision, powerful storytelling and a mix of cutting-edge digital imagery and visual effects," said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. "I can’t wait for families around the world to see how we bring these unique characters to life."
In addition, Netflix has also announced plans to develop an English language drama based on The Witcher fantasy series of novels and video games from Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. Known collectively as the Witcher Saga, Sapkowski's eight novels and story collections center on "witchers" -- hunters who develop supernatural abilities at a young age to battle deadly monsters. Andrzej Sapkowski is on board as a creative consultant for the series. Meanwhile Sean Daniel (The Mummy franchise, The Expanse) and Jason Brown (The Expanse), are listed as executive producers, along with Tomek Baginski (Oscar nominated short The Cathedral) and Jarek Sawko (The Fallen Art, Another Day of Life) from Platige Image, the Polish production and visual effects company. An exact release date has not been announced yet.
"Andrzej Sapkowski has created a rich and memorable world, at once magical and familiar," said Erik Barmack, Netflix Vice President, international series. "We couldn’t be more excited about bringing The Witcher saga to Netflix members around the world."
Long Strange Trip (Amazon Prime Video, June 2) - The 30-year odyssey of the Grateful Dead was the most unlikely success story in rock and roll history. Famously averse to publicity, seemingly incapable of recording radio-friendly hits, they flouted music-industry convention by giving their live music away to a global network of tape traders, becoming the highest-grossing concert act in America on word of mouth alone. Executive produced by Scorsese (Silence), Long Strange Trip is the first full-length documentary to explore the fiercely independent vision, insistence on continuous innovation, and uncompromising commitment to their audience that propelled the original jam band from a Bay Area pizza parlor to the ranks of the most enduringly influential musicians of their generation. By assembling candid interviews with the band, road crew, family members, and notable Deadheads, director Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) unearths the untold history of the Dead and the freewheeling psychedelic subculture that sprouted up around it, while providing poignant insight into the psyche of late lead guitarist
Finally, Motor Trend OnDemand has announced plans to celebrate this Saturday's National Streaming Day by having its top show hosts pick their favorite episodes to stream for free from May 20 to May 26. The lineup is set to include series like Ignition, Hot Rod Garage, Dirt Every Day, Engine Masters, Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, The Racing Line, The House of Muscle, and Head 2 Head. Shows can be accessed at https://www.motortrendondemand
- A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming.
- A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Instant Video is available as a standalone service for $9 per month.
Sources: Netflix (YouTube), Amazon (YouTube), Netflix, Motor Trend OnDemand
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