Disney has revealed more details about how its lower-priced, ad-supported Disney+ tier will work.
As previously reported by Variety and later confirmed by Disney to The Wall Street Journal, ads will run an average of four minutes or less per hour. For context, this is less often than the U.S.-only Peacock, HBO Max and Disney’s own Hulu services. What’s more, Disney won’t accept political or alcohol advertising, and it will run no ads during shows aimed at pre-school audiences.
Disney first confirmed that ads were coming to the platform in March, noting that they’d launch by the end of the year in the U.S. While Disney said it plans to expand that to “international markets” in 2023, the company has declined to comment on whether that includes Canada.
Specific pricing has also yet to be confirmed. That said, Disney+ costs $7.99 USD/month (about $10.25 CAD/month), so the ad-supported tier will be at least somewhat less than that. It should be noted, though, that Disney+ in Canada and the U.S. are quite different, so it’s likely not enough to look at the U.S. price and expect something the same. That’s because Disney+’s base cost in Canada is $11.99/month, higher than in the U.S., since it includes content from Hulu, FX and other Disney brands. In the U.S., such content is on separate services.
Now, we may have a better idea of who has been cancelling their memberships.
According to data from research firm Antenna, as provided to The Information, those who have been subscribed to Netflix for more than three years accounted for a significantly greater share of cancellations in Q1 2022 than they did two years earlier. Specifically, this group accounted for 13 percent of overall cancellations by the end of this quarter, versus only five percent at the start of 2022.
It should be noted, however, that Antenna draws its data from five million anonymous Americans, so it’s unclear exactly how much this applies to other subscriber demographics, including those in Canada. That said, Antenna’s reasoning for the drop-off of long-term subscribers certainly makes sense.
“Consumers vote with their wallets on a monthly basis, and now there are just more viable candidates on the ballot,” said Brendan Brady, media and entertainment lead at Antenna, told The Information. He went on to mention how companies like Disney (Disney+) and NBCUniversal (the U.S.-only Peacock) have been pulling their shows off Netflix for their own services.
Brady added that this forced Netflix to rely more on original programming, which has been “hit or miss.” Of course, quality is subjective, but it’s undeniable that there are so many streaming services on the market now, all with their own marquee originals. Since late 2019 alone, there have been newcomers like Disney+ (Marvel and Star Wars shows), Apple TV+ (Ted Lasso) and, in the U.S. only, HBO Max (which brings many of its originals, including The Flight Attendant and Peacemaker, to Crave in Canada).
Going forward, Netflix says it expects to lose another two million subscribers in the second quarter of 2022. To help mitigate losses, the company is planning to launch a lower-cost, ad-supported tier and password-sharing paywall, likely by the end of 2022.
Notably, She-Hulk stars Regina’s own Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who develops superpowers from her cousin, Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Mark Ruffalo returns as Banner/Hulk from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, while Tim Roth reprises the role of Emil Blonsky/Abomination from The Incredible Hulk.
She-Hulk is Marvel’s third Disney+ show of 2022, following Moon Knight, which premiered in late March, and Ms. Marvel, which debuts on June 8th. The latter show also stars a Canadian: Markham, Ontario’s Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.
She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel are just two of many Disney+ productions to prominently feature Canadians. You can read more on that here.
Meanwhile, Michael Giacchino’s untitled Halloween special and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are also set to hit Disney+ by the end of the year.
Crunchyroll has announced that it has acquired the streaming rights to Chainsaw Man. The manga-turn-anime will be available on Crunchyroll, subtitled and subbed sometime soon. However, the exact 2022 release date is still unclear.
The series will be dubbed in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.
Denji is a teenage boy living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. Due to the debt his father left behind, he has been living a rock-bottom life while repaying his debt by harvesting devil corpses with Pochita.
One day, Denji is betrayed and killed. As his consciousness fades, he makes a contract with Pochita and gets revived as “Chainsaw Man” — a man with a devil’s heart.
The director, screenplay writer, and art director (Ryu Nakayama, Makoto Nakazono and Hiroshi Seko, respectively,) all worked on one of my favourite animes, Jujustu Kaisen.
The art studio behind Chainsaw Man is MAPPA (Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association) that’s worked on Jujustu Kaisen, the final season of Attack on Titan, Dororo, Takt OP Destiny, and my absolute favourite anime, Yuri!! on Ice.
Amazon has released a new trailer for the third season of its popular The Boys series on Prime Video.
In the two-and-a-half-minute trailer, Homelander (Antony Starr) has become increasingly unhinged following the events of Season 2, while Butcher (Karl Urban) takes a special serum to temporarily become a supe and directly take on Vought. Supernatural‘s Jensen Ackles can also be seen as a new character named Soldier Boy.
