Disney says new streaming service will not ‘rival’ Netflix

‘House’ final season premiere date set

NEW YORK, Aug 8, (Agencies): Disney’s upcoming streaming service won’t try to compete directly with Netflix and Amazon, but will focus instead on quality — namely original programs from Disney’s “Star Wars,” Pixar and Marvel brands.

The details from Disney CEO Bob Iger came as Disney reported a growth in earnings for the latest quarter, though results missed expectations.

With Comcast out of the bidding war, Disney is planning to move forward with its $71.3 billion purchase of Fox’s entertainment assets, in part to boost a Disney-branded streaming service set to launch in late 2019. Disney’s shareholders and US regulators have approved the Fox bid. Disney is awaiting regulatory approval overseas.

In a statement, Iger said he was excited about “opportunities ahead for continued growth.”

Disney is building the streaming service as more people switch from traditional cable TV bundles to streaming online though services like Amazon and Netflix.

Disney just launched a $5-a-month ESPN Plus streaming service with sports. If the Fox deal closes, it will have a controlling stake in Hulu, which offers a broad array of programming starting at $8 a month. With the Disney-branded entertainment service, Disney will have more control over its movies and TV shows from creation to distribution. That ultimately gives Disney more data to gauge its audience.

Though a price for the upcoming entertainment service hasn’t been set, Iger told analysts during a conference call that the price will reflect a lower volume of shows and movies. Netflix plans range from $8 to $14 a month.

In the works for the Disney service are a live-action “Star Wars” series, new episodes of the animated “Star Wars” series “Clone Wars,” a live-action version of “Lady and the Tramp” and new series related to the “High School Musical” and “Monsters Inc” movies.

Launching the streaming services is Disney’s biggest priority next year, Iger said. “There will be a significant amount of support given across all of our assets to see to it that the product launches successfully.”

Some of Disney’s properties, such as the original “Star Wars” trilogy, have licensing agreements already in place with other companies, so they won’t be available, at least initially.

But Iger said that movies Disney plans to release in 2019, including “Captain Marvel,” ‘’Dumbo,” “Toy Story 4” and “Frozen 2,” won’t be encumbered by licensing deals and can go straight to the service soon after their theatrical releases.

Revenue from the movie and TV production business jumped 20 percent to $2.88 billion, boosted by a strong box office for “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Incredibles 2.” Disney’s television networks also saw gains, including at ESPN, despite the higher NBA costs and lower advertising revenue.

The one business that saw a drop in revenue was also Disney’s smallest segment, Consumer Products and Interactive Media. Gains in products related to the Avengers weren’t enough to offset lower revenue from “Spider-Man” and “Cars.”

Also:

LOS ANGELES: Claire Underwood is back. Robin Wright is taking center stage in the sixth and final season of “House of Cards,” which is set to premiere globally on Nov 2, Netflix revealed today. Diane Lane, Greg

Kinnear, and Cody Fern are joining this season alongside Patricia Clarkson, Constance Zimmer, Derek Cecil, Campbell Scott, and Boris McGiver. Netflix also debuted new key art for Season 6.

LOS ANGELES: Frances Turner, Cle Bennett, and Rich Ting have signed on to Season 4 of “The Man in the High Castle” for Amazon Studios. Turner will appear in a series regular role as Bell Mallory, who escapes from a Nazi concentration camp into the Japanese Pacific States and meets Bennett’s recurring character Elijiah, a militant Black nationalist. Together, the couple become members of a cell in the BCR, an urban guerilla movement dedicated to the liberation of African-Americans. Ting will recur as Captain Iijima, a driven, ambitious young detective in the Kempeitai and Kido’s close deputy.

LOS ANGELES: CBS will present “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” on Monday, Aug 20 from 8-9 pm ET/PT. The primetime special will feature never-before-seen footage from the segment where James Corden met with the Beatle in McCartney’s hometown. “After the shoot, while we sat in the edit, we had to cut so much we loved for time. Not only did Paul do a concert in that Liverpool pub, but James and he discussed so much in the car. We are so delighted CBS has given us this primetime special to make an hourlong version of this ‘Carpool Karaoke.’ Now everyone can see the joy of that concert and more of their chat,” said Ben Winston, executive producer of “The Late Late Show.”

“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” is heading to Florida to cover the midterm elections. Comedy Central announced that the special week of shows will be taped at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The episodes will air Monday, Oct 29 through Thursday, Nov 1 at 11 pm ET/PT.

LOS ANGELES: Abigail Spencer has been cast in the lead role of the Hulu drama pilot “Reprisal,” Variety has confirmed.

The project is described as a hyperkinetic revenge tale following a relentless femme fatale (Spencer) who, after being left for dead, leads a vengeful campaign against a bombastic gang of gearheads.

Warren Littlefield, who executive produces Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” will executive produce along with Barry Jossen, EVP of A+E Studios. Josh Corbin is the writer on the project and will also serve as co-executive producer. Jonathan Van Tulleken will direct. The pilot is produced by A+E Studios in association with The Littlefield Company.

Spencer most recently starred in the NBC drama “Timeless.” The series was infamously cancelled and then subsequently renewed after its first season. NBC then cancelled the show again after Season 2, but the broadcaster ordered a two-part series finale that is slated to air this winter.

In addition to her work on “Timeless,” Spencer is known for her appearances on hit shows like “Mad Men,” “Suits,” “Rectify,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “True Detective.” She began her onscreen career with the role of Becca Tyree on the long-running soap opera “All My Children.”