Streamers Tease First Taste of Foodtastic and Other New Fare

Apple TV+ will stream Mahershala Ali’s new movie Swan Song from December 17.

The Oscar-winning star of Green Book and Moonlight plays Cameron, a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief.

Apple TV+ bills it as a “powerful, emotional journey” set in the near future:

As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Swan Song explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.

In other streaming news:

Kiwi director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) calls the shots on Amazon Prime Video’s new action-thriller The Protégé, which will premiere on December 3:

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody – the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival – is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer (Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves even tighter.

Another local, Temuera Morrison, will star in Mandalorian spin-off The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+ from December 29.

It finds the legendary bounty hunter and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.

APV will launch its latest comedy series, Tracy (Girls Trip) Oliver’s 10-episode Harlem, on December 3:

Created, written, and executive produced by Oliver, Harlem is a new comedy following a group of stylish and ambitious best girlfriends in Harlem, New York City, the mecca of Black culture in America. Camille is a popular young anthropology professor at Columbia who has an extensive knowledge of the dating norms of many cultures, but has a hard time navigating her own love life; Tye is a successful, queer dating-app creator who prefers keeping vulnerability—and romantic partners—at arm’s length; Quinn is a hopeless romantic and trust-fund fashion designer who is trying to give back to the world while running a struggling business; Angie is a confident, vibrant, and filter-free singer and actress who also lives rent-free and fabulously with Quinn. Together, they level up from their 20s into the next phase of their careers, relationships, and big city dreams.

Shudder will premiere writer/director Patrick Ridremont’s ornate and elegant French horror fantasy The Advent Calendar exclusively on December 9.

Combining Faustian themes and allusions with European folklore, it stars Paris Police 1900’s Eugénie Derouand as Eva, a wheel-chair-bound ex-dancer no longer able to walk.

When her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier, Tomorrow is Ours) gives her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realises each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life. Some of them are good, but most of them are bad, really bad. Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of the calendar or walking again – even if it causes death and destruction to everyone, she holds dear around her.

Disney+ will dish up all episodes of Foodtastic on December 15:

Hosted by the multitalented, Emmy Award-winning actress Keke Palmer, Foodtastic is an immersive global competition series in which highly skilled artists create extravagant scene work and larger-than-life sculptures made entirely out of food. From vegetables and butter to fruit and cheese, these everyday items are transformed into works of art. Each episode is rooted in iconic Disney IP and the food-based builds are an extension of that world.

Here’s a sample of what to expect:

• Ant-Man and The Wasp: Introducing Micro-Girl
  Food artists call on Ant-Man and The Wasp to help a lab tech save the day.
• Star Wars: The Rebel Mechanic 
  Foodtastic food artists help a Rebel mechanic defeat the Galactic Empire.
• Toy Story: Toy Doctor to the Rescue
  Food artists distract Andy before he learns his robot toy is broken.
• Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Best Friend
  Food artists and beloved characters keep Belle’s best friend entertained.
• The Avengers: Sorceress by Day
  Food artists must conjure the Avengers to save the city from an attack.
• Cars: Back on the Track
  Food artists give a mechanic a car to enter the Piston Cup.
• The Lion King: Queen of the Jungle
  Food artists help a Pride Lands tour guide tell Simba’s story.
• Up: An Explorer’s Adventure
  Food artists give an explorer helpful suggestions on where she should go.
• Wreck-It Ralph: Ralph’s New Game
  Food artists work to make a brand-new video game for an amazing gamer.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Hunt for Barbossa
  Food artists help a retired pirate free her matey, Captain Barbossa!
• The Muppets: A Chicken Day Miracle
  Food artists work to make Gonzo’s holiday, Chicken Day, the best day ever.

And to celebrate “Disney+ Day” on November 12, the streamer will premiere The Simpsons in Plusaversary! In the new 4K short, the Simpsons host a Disney+ Day party and everyone is on the list … except Homer.

The Simpsons in Plusaversary is the third in a series of Disney+ 4K shorts from The Simpsons that highlight the service’s marquee brands and titles. The previously released Star Wars and Marvel-themed shorts Maggie Simpson in ‘The Force Awakens from Its Nap’ and The Good, The Bart, and The Loki are on Disney+.

Due next year on Disney+ will be the belated sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy returning 29 years later as the delightfully wicked Sanderson sisters.