Apple TV+ ‘Hijack’ Starring Idris Elba Receives First Official Trailer

Apple TV+ dropped the official trailer for “Hijack,” the upcoming thriller series that is set to premiere with two episodes on Wednesday, June 28. The seven-episode season will be available on the streamer, with the remaining five episodes dropping the following five weeks, until the finale on August 2.

According to the official logline, “’Hijack’ is a thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.”

“Hijack” stars Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, the business negotiator who steps up to save the lives of his fellow passengers. Elba is joined by Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.

Created by writer George Kay (“Lupin,” “Criminal”) and director Jim Field Smith (“Criminal,” “Truth Seekers”); the two also serve as executive producers alongside Elba, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Kris Thykier.

Take a look at the trailer below.

EVENTS

2023 Hollywood Climate Summit is set to take place from June 21-24, with extensive programming and appearances from Jane Fonda, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang, Etienne Maurice and several more speakers, announced YEA! Impact on May 18.

The summit will feature two conference days at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The event will also include programming to encourage climate change activism, from panels to workshops and keynote speakers. The summit’s panels include “Hollywood Takes on Big Oil and Gas,” “Reframing Our Way of Being,” “How Hollywood Sets Climate Fashion Trends,” “From Script to Sustainability: Story’s Connection to Green Production,” “Decolonizing Climate Storytelling: From Hip Hop 50 to Land Back” and many more.

The panels will be accompanied by several workshops that will unite filmmakers, artists, activists, climate organizations to scientists to discuss climate activism. The workshops include “The Climate Reality: Rescripting Unscripted TV,” “Scroll to End the Climate Crisis: How Social Media Creates Change,” “Not A Future Generations Problem: Intergenerational Conversations Around Climate” and “Our Probable Futures.”

Tickets are available for purchase now at HollywoodClimateSummit.com

DATES

CBS has set premiere dates for its summer slate of reality television programming, including three returning and one new series. 

“Secret Celebrity Renovation” kicks off the lineup with a July 28 premiere followed by the Aug. 2 debut of “Big Brother” Season 25. The all-new musical game show “Superfan” will launch on Aug. 9, and finally “The Challenge: USA” returns for its second season on Aug. 10. 

“Big Brother’s” 25th season will debut with a special 90-minute episode on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. ET while a group of new Houseguests arrive at the “Big Brother” house. Following its premiere, the series will air on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. followed by Thursdays at 9 p.m. featuring live evictions. 

The brand new “Superfan” series features hosts Nate Burleson and Keltie Knight as they lead contestants battling it out to prove that they are their favorite artist’s number one supporter. Featured celebrities this season include Kelsea Ballerini, Gloria Estefan, Little Big Town, LL COOL J, Pitbull and Shania Twain.

The CBS version of MTV’s hit franchise “The Challenge” will premiere for its second season on CBS with “The Challenge: USA” on Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. Each week, two episodes will air on Sundays at 9 p.m. and Thursdays at 10 p.m. Fan favorite contestants from previous CBS reality programs including “Survivor,” “Big Brother” and “The Amazing Race” return to compete amongst “The Challenge” icons. 

Nischelle Turner will host “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” which is slated to premiere on July 28 at 9 p.m. Featured celebrities for the season include Damar Hamlin, Phil Keoghan, JB Smoove and Max Thieriot. Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano and interior designer Sabrina Soto return to join the design team. 

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Tubi has set a June 25 release date for Season 2 of its original adult animated series “The Freak Brothers,” the streamer announced Monday. 

“The Freak Brothers” is based on Gilbert Shelton’s underground comic series “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.” Season 2 of the animated series is set to star Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, Tiffany Haddish, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Andrea Savage, La La Anthony and Rapper ScHoolboy Q. Joseph Sikora will join as a special guest star.

“With more original animation than any other free streamer, ‘The Freak Brothers’ returns to Tubi this summer with our all-star voice cast in eight episodes that are Freak’in funny,” said Adam Lewinson, chief content officer at Tubi. “Our commitment continues to cement Tubi as a go-to destination for adult animation.”

“The Freak Brothers” is executive produced by Courtney Solomon and Mark Canton, along with Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland. Harrelson, Haddish, Davidson, Devine, Anderson, Shelton and Manfred Mroczkowski also serve as executive producers.

TRAILERS

Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’” second season, which will debut on Thursday, June 15. The 10-episode season will be available on Paramount+ and will release the episodes on a weekly basis.

Throughout season two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” the U.S.S. Enterprise crew will explore new territories and discover new civilizations, all while facing life-threatening obstacles. 

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas, Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga, Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and Carol Kane as Pelia.

Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, alongside Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.  

Take a look at the trailer below.

