The highly anticipated US streaming service, Paramount+, is finally coming to the UK this month – and we can now reveal more details about the original shows that will be streaming right from the start.
The global digital subscription video streaming service features a mountain of entertainment for audiences of all ages.
HERE’S WHAT WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT
HALO (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Episodes 1-3 Dropping at launch, with new episodes releasing weekly every Wednesday.
In its adaptation for Paramount+, HALO will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. HALO will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future. HALO stars Pablo Schreiber as the Master Chief, Spartan-117; Natasha McElhone as Dr. Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan super soldiers; and Jen Taylor as Cortana, the most advanced Al in human history, and potentially the key to the survival of the human race.
THE FIRST LADY (PARAMOUNT+ EXCLUSIVE)
Box Set drop at lauch/ All ten episodes available
Starring: Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson
In the East Wing of the White House, many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by Artierica’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies. This serieswill peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women tracing their journeys to Washington through interweaving storylines with an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt. Additional cast includes Kiefer Sutherland as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Aaron Eckhart as President Gerald Ford and O-T Fagbenle as President Barack Obama.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Episodes 1-3 dropping at launch, with new episodes released weekly every Wednesday
Based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. The series will feature fan favorites from season two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock.
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (PARAMOUNT+ EXCLUSIVE)
Episodes 1-3 dropping at lauch, with new episodes released weekly every Wednesday
Based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the iconic film starring David Bowie, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH will follow an alien, played by Chiwetet Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future. Naomie Harris plays Justin Falls, a brilliant scientist and engineer who must conquer her own demons in the race to save two worlds. Additional cast includes Jimmi Simpson, Rob Delaney, Sonya Cassidy, Joana Ribeiro, Annelle Olaleye, Kate Mulgrew, Clarke Peters and Bill Nighy.
THE OFFER (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Box Set drop at launch/ All 10 episodes available
THE OFFER is based on Oscar®-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’ extraordinary, never-before-seen experiences of making “The Godfather.”After ditching his job at the Rand Corporation for a shot in Hollywood, Al Ruddy wins the job to produce Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel, “The Godfather” for Paramount Pictures. The series stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus and Patrick Gallo as Mario Puzo.
SUPER PUMPED: THE BATTLE FOR UBER (PARAMOUNT+ EXCLUSIVE)
Episodes 1-3 dropping at launch, with new episodes releasing weekly every Wednesday
The series tells the story of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorn company, Uber. The season pivots on Travis Kalanick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Uber’s hard-charging CEO who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup, and his sometimes tumultuous relationship with his mentor Bill Gurley (Kyle Chandler), the plainspoken, brilliant Texan venture capitalist who bets his sterling reputation on Uber’s success – and then has to live with the consequences. Thurman stars as Arianna Huffington, the savvy businesswoman and co-founder of The Huffington Post, who was an Uber board member.
MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Box Set drop at launch/ All 10 episodes available
MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN follows the McLusky family, power brokers and liaisons between prisoners and the community in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
YELLOWSTONE (PARAMOUNT+)
Seasons 1-3 available at launch
YELLOWSTONE follows the Dutton family, led ty John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the country, which is under constant attack by those it borders-land developers, the Broken Rock Indian reservation, and the country’s first National Park. It’s a generational family saga, set against the backdrop of the great frontier, where land grabs make developers billions, and politicians are bought and sold by the world’s largest oil and lumber corporations, where drinking water poisoned by fracking wells and unsolved murders are not news; they are a consequence of living in the new frontier. The series depicts the best and worst of mankind seen through the eyes of a pioneering family.
1883 (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Box set drop at launch/ All 11 episodes available
The Yellowstone origin story, 1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. In a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty, 1883 sees the family seek a better future in America’s promised land: Montana.
Sam Elliot is Shea Brennan, a tough as nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past. He has the herculean task of guiding a group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill portray James and Margaret Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family.
AMERICAN RUST (PARAMOUNT+)
Box set drop at launch/ All 9 episodes available
AMERICAN RUST is a compelling family drama that will explore the tattered American dream through the eyes of complicated and compromised chief of police Del Harris (Jeff Daniels) in a Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania, full of good people making bad choices. When the woman he truly loves (Maura Tierney) sees her son accused of murder, Harris is forced to decide what lengths he is willing to take to protect him.
YELLOWJACKETS (PARAMOUNT+)
Box set drop at launch/ All 10 episodes available
Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, YELLOWJACKETS is the saga of a wildly talented high school girls soccer team who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later.
iCARLY (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Box set drop at launch/ All 13 episodes of S1 available
Based on the original hit sitcom, Carly follows Carly Shay, the original influencer, and her friends as they navigate work, love and their family in their 20s. The new iCarly series will feature two new cast members: Laci Mosley as Harper, Carly’s roommate and best friend; and Jaidyn Triplett as Millicent, Freddie’s snarky and social media-savvy stepdaughter. Mosley and Triplett will appear alongside returning original series stars, Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress.
QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE (PARAMOUNT+)
Episodes 1-3 dropping at launch with new episodes releasing weekly every Wednesday
The first-of-its-kind global singing competition featuring the fiercest drag queens from 10 countries around the world. In each episode, contestants will debut a new musical performance, singing live in front of an audience and the “Pop Diva Panel” of judges in the hopes of being crowned “Queen of the Universe” and taking home a $250,000 cash prize. The series is hosted by Graham Norton, with Vanessa Williams, Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel and Leona Lewish forming the “Pop Diva Panel” of judges.
JERRY AND MARGE GO LARGE (PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL)
Full movie available at launch
Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening star in this inspired comedy following the remarkable true story of how retiree Jerry Selbee (Cranston) discovers a mathematical loophole in the Massachusetts lottery and, with the help of his wife Marge (Bening), wins $27 million and uses the money to revive their small Michigan town. Additional cast includes Larry Wilmore, Rain Wilson, Anna Camp, Ann Harada, Jake McDorman, Michael McKean and Uly Schlesinger. The film is produced by Academy Award nominee Gil Netter, Levantine Films and executive produced by Kevin Halloran. Amy Baer also produced via MRC Film’s Landline Pictures. The film was developed based on the original article by Jason Fagone for The Huffington Post.
BLOCKBUSTER HIGHLIGHTS
Some of the best movies to look forward to this month
and on mobile and a wide range of connected TV devices via the Paramount+ app, via broad direct-to-consumer distribution through Apple, Amazon, Google, Roku® and Samsung, with more platforms to be announced in the coming months. Users will be able to sign up to the service for £6.99 per month/£69.90 per annum in the UK, after a free seven-day trial*.
Paramount+ will launch on Sky platforms in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Austria in 2022 as part of a new multi-year distribution agreement that also includes the extended carriage of Paramount’s leading portfolio of pay-TV channels. Sky Cinema subscribers will get the bonus of Paramount+ included at no extra cost.
Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow) is the latest star to join the cast of Bass Reeves, a new drama series coming from Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Tulsa King) and Paramount+, according to Deadline. Bass Reeves was announced as a spinoff to the Yellowstone prequel, 1883 back in May 2022 with David Oyelowo (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time) attached to star as the legendary lawman.
Bass Reeves will follow Oyelowo as someone who is known to many as “the greatest frontier hero” in American history in his own series on Paramount+. The streamer already houses so many Sheridan-fronted programs, most recently, Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner returned for its second season while CIA drama, Lioness added to its cast with Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. Some believe that Reeves served inspiration to “The Lone Ranger” having worked as a peace officer for Indian territory capturing over 3,000 criminals on that land. Quaid will play Sherrill Lynn, a Deputy U.S. Marshall within the show.
Quaid most recently voiced the character Jaeger Clade in Disney’s animated feature Strange World which is currently available to stream on Disney+. He’ll also star in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming HBO Max series Full Circle alongside Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes and Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome.
Peacock is one of the streamers that has yet to break through in terms of their original content getting recognized for awards contention. One such series that might change that fate for the streaming service is Those About to Die and it’s starting to build out its cast. According to Variety, 2-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, The Father) is the first to join the drama series which comes from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow). Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat will script the series.
Hopkins will play the character known as Emperor Vespasian in the series which is set in the world of gladiatorial battle. It will be an ensemble drama following many different Roman characters that will set forth for violent affairs in the arena among other complexities such as political power and corruption so expect a starry cast for this Peacock drama. Hopkins’ character is described as “despised by the Patricians jockeying for position in the Empire and looking to supplant his heirs to the throne the first chance they get. Vespasian became the Roman emperor after a ten-year civil war. We expect to get more casting news soon as the show will begin filming in Rome in March.
Anthony Hopkins is coming off a terrific performance in James Gray’s Armageddon Time in 2022 after winning his second Academy Award for his role in The Father the year prior. He’ll next voice a character in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon for Netflix and also will star in British drama One Life alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Jonathan Pryce. Emmerich is coming off directing the sci-fi disaster film, Moonfall in 2022.
Many were surprised when the Season 2 finale of Hulu comedy, Only Murders in the Building revealed that Paul Rudd would be joining the series for its upcoming season, however, it seems his casting may have just been topped. According to a tweet from the show’s Twitter account, it appears that Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep (Out of Africa, August: Osage County) will join the cast led by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez for Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building.
One can believe that Streep stumbled into the series similar to how she did for Season 2 of HBO’s Big Little Lies. With the latter show, Streep was a fan of the mysterious female-led drama and was written into the sophomore season. You wouldn’t be hard pressed to believe that Streep was probably a fan of the beloved comedy series and might want to join in the hijinks along with friends, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Streep will also appear in the upcoming AppleTV+ anthology series, Extrapolations in March.
The original tweet revealed that the third season of Only Murders in the Building has just begun filming. The show has been nominated for tons of awards thus far and with growing popularity as well as the additions of Streep and Rudd to the cast, anything can happen in the murder mystery program. Season 2 released back in June so we can probably expect Season 3 to begin streaming in Summer 2023.
