Hulu has announced that the streaming service has passed 20 million subscribers – reinforcing Hulu’s position as one of the world’s top 10 direct-to-consumer entertainment brands.
The streamer also announced two new comedy series and a horror event series: Four Weddings and a Funeral, from Mindy Kaling; Ramy – based on the real-life experiences and comedy of Ramy Youssef, and The Dark, from Blumhouse Television – a 12-episode, year-round horror series with each monthly episode dealing the main holiday in each month.
HULU SURGES PAST 20 MILLION U.S. SUBSCRIBERS AND ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OFFER ADVERTISING IN LIVE TV THIS QUARTER
Premium Streaming Service Reports 60 Percent Jump In Engagement and Reveals 78 Percent of Viewing on Hulu Takes Place In The Living Room
Company Expands Originals Slate with Series Orders for Four Weddings and a Funeral from Mindy Kaling and New Comedy Series from Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and A24
Hulu and Blumhouse Television Unveil Year-Round Horror Event Series: Into the Dark
MAY 2, 2018 [NEW YORK, NY] Today, during the Hulu 18 Presentation at the newly-named Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, executives took the stage to reveal the company’s rapid growth, announce multiple original programming and exclusive acquisition deals that expand Hulu’s content offering, and unveil new product and measurement innovations that will bring the future of television to the advertising business.
Reinforcing Hulu’s position as one of the world’s top 10 direct-to-consumer entertainment brands, the company announced that it has surpassed 20 million U.S. subscribers and has grown total engagement on Hulu by more than 60%. In addition, Hulu revealed that 78% of viewing on the service takes place in the living room, on connected TVs.
Today, the company confirmed an order for Four Weddings and a Funeral, a limited series written and executive produced by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton, inspired by the 1994 British romantic comedy film. The series will follow a group of friends as their lives intersect through five events. Kaling and Warburton – who teamed up together for The Mindy Project – will executive produce alongside Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein (3 Arts), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Working Title).
Hulu has also given a series order to Ramy, a groundbreaking comedy series based on the real-life experiences and comedy of Ramy Youssef. The series takes viewers into the world of Ramy, a first generation American Muslim who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy will bring a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like being caught in between an Egyptian community that thinks life is moral a test, and a millennial generation that thinks life has no consequences.
Hulu and Blumhouse Television Reveal Into The Dark Year-Round Horror Event Series
In partnership with Blumhouse Television, Hulu unveiled Into The Dark, a brand new horror event series from prolific, award-winning producer, Jason Blum’s independent TV studio. The series will include 12 standalone super-sized episodes, with a new installment released on the first Friday of every month throughout the year. Each episode is inspired by a holiday from the month of it release, but all will feature Blumhouse’s signature genre/thriller spin on the story. Blumhouse Television, drawing on its deep talent relationships, is working with a broad section of filmmakers, creators and actors to bring this unique, first-of-its-kind series to Hulu audiences.
The first story, The Body, premieres on Friday, October 5. Set in the selfie culture of Los Angeles on Halloween night, The Body follows a sophisticated, overconfident hitman who always carries out his work in style. He decides to take things even further one day by transporting his latest victim in plain sight, correctly assuming that self-absorbed LA partiers will simply be enamored with his elaborate “costume.” Eventually, as his window of opportunity to dispose of the body begins to close, Wilkes’ true colors reveal themselves to some groupies that have latched on to him. It becomes a battle of will and wits.
Based on a short film of the same name, The Body will be directed by Paul Davis and will star Tom Bateman (Murder on the Orient Express, Vanity Fair) as Wilkes, the suave, professional hitman, and Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project, Blood & Oil) as Maggie, a feisty, whip-smart, woman who becomes captivated by Wilkes the more she learns of his real profession. Aurora Perrineau (Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare) plays Dorothy, who uses her cynicism and resourcefulness to try to outwit Wilkes. She is joined by David Hull (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Insecure) as Allan, and Ray Santiago (Ash vs Evil Dead, Meet the Fockers, In Time) as Jack — both are Hollywood and Internet wannabes whose cluelessness complicates the evening time and again. The script was co-written by Paul Fisher, who will also serve as a producer on the project, and Davis. Alexa Faigen (Safe House, Love Happens) is executive producing for Blumhouse.
Into the Dark’s second installment, to be released on Friday, November 2, will be Flesh & Blood, directed by Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine, Dracula 2000). Dermot Mulroney (August: Osage County, Shameless, The Wedding Date) stars as Henry, a doting father trying to help his daughter, Kimberly, a teenager suffering from agoraphobia, who has not left the house since her mother’s still-unsolved murder. Kimberly is played by newcomer Dana Silver, and Tembi Locke (Dumb and Dumber To, Eureka) plays her therapist. Set on the eve of Thanksgiving a year after her mother’s death, Kimberly begins to suspect that she is in danger in the home, but she can’t leave and doesn’t know who she can trust.