This is the time of the summer when television critics would be sitting in an over air-conditioned ballroom at the Beverly Hilton taking in hours of panels featuring creators and actors dishing about their upcoming programs. Instead, with the coronavirus pandemic still not under control, Hulu put on a virtual summer TCA session promoting its upcoming shows.
The star power was undeniable for presentations of three new programs and the second season of The Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Set in her native Australia, Nicole Kidman stars as the director of a health and wellness resort that promises healing and transformation on the way to a reinvigorated, healthier life for nine stressed out city dwellers. They have no idea what’s about to be inflicted upon them as they check into the resort for a 10-day retreat.
As Masha, Kidman sports a hybrid Russian/American accent and admitted she stayed in complete character for five months to perform the role. She defined the show, premiering August 18, as trippy and crazy and said it doesn’t even fit into any specific genre.
It’s based on a book by Liane Moriarty who also wrote Big Little Lies, another limited series in which Kidman starred.
The cast also features Melissa McCarthy, Melvin Gregg, Asher Keddie, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Manny Jacinto.
Dopesick
Also based on a best-selling book, albeit a nonfiction one, Dopesick delves into the destructive addiction epidemic caused by the painkiller OxyContin and how it was practically handed out like candy to patients, whether they needed it or not.
Limited series creator and executive producer Danny Strong says elements of fiction help further expose the root causes and true tales of the epidemic that ran rampant through the late ’90s to the early aughts, fostered by the drug’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharma.
Directed by Barry Levinson, the series, premiering October 13, stars Michael Keaton, Rosario Dawson, Kaitlyn Dever, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter and John Hooganakker.
“I wanted to do something that really felt like it was telling the totally of the story. One story wasn’t the whole story,” Strong said during the TCA presentation.
Dawson noted the series can help challenge the stigma of addiction and bring some humanity to real people whose lives were destroyed.
The Great
Fans of the show have already heard the big news about Season 2: Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) is pregnant, but it remains to be seen how that will affect her relationship with Peter (Nicholas Hoult).
“Catherine is grappling with the fact that she’s going to become a mother soon,” said Fanning. “The baby is also kind of her protection because she knows while [he’s] in there she’s safe, and Peter’s not going to kill her.”
Yet Hoult revealed that his character is imprisoned, yet taking the opportunity to better himself with skills such as learning French. How far that will take him in the Russian court remains to be seen.
Fanning said they’ve come to understand their character on a deeper level. “I felt like we were really going for it and embarrassing ourselves, and just trying things, which inevitably is just funny,” she said. “We’re always trying to just see what sticks, and that’s what’s so great about the environment we create on set. It’s very warm and loving, and no judgement.”
Yet Catherine remains focused on her quest to bring enlightenment to the country whether they want it or not, during the second season which premieres November 19. Something else to look forward to–Gillian Anderson appears as Catherine’s mother, Joanna.
Only Murders in the Building
Legends of laughter Steve Martin and Martin Short are teaming up with Selena Gomez for the new comedy in which they portray strangers with a true crime obsession who find themselves joining forces to investigate the mysterious death of a neighbor in their New York apartment building.
It’s Gomez’s first series role since she started in the Disney Channel[s wizards of Waverly Place nearly a decade ago.
Gomez reflected on that time during Hulu’s presentation. “I signed my life away to Disney at a very young age and I didn’t know that’s what I was doing,” she said. “The level of the sophistication of the material is the reason why I wanted to do this but I don’t know? I was just a kid and I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just running around the set. Now, I’m just like a sponge and I soak up all the wisdom that I can. And it’s just really nice to be back on TV and it’s nice to be cast as someone my own age which never happens. I’m just very happy to be doing this.”
She said she now calls Martin and Short her two crazy uncles.
“They are so humble and they are kind, and they are there till the very end. They’ve set such an example for me. They’ve been doing this longer than I’ve been alive. I would be so lucky to have a career that lasted that long,” Gomez said.
At first the trio may seem clueless but it turns out they learn a lot, especially about their neighbors in the building– and some secret passages and valuable treasures hidden within. The series premieres August 31.
