No questions, no lies: Hulu brings ‘Great Expectations’ to the screen

WHAT’S NEW ON HULU “Great Expectations” - Season 1

Experience all that life has to offer with the series adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel “Great Expectations,” when its two-episode premiere streams Sunday, March 26, on Hulu. Episodes air weekly on Sundays. A coming-of-age story, “Great Expectations” follows Pip — played in his youth by Tom Sweet (“Gunpowder”) and in adulthood by Fionn Whitehead (“Dunkirk,” 2017) — an orphan living in England in the early 19th century who yearns for better things for his life. After spending his youth as an apprentice, Pip’s entire life changes when a donation from a mysterious benefactor sets him off to London to join society as a gentleman. Through twists of fate and the often nefarious intentions of those around him, Pip must learn if living up to his expectations will really make him the man he wishes to be. A damning critique of the class systems, Dickens’ 1861 novel is brought to the screen by producer Mark Kinsella (“Anatomy of a Scandal”), writer and executive producer Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) and directors Brady Hood (“Top Boy”) and Samira Radsi (“The Typist”). Olivia Colman (“The Favourite,” 2018) stars as the wealthy, eccentric spinster, Miss Havisham, while Estella, Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter and Pip’s love interest, is played by “Love Me” actress Shalom Brune-Franklin. The series also stars Trystan Gravelle (“Mr. Selfridge”), Johnny Harris (“This is England ‘86”), Owen McDonnell (“Killing Eve”), Bronte Carmichael (“Andor”), Matt Berry (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Hayley Squires (“The Essex Serpent”), Ashley Thomas (“Them”) and Rudi Dharmalingam (“Wakefield”).

“Rye Lane” (2023)

Make the best of a bad situation with the new Hulu Original rom-com “Rye Lane” when it premieres on the streaming platform Friday, March 31. Both reeling in the wake of bad breakups, twenty-somethings Dom (David Jonsson “Industry”) and Yas (Vivian Oparah, “Class”) have both lost their faith in love. But, as the pair connect over the course of an eventful day in South London, and help each other deal with their nightmare exes, they might just consider giving romance another chance. Directed by Raine Allen-Miller (“Jerk,” 2018), “Rye Lane” is written for the screen by Nathan Bryon (“Bloods”) and Tom Melia (“Hollyoaks”). The film also stars Poppy Allen-Quarmby (“Gentleman Jack”), Simon Manyonda (“Pennyworth”), Alice Hewkin (“The Athena”), Benjamin Sarpong-Broni (“The Yong Cannibals,” 2019), Karene Peter (“The Sparticle Mystery”) and Malcolm Atobrah (“New Skool Life”).

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX “Unstable” - Season 1

It’s a family affair in the new Netflix sitcom “Unstable,” which premieres its first season Thursday, March 30. Universally admired, eccentric and narcissist-adjacent biotech entrepreneur Ellis Dragon (Rob Lowe, “91-1: Lone Star”) works hard to make the world a better place. However, Ellis has been in an emotional spiral since the death of his wife. In an attempt to keep his father’s company from falling apart, Ellis’s estranged son Jackson (played by Lowe’s reallife son, John Owen Lowe, “The Grinder”), who is his father’s opposite in seemingly every way, returns home to try to turn the company (and his father) back around. While working to get Ellis’s word back in order, Jackson takes on what might be the hardest task of all: escaping his father’s looming, larger-than-life shadow. Inspired by John Owen’s comedic social media interactions with his father, “Unstable” is created for Netflix by Victor Fresco (“Santa Clarita Diet”) and co-created by Rob and John Owen Lowe. The series cast is rounded out by Fred Armisen (“Portlandia”), Sian Clifford (“Fleabag”), Tom Allen (“Chad Goes Deep”), Rachel Marsh (“Before We Go”), Emma Ferreira (“Learn to Swim,” 2021), Aaron Branch (“Christmas at the Ranch,” 2021), Frank Gallegos (“Veronica Mars”), Chris Aquilino (“Silicon Valley”) and Merrick McCartha (“All American”).

“Murder Mystery 2” (2023)

A new game is afoot and going international once again: the action-crime comedy sequel “Murder Mystery 2” premieres Friday, March 31, on Netflix. After New York City detective Nick (Adam Sandler, “Happy Gilmore,” 1996) and his wife, Audrey (Jennifer Aniston, “Friends”), a hairdresser with a penchant for mystery novels, solved an international caper in the first film, they’re back with their sights set abroad once more. Now both full-time detectives struggling to get their private investigation agency off the ground, Nick and Audrey find themselves at the center of an international abduction when their friend the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar, “The Big Sick,” 2017) is kidnapped at his own wedding. Using every skill and tool in their arsenal, the duo attempt to solve the case and bring their friend home. With a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac,” 2007), “Murder Mystery 2” is directed by Jeremy Garelick (“The Wedding Ringer,” 2015). The film also stars Mark Strong (“1917,” 2019), Mélanie Laurent (“Inglourious Basterds,” 2009), Jodie TurnerSmith (“The Last Ship”), John Kani (“Black Panther,” 2018), Kuhoo Verma (“Plan B,” 2021), Dany Boon (“Welcome to the Sticks,” 2008), Enrique Arce (“Money Heist”), Zurin Villanueva (“Detroit,” 2017), Jillian Bell (“The Drop,” 2022), Tony Goldwyn (“Scandal”), Annie Mumolo (“Bad Moms,” 2016) and Myo Leong (“Scramble,” 2017).

WHAT’S NEW ON APPLE TV+ “Tetris” (2023)

Dive into the incredible history of one of the world’s most famous games when the new Apple TV+ Original film “Tetris” premieres on the Apple streamer Friday, March 31. In 1988, businessman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton, “Rocketman,” 2019) discovers the video game Tetris and sees its massive, addictive potential. Risking everything, Henk travels to the Soviet Union to join forces with the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov, “Offlayn”), to bring the game to the masses and help it grow into an international obsession. Based on a true story, this Cold War-era thriller is directed by Jon S. Baird (“Filth,” 2013) and written by Noah Pink (“Genius”). Sofya Lebedeva (“Vikings: Valhalla”), Anthony Boyle (“The Plot Against America”), Toby Jones (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” 2011), Roger Allam (“V for Vendetta,” 2005), Ben Miles (“Andor”), Rick Yune (“The Fast and the Furious,” 2001), Matthew Marsh (“The Iron Lady,” 2011), Miles Barrow (“The Ark”), Ieva Andrejevaite (“Emilia,” 2017), Togo Igawa (“Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi,” 2017) and Ayane (“Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga”) also star.