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Acorn TV’s upcoming international romantic crime drama “Cannes Confidential” will debut on June 26, announced the AMC Networks’ streamer. The six-episode series will release two new episodes every Monday through July 10.

“Cannes Confidential” stars Lucie Lucas as Camille Delmasse, Jamie Bamber as Harry King and Tamara Marthe as Léa Robert.

“Cannes Confidential” follows detective Camille and international conman Harry, after they are thrown together to solve crimes on the French Riviera. But as they solve crimes along the coast, Camille tries to strike a deal with colleague Léa to free her father from corruption charges.

“Cannes Confidential was created by Chris Murray. Patrick Nebout, Henrik Jansson-Schweizer, Catherine Mackin and Bea Tammer serve as executive producers, alongside producer Daniel J. Cottin. Camille Delamarre directed all six episodes.

Check out the trailer below.

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AppleTV+’s upcoming third season of “The Snoopy Show” will return will all 12 episodes on June 9.

“The world’s most famous beagle is back again for his close-up! Dig into new adventures with Snoopy, along with his best pal, Woodstock, and the rest of the Peanuts gang,” reads the press release.

After directing “Snoopy in Space,” director Rob Boutilier reunites with the “Peanuts” gang for “The Snoopy Show.” Josh Scherba, Anne Loi, Stephanie Betts, Paige Braddock, Craig Schulz and Mark Evestaff all serve as executive producers.

“The Snoopy Show” will be followed by several more “Peanuts’” programming, including “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” “Camp Snoopy” and “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin.”

Take a look at the trailer below.

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Max’s upcoming romantic-documentary dating series “Swiping America” will debut on June 15, the streamer announced Monday. The upcoming eight-episode series will premiere with the first two episodes on June 15, followed by four episodes on June 22 and the final two episodes will drop on June 29.

According to the official logline, “Swiping America” follows “a group of diverse singles from New York City on an introspective, eight-city dating app journey, as they explore personal issues around sex, relationships, love and connection. Each episode finds the group in a new American city, [including] Asheville, Miami, Austin,  New Orleans, Santa Fe, Boulder, Seattle and Honolulu.”

Created and executive produced by Johnnie Ingram and Stephen Warren, “Swiping America” is also executive produced by showrunner Stephanie Schwam, director Jyllian Gunther, Eli Holzman, Sabrina Mar, Jennifer O’Connell and Aaron Saidman. 

Take a look at the trailer below.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Ally Love has joined NBC’s “Today” as a contributor, the network announced on-air Tuesday. 

Love will debut a regular series “Love Your Mornings” centered around mindfulness and motivation. At “Today,” she will contribute to the lifestyle vertical centered on wellness, health and fitness topics. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Ally to the ‘Today’ family,” said Libby Leist, executive vice president of ‘Today.’ “As we rapidly expand our ‘Start Today’ wellness community, Ally embodies why we are so passionate about this space. Her enthusiasm is inspiring, and we can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

Love is a Peloton instructor and host of Netflix’s dance competition series “Dance 100.” She is also the founder/CEO of Love Squad, a platform used to empower women through conversation. 

“I’m excited and truly grateful to be joining the ‘Today’ family,” said Love. “I believe in the daily work of this community and am honored to jump in across all platforms. I look forward to sharing small attainable changes we can all make to create a huge impact in our day-to-day lives when it comes to wellness and taking care of ourselves and others.”

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NBC4 and Telemundo 52 announced on Tuesday that Marina Perelman was promoted to vice president of news for NBC4 and Miguel “Mike” Gaytán has been named vice president of news for Telemundo 52. Perelman and Gaytán will both be tasked with leading news operations at their individual stations. 

“As local news stations, it is our responsibility to maintain the trust of our audiences, to reflect their stories and provide them with the most complete information to help them navigate their day-to-day lives here in Southern California,” said Todd Mokhtari, president and general manager of Telemundo 52 and NBC4. “Both Marina and Mike are excellent news leaders who share a commitment to serve. I am confident they will help grow our talented news teams and solidify our position in the Los Angeles market.”

Perelman most recently served as assistant news director for KNBC where she helped develop its newsroom while reporting on the pandemic, racial justice movements and the 2020 election. Gaytán hails as the former vice president of news for Telemundo 20/KUAN where he launched “Telemundo 20 Investiga” and aided the station in being recognized with varying Golden Mike Awards. 

FIRST LOOKS

Netflix has set the “Sweet Magnolias” Season 3 premiere for July 20, and released a first look image for the upcoming season.

“Sweet Magnolias” is based on Sherryl Woods’ book series of the same name. The third season continues to follow the three best friends, Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Helen (Heather Headley) and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), as they navigate their families, friendships and love lives.

