Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Season of the wolf: Henry Cavill returns for Season 3 of ‘The Witcher’
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX
“The Witcher” - Season 3, Volume 1 Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel,” 2013) closes out his run as witcher Geralt of Rivia in Volume 1 of “The Witcher’s” third season, which brings audiences its first batch of episodes Thursday, June 29, on Netflix. Volume 2 is set to release in July. Based on the second installment of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, Season 3 follows as monarchs, mages and beasts of the Continent compete to capture Ciri (Freya Allan, “Gunpowder Milkshake,” 2021), leading Geralt to take her into hiding, determined to protect his newly reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra, “The Cipher”) leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they hope to uncover more about the girl’s untapped powers. Instead, they discover themselves deeper in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic and treachery. Series regulars Joey Batey (“Knightfall”) and Eamon Farren (“The Dig,” 2021) are set to return, alongside new cast members Robbie Amell (“Upload”), Meng’er Zhang (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” 2021), Hugh Skinner (“Fleabag”) and Christelle Elwin (“Death in Paradise”).
“Is It Cake?” - Season 2
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s ... cake? With ever-advancing techniques and skilled artists dedicated to their craft, Netflix is baffling viewers once again when the fun, confectionary competition series “Is It Cake?” returns with its second season, titled “It is Cake, Too?,” Friday, June 30. Hosted once again by “Saturday Night Live’s” Mikey Day, the series, which is part game show and part baking show, is ready to put more celebrity judges’ sleuthing skills to the test. Deception is the name of the game as talented, hyper-realistic cake makers put their sweet creations next to everyday objects that are identical in almost every way — except, of course, for the fact that one is edible and one is not. If the bakers can fool the panel of judges and their cake can pass as the real item, the contestant will be walking out of the arena with a cash prize.
WHAT’S NEW ON DISNEY+
“Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian – The Making of Season 3”
Get an inside look at the making of the hit Star Wars universe series, “The Mandalorian,” when “Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian” premieres its newest installment, “The Making of Season 3,” Wednesday, June 28, on Disney+. This docuseries pulls back the curtain on all of the hard work, acting, special effects and creative power that goes into making the series. It includes interviews with the cast and crew, as well as special behind-thescenes footage of the process, bringing audiences an in-depth look at the newest episodes of the 14-time Primetime Emmy-winning series. For those yet to dive into this hit story, “The Mandalorian” follows the journeys of the Mandalorian, a lone bounty hunter, through the far reaches of the Star Wars galaxy. The series stars Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Chris Bartlett (“The Book of Boba Fett”), Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galactica”), Carl Weathers (“Rocky,” 1976) and Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul”).
WHAT’S NEW ON APPLE TV+
“Hijack”
Get the view from the ground when the tense new Apple TV+ thriller series, “Hijack,” premieres Wednesday, June 28. A seven-part series, told in real-time, “Hijack” follows the journey of a hijacked plane traveling from Dubai to London over the course of its sevenhour journey. As authorities on the ground scramble for answers, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba, “Beast,” 2022), an accomplished negotiator in the business world, steps up and uses all his guile to try to save the lives of the passengers. Meanwhile, counterterrorism officer Zahra Gahfoor (Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife”) works the case from the ground. Written by George Kay (“Lupin”) and directed by Jim Field Smith (“Litvinenko”) and Mo Ali (“Montana,” 2014), the series is produced by Peter Heslop (“The King’s Speech,” 2010) and executive produced by Elba, Field Smith, Kay, Hakan Kousetta (“Slow Horses”), Jamie Laurenson (“The Essex Serpent”) and Kris Thykier (“Riviera”). The series also stars Mohamed Elsandel (“Hireth,” 2021), Kate Phillips (“Peaky Blinders”), Ben Miles (“The Crown”) and Max Beesley (“Bodies”).
WHAT’S NEW ON MAX
“Warrior” - Season 3
The hit Cinemax action drama “Warrior” finds a new home on Max when its brand-new third season premieres on the streamer Thursday, June 29. Based on the writings of martial arts legend Bruce Lee (“The Way of the Dragon,” 1972), the series is set during the brutal Tong Wars in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1800s. Season 3 continues in the wake of the race riots that upended Chinatown in Season 2, as Mai Ling (Dianne Doan, “Vikings”) uses her government connections to consolidate power, while Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji, “Bullet Train,” 2022) and the Hop Wei must find new ways to survive. Created by Jonathan Tropper (“Banshee”), “Warrior” also stars Olivia Cheng (“See”), Jason Tobin (“F9: The Fast Saga,” 2022), Kieran Bew (“Da Vinci’s Demons”), Dean Jagger (“One Ranger,” 2023), Tom Weston-Jones (“Dickensian”), Hoon Lee (“Banshee”), Perry Yung (“The Knick”), Langley Kirkwood (“The Mauritanian,” 2021), Miranda Raison (“MI-5”), Chen Tang (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Chelsea Muirhead (“Slo Pitch”), Mark Dacascos (“John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum,” 2019) and Joe Taslim (“Star Trek Beyond,” 2016).