TV News Wrap-Up: ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ at Disney+, ‘SEAL Team,’ ‘Evil’ Head to Paramount+, ‘And Just Like That…’ Adds Sara Ramirez

CBS uses two popular series to build up Paramount+, HBO Max finally offers a less expensive tier, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming to TV.

Grab your capes and check out this week’s news!

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy Reuniting for ‘Hocus Pocus 2’

Hocus Pocus is getting a sequel at Disney+ and the Sanderson sisters are returning, per Deadline.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are set to return for more amok in Hocus Pocus 2.

In the original Halloween classic, in order to keep themselves young, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson attempt to drain the life force of Salem’s children.

Due to Freeform’s annual repeat airings and marathons, Hocus Pocus has become a cult classic.

Hocus Pocus 2 is currently scheduled for release in 2022, we assume around Halloween.

‘Evil,’ ‘SEAL Team’ Moving to Paramount+

SEAL Team fans can rest easy. CBS has finally renewed the drama for Season 5, but there’s a catch.

The series will initially air four episodes as a special event Sundays at 10/9c on CBS, before moving to Paramount+ for the remainder of the season.

Star David Boreanaz spoke to EW.com about the move.

“I think the biggest thing for us in moving to a platform like Paramount+ is that it puts us in the game. Look at Amazon, look at Netflix and their success of their shows and what you cannot do on network television,” he said. “There are a lot of standards and practices that we have to adhere to, which we didn’t really want to adhere to. It sometimes was a frustrating place to be, because we really want to be honest and truthful with these episodes.”

“This allows us to go darker. I’m not saying we’re going to change the wheel, because we’ve established great characters,” Boreanaz continued. “It’s just a matter of shifting it up and doing some things that are going to be a lot of fun. We’re working on that transition now. We’re going to be working until the third week of July because we have to get those four episodes done for the network first. I think that’s a good launching pad for us. It allows us to kind of sell that transition.”

Joining SEAL Team on Paramount+ is breakout hit Evil. The series hasn’t aired since Jan. 2020, but Season 2 is currently in production, per TVLine.

Though CBS has not made any decisions about rookie drama Clarice, there are rumors it is also being considered for a move to the streaming platform.

SEAL Team, Evil, and Clarice are all streaming on CBS.

Julie Plec, Marguerite MacIntyre Developing ‘Vampire Academy’ Series at Peacock

Julie Plec isn’t done with vampires. Peacock has ordered a series from Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre based on the “Vampire Academy” novels.

Variety reports, Plec and MacIntyre will be showrunners/co-executive producers/co-writers.

“When I signed my new deal with Universal Television, they asked what project I had always been dying to make and my immediate answer was Vampire Academy,” said Plec.

“Vampire Academy” includes six books, and follows two young women as they attend a special school before entering royal vampire society. A movie based on the first book was released in 2014 and starred Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Sarah Hyland, Joely Richardson, and Gabriel Byrne.

“Julie Plec created one of the biggest fan-favorite universes with The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off series The Originals and Legacies, and we are excited to deliver this passionate audience a brand new story on Peacock,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Julie is known for binge-able, enthralling dramas and we know Vampire Academy will keep Peacock viewers right on the edge of their seats.”

HBO Max Orders New Batman and Superman Animated Series

The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are returning to animation, with a pair of new animated series at HBO Max.

DC Animated Universe legend Bruce Timm, alongside The Batman director Matt Reeves, and prolific producer/filmmaker J.J. Abrams are developing Batman: Caped Crusader.

The new series will use “state-of-the-art animation techniques and technology,” to “reinvent Batman and his super-villains with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.”

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” said Timm, Abrams and Reeves in a joint statement. “The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

As usual, Batman will be joined by Superman, because the streamer has also ordered My Adventures With Superman, a new family friendly animated series featuring the Last Son of Krypton for two seasons, per dccomics.com.

The new Superman series follows “Clark as he builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis—and perhaps the world. Lois, now growing into a star investigative journalist, takes aspiring photographer Jimmy Olsen under her wing. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love, sharing adventures, taking down bad guys, stumbling over secrets and discovering what it means to be Superman and Lois Lane.”

The Boys‘ Jack Quaid and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s Alice Lee will voice Clark and Lois.

Batman: Caped Crusader and My Adventures With Superman will both also air on Cartoon Network.

For DC fans who can’t wait Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited are all available on HBO Max.

‘Project Greenlight’ Returns with EP Issa Rae

Issa Rae is giving a voice to female filmmakers with the revival of Project Greenlight, per Variety.

The original series focused on filmmakers competing to direct their first feature film. The new version will give female filmmakers an opportunity to work on their projects.

Rae will be an executive producer and mentor in every episode. The completed project will be shown on HBO Max.

Netflix Orders Arnold Schwarzenegger Spy Series

Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger will do his first major scripted TV series, starring in a spy adventure at Netflix.

Deadline reports, the action series co-starring Monica Barbaro has “a father (Schwarzenegger) and daughter (Barbaro) learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all.”

The show is created by Jack Reacher’s Nick Santora, and produced with Skydance TV. Schwarzenegger is also executive producing.

“Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they’re finally going to get it because of our great partners at Skydance and Netflix,” Schwarzenegger said. “I am beyond pumped to start work on the show with Nick and Monica and the whole team.”

Sara Ramirez Joins ‘And Just Like That…’

The HBO Max Sex and the City revival And Just Like That…‘ is filling out its cast with former Grey’s Anatomy star Sara Ramirez.

Ramirez will play the series regular role Che Diaz. The non-binary, queer, stand-up comedian hosts a podcast that Carrie frequently appears on, and is “a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.”

“Everyone at And Just Like That… is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family,” said Executive Producer Michael Patrick King in a statement. “Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama — and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show.”

The 10-episode series, And Just Like That… stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon as their characters strive to maintain the same close friendship from their youth, now that they’re in their 50s.

All episodes of Sex and the City and both movies are now streaming on HBO Max.

HBO Max To Offer $9.99 Tier in June

For those who are wary of the $14.99/month subscription price, HBO Max will begin to offer an ad-supported $9.99/month tier.

The streaming service made the announcement at WarnerMedia’s upfronts presentation.

“HBO Max with Ads will bring our beloved entertainment brands and franchises to even more consumers at this new, lower price point, while, for the first time, elegantly connecting brands to the premium, iconic IP that defines this service,” said Tony Goncalves, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer for WarnerMedia.

The new tier will exclude new Warner Bros. films being shown with concurrent theatrical releases.

An exact launch date for the new subscriber level has not been announced.

What news item are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

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