Swisher, Elliott, Headley, Chris Klein, Jamie Lynn Spears, Justin Bruening, Carson Rowland, Logan Allen, Chris Medlin, Anneliese Judge, Brandon Quinn and Dion Johnstone all star in the third season.

“Sweet Magnolias” is executive produced by Woods, Dan Paulson and showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson.

See the first-look image below.

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Netflix has released a series of first-look images for Season 2 of its romantic drama “Heartstopper,” which stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke and is set to premiere on Aug. 3.

The second season will spotlight Nick (Connor) and Charlie (Locke) as they navigate the waters of their new relationship. Ahead of their prom, the students take a trip to Paris, and this group of friends realizes they have “a lot to juggle as they journey through the next stages of life, love and friendship.”

Season 2 will star Connor and Locke alongside Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood, Jenny Walser, Cormac Hyde-Corrin and Olivia Colman.

“Continuing the story of Nick, Charlie and the rest of the ‘Heartstopper’ gang for Season 2 has been an absolute privilege,” said executive producer Patrick Walkers. “Alice Oseman and I have been able to watch the actors evolve their performances in every way, and this season is so emotional because of their amazing work. Get ready!”

“Heartstopper” was written and created by Alice Oseman, with Euros Lyn serving as director. Alongside Oseman, Walkers and Lyn, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman serve as executive producers. 

See the first-look images below.

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Josha Stradowski and Rosamund Pike bring old-world to the newest look at “Wheel of Time” Season 2. Prime Video unveiled the first-look images ahead of the series premiere on Sept. 1.

According to the Prime synopsis, “In season two, threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world. The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources of strength. In each other, or themselves. In the light … or the dark.”

Season 2 also stars Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn and Ceara Coveney. The show is based on Robert Jordan’s same-name book series and was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins. Additional executive producers are Larry Mondragon, Rick Selvage, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, Justine Juel Gillmer, Sanaa Hamri and Amanda Kate Shuman. “Wheel of Time” is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios.

See the first-looks of Season 2 below.

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Netflix’s upcoming comedy series “Survival of The Thickest” will debut its eight episodes on July 13, the streamer announced Wednesday.

“Survival of The Thickest” is based on Michelle Buteau’s book of essays, and follows Mavis Beaumont (Buteau), a single, Black and plus-size stylist who tries to rebuild her career in fashion, with the help from her found family.

Buteau stars alongside Tone Bell, Christine Horn, Tasha Smith, and guest stars Annisa Felix, Allan K. Washington, Ambre Anderson, Anna George, Anthony Michael Lopez, Becca Blackwell, Christine Jones, Garcelle Beauvais, Hugh Moore, J. Riley Jr., Mark McKinnon and Marouane Zotti.

Created and executive produced by Buteau, “Survival of The Thickest” is also executive produced by showrunner Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich and Anne Hong. Buteau also serves as the series’ writer, alongside Hillary Handelsman, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, ER Fightmaster, Ian Edwards, Solomon Georgio. Kim Nguyen, Linda Mendoza, Amy Ainobi and Kimmy Gatewood serve as the series’ directors.

Take a look at the trailer and first look images below.

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Netflix has set a June 22 release date for its new series “Glamorous,” accompanied by a set of first-look images.

“Glamorous” will follow the story of Marco Mejia (Miss Benny), a gender-non-conforming queer man who ends up landing a job with makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (Kim Cattrall). Throughout the series, Marco will explore his individuality, going on a journey of self-discovery “and what it really means for him to be queer,” per Netflix’s official release.

The series will star Miss Benny and Cattrall in addition to Zane Phillips, Jade Payton, Michael Hsu Rosen, Ayesha Harris and Graham Parkhurst.

“Glamorous” is created and executive produced by Jordon Nardino alongside executive producers Damon Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow of Two Shakes Entertainment. 

Check out the first-look images below. 

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Netflix’s animated series “Skull Island” will debut on June 22 and features the voices of Nicolas Cantu, Mae Whitman, Darren Barnett, Benjamin Bratt and Betty Gilpin. The anime series is part of Legendary Television’s monsterverse, and follows the 2017 feature “Kong: Skull Island.” It tells the story of a strange and frightening island home to creatures, monsters and King, and the shipwrecked explorers that end up there.

“Skull Island” was created, written and executive produced by Brian Duffield, producer of “Cocaine Bear” and creator of “Love and Monsters.” In addition, Jacob Robinson, Brad Graeber, Jen Chambers, and Thomas Tull served as executive producers. Animation was created by Powerhouse Animation.

Watch the series teaser below.

STREAMING

“Stranger Things” actor Grace Van Dien has been added to FaZe Clan’s roster under the name FaZe Bluefille. Van Dien played cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season 4 and is now giving fellow gamers an inside look into her life via Twitch.