Fans have had to wait a bit longer for Season 3 following the October 2020 Season 2 finale, due to COVID-19 production delays. That said, it’s finally set to premiere on Prime Video on June 3rd, with new episodes rolling out every week. It’s worth noting that the series was filmed in Toronto, is executive produced by Vancouver’s Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and co-stars Mississauga, Ontario’s Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Kids in the Hall [Amazon Original]
The iconic Canadian sketch comedy troupe is back. All five original group members — Etobicoke, Ontario’s Dave Foley, Edmonton’s Bruce McCulloch, Montreal’s Kevin McDonald, Ottawa’s Mark McKinney and Brampton, Ontario’s Scott Thompson — have returned for new sketches.
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: May 13th, 2022 Genre: Sketch comedy Runtime: Eight episodes (24 to 27 minutes each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
The Essex Serpent [Apple Original]
After moving to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent, a London widow bonds with the local pastor until tragedy strikes and locals accuse her of attracting the creature.
Based on Sarah Perry’s 2016 novel of the same name, The Essex Serpent stars Claire Danes (Homeland) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki).
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Drama Runtime: Six episodes (around one hour each)
Deborah and Ava set out on a cross-country trip to workshop Deborah’s latest stand-up act.
Hacks was created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky (Broad City) and stars Jean Smart (Watchmen), Hannah Einbinder (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Candyman) and Jane Adams (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
Crave premiere date: May 12th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Thursday) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)
Sixty years after the events of Revolutions, Neo finds himself drawn back into the Matrix to fight alongside a new group of rebels and rescue Trinity.
The Matrix Resurrections was co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski (The Matrix trilogy) and features Toronto’s Keanu Reeves and Burnaby, B.C.’s Carrie-Anne Moss reprising their roles of Neo and Trinity, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), Jessica Henwick (Marvel’s Iron Fist), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) join the cast.
Theatrical release date: December 22nd, 2021
Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022 Genre: Sci-fi, action Runtime: 2 hours, 28 minutes
Stream The Matrix Resurrections here.
See For Me
After three criminals break into the home she’s housesitting, a visually-impaired teen must use a smartphone app to connect to a remote helper.
See For Me was directed by Calgary’s Randall Okita (The Lockpicker) and stars Skyler Davenport (Sword Art Online), Calgary’s Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash), Pascal Langdale (Killjoys), Saskatoon’s Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) and Toronto’s Laura Vandervoort (Smallville).
The film was shot in and around Toronto.
Theatrical release date: January 7th, 2022
Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022 Genre: Thriller Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
This Letterkenny spin-off follows the titular foul-mouthed hockey player as he moves to Sudbury to join the struggling local hockey team.
Shoresy was created by Listowell, Ontario’s Jared Keeso (Letterkenny) and stars Keeso, Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation’s Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Tribal), Toronto’s Tasya Teles (The 100) and Blair Lamora (Outlander).
Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Friday) Genre: Comedy Runtime: Six episodes (around 21 to 30 minutes each)
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The Quest [Disney+ Original]
Eight real-life teenagers (“Paladins”) are dropped into a fictional world in a competition centred around fulfilling an ancient fantastical prophecy.
Disney+ Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Friday) Genre: Reality competition Runtime: Eight episodes (40 to 47 minutes each)
A stock boy in Queens falls in love with Manhattan’s “Princess Charming” and pursues his dreams of becoming a sneaker designer with the help of his best friend and Fairy Godfather.
A modern re-imagining of Cinderella, Sneakerella was directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Ramona and Beezus) and stars Chosen Jacobs (It series), Lexi Underwood (Little Fires Everywhere), NBA star John Salley and Brantford, Ontario’s Devyn Nekoda (Utopia Falls).
It’s worth noting that the film was shot in and around Toronto.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.
Netflix
The Lincoln Lawyer [Netflix Original]
An L.A. defense attorney works out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car.
Based on Michael Connelly’s 2008 novel, The Brass Verdict, The Lincoln Lawyer was created by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) and stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Cake), Guelph, Ontario’s Neve Campbell (Scream series), Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) and Jazz Raycole (My Wife and Kids).
Netflix Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022 Genre: Legal drama Runtime: 10 episodes (46 to 56 minutes each)
Based on a true story, two British intelligence officers hatch a bold scheme to dupe the Nazis and alter the course of World War II.
Operation Mincemeat was directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and stars Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Matthew Macfayden (Succession), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey).