“Ever since my first meeting with FaZe, we shared the same vision in working together to create lasting change for female gamers in this industry,” said Van Dien.

“We picked each other for a reason and I’m excited to take on an important role in bringing women to the forefront. This is not just about the announcement of me joining FaZe, it’s what we’re going to do together.”

Van Dien joins the clan, which includes female gamer FaZe Kalei and FaZe’s Female Valorant team.

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TelevisaUnivision’s ViX has joined the premium tier of Roku’s premium subscription lineup, the streaming platform announced on Thursday.

The premium tier of ViX will feature a library of Spanish language content, across several genres and formats — including series, movies, novelas, reality, live news and sports. Those subscribed will be able to access over 20,000 hours of content, including over 70 ViX original series.

“We’re thrilled to connect millions of streamers with ViX’s unparalleled offering of Spanish-language entertainment and sports programming as a premium subscription,” said Randy Ahn, Roku head of monetization and subscriptions.

“We’re pleased to further expand ViX’s footprint on Roku by joining its premium subscriptions lineup, enabling ViX to unlock new audiences through The Roku Channel and be top of mind with viewers through the integrated discovery experiences unique to the Roku platform,” said Adam Waltuch, TelevisaUnivision EVP of global distribution and streaming partnerships.

The new ViX premium tier is available to all Roku users in the U.S. for $6.99 per month or $59.99 per year with a seven-day free trial.

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Kino Lorber and First Look Media have joined together to form a new streaming venture. The new company will house and operate First Look’s Topic streaming service and Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice SVOD service.

As a US streamer dedicated to international series, MHz Choice will soon join Topic’s library of thrillers, mysteries, dramas and documentaries.

Kino Lorber’s MHz Networks founder Frederick Thomas will oversee the upcoming service’s programming, marketing and technology. Topic general manager Ryan Chanatry and Topic VP of programming strategy, acquisitions and sales Jennifer Liang will consult throughout the transition.

“As North American audiences embrace entertainment from around the world, we’re proud to now be the home for the two best-in-class streaming services for international series and films,” said Kino Lorber president and CEO Richard Lorber in a statement.

PROGRAMMING

Fuse Media and Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) announced their new partnership to provide Fuse’s FAST channel Latino Vibes viewers with exclusive access to premium Latino content.

The new partnership launches with the new monthly programming block “LALIFF Presents” on Latino Vibes on May 26 at 8 p.m. The curated programming block will continue every third Friday of each month. The debut will begin by showcasing Angel Gracia’s “From Prada to Nada” and Marie Losier’s “Cassandro, the Exotico!” feature films.

“We’re so excited that LALIFF is partnering with us in our efforts to create a channel where Latino stories are always front and center,” said Miguel Roggero, chairman and CEO of Fuse Media.

“LALIFF’s commitment to proper representation in front and behind the camera for the Latino community is more important now than ever before,” said LALIFF co-founder, Edward James Olmos. “Partnering with Fuse Media allows us to continue our commitment to our festival filmmakers by creating new pathways for the exhibition of their stories.”

In addition to the new partnership Fuse Media will also be a featured partner at the 2023 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.

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Faith-based network Impact is partnering with Fox First Run to add programs like Jay Leno’s “You Bet Your Life” and “Divorce Court.” These additions follow Impact’s effort to expand its entertainment programming from its current two-hour “Super Saturday” block to a full 28 hours of weekly content. Entertainment programs will run 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Additional titles being added from Fox First Run library are “DISH Nation,” “Laughs” and “25 Words or Less” with Meredith Vieira.

“The new programming has been a true catalyst in validating our commitment to diversifying and expanding Impact’s audience, brand and content,” said Royal Jackson, Impact’s executive vice president. “It’s provided us a strong foundation within the entertainment sector to grow into more content opportunities in both the scripted & non-scripted space.”

Impact Network is an independent, Black owned and operated cable channel. The deal was brokered by Dennis Ray and Jahid Mirza of Ze3no.

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The career launch of As1One, an all-male Israeli-Palestinian pop group, will be documented in a five-episode docuseries via Paramount. The boy band is Universal Music Israel’s first international signing and was assembled through an audition process led by seasoned music executives James Diener and Ken Levitan. The former signed Maroon 5 to their first label deal; the latter managed Kings of Leon for 20 years.

The Paramount series will follow the artistic journeys and backstories of the six-member boy band, which is made up of singers, rappers and instrumentalists, and chronicle their international launch. 

Along with EPs Levitan and Diener, James Carroll, whose credits include Netflix’s “Waco: American Apocalypse” and “Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer,” will executive produce. Carrol will also co-direct and edit the series. InventTV, the Los Angeles-based production company behind the series, has also been behind “Megan and Harry,” “After Neverland,” “The Oprah Conversations” and “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”