Netflix Canada premiere date: May 10th, 2022 Genre: War drama Runtime: 2 hours, 7 minutes
Director Lucie Jourdan (Taken at Birth) unpacks the disturbing true story of a popular U.S. doctor who was secretly inseminating dozens of patients with his own sperm.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Paramount+
The Lost City
Novelist Loretta Sage and her cover model Alan Caprison must escape a billionaire, who demands Loretta’s help in finding a lost city.
The Lost City was directed by the Nee Brothers (Band of Robbers) and stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Channing Tatum (Jump Street series), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series) and Brad Pitt (Ocean’s series).
The Apple TV remains one of the best and most powerful streaming devices available, but it’s undeniably pricey, starting at $229 for the 32GB 4K version.
However, that could soon change. According to a recent tweet from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the tech giant could have plans to release a version of the Apple TV “that improves cost structure” later in 2022. This is a good move on Apple’s part given the cheaper and rather outdated Apple TV HD costs $199.
Apple will launch a new version of Apple TV that improves cost structure in 2H22. I think that Apple's aggressive strategy of integrating hardware, content, and service amid the recession will help close the gap with its competitors.
Though the Nvidia Shield rivals the Apple TV 4K in terms of home theatre standards and format support, in Canada in particular, most streaming platforms typically update the tvOS version of their app first, giving Apple’s streaming box a significant advantage in the space.
It’s unclear if this cheaper Apple TV would be HD, 4K or even HDR-capable and what price point it will hit. It’s likely that Apple will replace its entry-level Apple TV HD with a less powerful, possibly smaller version of the Apple TV 4K. For example, while the 2nd-gen Apple TV 4K features Apple’s A12 chip, the first-gen version offers an A10X Fusion chip.
Apple could refresh this older version of the Apple TV 4K with an A11 chip and a sleeker design. It’s unclear if Kuo’s report is tied to the rumours surrounding an Apple TV with an integrated HomePod speaker and a built-in camera for FaceTime that appeared a few months ago.
Norm Macdonald recorded one last stand-up special prior to his death last September.
Lori Jo Hoekstra, the late Quebec City-born comedian’s long-time producing partner, confirmed the news in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
It will be titled Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, per his recommendation, and release on Netflix on May 30th.
Per Hoekstra, Macdonald had been preparing material for a new Netflix special in the summer of 2020 before needing to go into the hospital for leukemia treatment. As a result, he recorded what would become Nothing Special the night before going in for a procedure. “It was his intention to have a special to share if something happened,” Hoekstra told THR.
She added that Macdonald filmed the entire special in a single take from his living room. In addition to Macdonald’s comedy bits, Nothing Special will feature clips of Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, David Spade and Molly Shannon discussing Macdonald during the recent Netflix Is a Joke Fest.
Nothing Special is Macdonald’s second project for Netflix. In 2018, he released Norm Macdonald Has a Showon the service, in which he interviewed celebrities like Michael Keaton, Chevy Chase, Jane Fonda and fellow Canadian Lorne Michaels.
In a press release, Amazon said the sci-fi comedy-drama series has become “a bona fide hit that continues to be one of the most-watched comedy originals on Prime Video.”
Created by The Office‘s Greg Daniels, Upload follows a computer programmer who, after dying prematurely, has his consciousness uploaded to a virtual afterlife. Notably, the series stars Toronto’s own Robbie Amell and is filmed in Vancouver. Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards and Zainab Johnson co-star.
The series’ second season dropped in March. A premiere date for the third season has not yet been confirmed.
Netflix is planning to launch a lower-cost, ad-supported membership option and begin cracking down on password sharing by the end of the year.
In a note to employees that was communicated to The New York Times, the streaming giant indicated that the tier would be introduced in the last three months of 2022. This would be earlier than the rough “over the next year or two” period that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had floated around last month.
The note acknowledged as much, stating “Yes, it’s fast and ambitious and it will require some trade-offs.” It’s unclear exactly what those “trade-offs” will be, however.
Until as recently as March, Netflix has historically said it’s not interested in bringing ads to its platform. However, its stance changed amid confirmation that it actually lost 200,000 subscribers in Q1 2022 — its first quarterly drop in over 10 years. Further, the company is expecting to shed another two million subscribers in the second quarter. All of this comes amid an increasingly saturated streaming market, which includes relatively new players like Disney+, Apple TV+ and the U.S.-only HBO Max.
The New York Times‘ report didn’t provide any further details, simply noting that Netflix is “planning to begin cracking down on password sharing among its subscriber base around the same time.” Therefore, this leaves some room as to when and how Netflix will crack down on this, specifically.
