Press release from Hulu, July 26, 2019:

Today, during the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton, Hulu’s Senior Vice President of Originals, Craig Erwich, presented the company’s lineup of upcoming original programming including Wu-Tang: An American Saga from Brian Grazer and The RZA, Dollface starring Kat Dennings, Looking for Alaska, based on the best-selling novel by John Green and produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Reprisal from Warren Littlefield and starring Abigail Spencer and Mindy Kaling’s reimagining of Four Weddings and a Funeral, all of which join the company’s collection of premium original content.

In addition, Erwich announced new comedy series Love, Beth produced by and starring EmmyAward-winner Amy Schumer and expanded the company’s foray into original food programming with an untitled new series starring Padma Lakshmi.

“Hulu is taking big swings on bold and brand-defining stories that reflect the culture and inspire conversation. The series we’re presenting today come from many of the biggest storytellers and fresh new voices in entertainment, and reflect why Hulu is a home for creators to do their very best work,” said Erwich.

The news comes after the company received 20 Emmy nominations across eight titles, solidifying Hulu as a home for premium content. In fact, Hulu has seen a 70% increase in engagement (total hours watched) with its original programming year-over-year.

Announcements revealed from the stage today include:

Hulu Renews the Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-Winning Drama Series The Handmaid’s Tale for a Fourth Season

Hulu’s 11-time Emmy-winning drama series The Handmaid’s Tale has been picked up for a fourth season. The Handmaid’s Tale is executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Ilene Chaiken, Eric Tuchman, John Weber, Sheila Hockin and Frank Siracusa. The series is produced by MGM Television.

New episodes of the current third season stream weekly on Wednesdays.

New Comedy Series Love, Beth Joins Hulu’s Slate of Acclaimed Original Comedies

Hulu has joined forces with Emmy Award-winning powerhouse comedian Amy Schumer for a first-look deal that will kick off with her new comedy series, Love, Beth.

The 10-episode, half-hour comedy series from Endeavor Content stars Schumer as Beth. Love, Bethis created, directed, written, executive produced by and starring Amy Schumer. Executive producers also include Kim Caramele and Kevin Kane. Endeavor Content is also representing international sales.

Further details about the series will be announced at a later date. Love, Beth is expected to launch late 2020.

Hulu Builds Out Hulu Kitchen with New Series from Padma Lakshmi

The Untitled Padma Lakshmi Series is a living cookbook made up more from people and culture than recipes. Curated by Emmy-nominated host and author Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef), the series embraces culinary traditions from the first Americans to the latest arrivals alongside Padma’s perspectives and personal connection to each story. Filmed around the country, each episode starts with a single dish that represents and connects to a community’s history and traditions, and explores the evolution of that immigrant community through that cuisine. From family recipes and street food to high-end restaurants, each dish explored is a symbol of a unique journey and story that provides viewers a window into where communities came from and the tale of how they set roots in America. In the hands of different families and waves of immigration, an organic evolution emerges between traditional recipes and new approaches, different perspectives and emotions, all captured thru Padma’s eyes.

Each 30-minute episode follows Padma as she learns, immerses and celebrates communities from around the world that have taken root in America, changed it and been changed by it. The 10-episode series is produced by Part2 Pictures.

Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-Winner Mahershala Ali Joins the Second Season of Groundbreaking Comedy Series, Ramy

Two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winner Mahershala Ali has been cast as a special guest star in the Hulu Original comedy series Ramy. Ali, who is a huge fan of the series, will join creator Ramy Youssef in the second season, which is slated to premiere in 2020.

Ali was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for his critically-acclaimed performance in HBO’sTrue Detective. Marvel announced last week at San Diego Comic-Con that Ali has signed on to play BLADE in an upcoming feature for them. His credits include MOONLIGHT and GREENBOOK for which he won Academy Awards for his performances.

Ramy follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Ramy Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that might not believe in an afterlife. In the second season, Ramy will delve further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to Islam.

Ramy is written, executive produced, created by and starring Ramy Youssef, executive produced by Jerrod Carmichael, A24’s Ravi Nandan, co-creators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, and produced by A24.

Hulu Reveals Premiere Dates for Upcoming 2019 Originals

New Original comedy series Dollface follows Jules (Kat Dennings), a young woman who – after being dumped by her longtime boyfriend – must deal with her own imagination in order to literally and metaphorically re-enter the world of women, and rekindle the female friendships she left behind. The 10-episode series will debut all episodes on Friday, November 15.

Dollface stars Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell and Esther Povitsky.

The series created by Jordan Weiss, who serves as an executive producer alongside showrunner Ira Ungerleider; Margot Robbie, Brett Hedblom and Tom Ackerley for LuckyChap Entertainment; Bryan Unkeless and Scott Morgan for Screen Arcade; Kat Dennings; Nicole King and Stephanie Laing (VicePrincipals). Matt Spicer (Ingrid Goes West) will executive produce and direct the first episode.Dollface is produced by ABC Signature Studios, part of Disney Television Studios.

On December 6, Hulu will launch all 10 episodes of new Original drama series Reprisal. The series is a hyper-noir revenge tale following a relentless femme fatale who, after being left for dead, leads a vengeful campaign against a bombastic gang of gear heads.

Reprisal stars Abigail Spencer, Rodrigo Santoro, Mena Massoud, Madison Davenport, Rhys Wakefield, David Dastmalchian, W. Earl Brown and Gilbert Owuor.

The series is created by executive producer and showrunner Josh Corbin and executive produced by Warren Littlefield, Barry Jossen and Jonathan Van Tulleken, who directs 5 of the 10 episodes.

Marvel’s Runaways will return for season three on December 13 with all 10 episodes.

In an action-packed Season 3, the Runaways frantically search for their captured friends Chase, Gert and Karolina. The kids go head to head with an unstoppable enemy who has targeted Leslie – or more accurately, the child she’s carrying. Nico draws them all into a dark realm where its ruler Morgan le Fay, played by Elizabeth Hurley, is much more nefarious than anyone the kids have yet to face.

The series stars Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Annie Wersching, Ryan Sands, Angel Parker, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Kevin Weisman, Brigid Brannagh, James Yaegashi, Brittany Ishibashi, and Elizabeth Hurley.

Marvel’s Runaways is executive produced by series showrunners/writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The O.C. and Gossip Girl) along with Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger) and Quinton Peeples. Marvel’s Runaways is a co-production with ABC Signature Studios, part of Disney Television Studios. It is based on the Marvel comics created by the award winning-team of Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.

Previously announced, Wu-Tang: An American Saga will debut on Wednesday, September 4 with three episodes, followed by a new episode every Wu-Wednesday.

Based on one of the most influential and important groups in hip-hop history, the 10-episode Wu-Tang: An American Saga is inspired by “The Wu-Tang Manual” and “Tao of Wu” and based on the true story of the Wu-Tang Clan. Set in the early ’90s New York at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, the show tracks the Clan’s formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young, black men that are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga stars Ashton Sanders, Shameik Moore, Dave East, Siddiq Saunderson, Marcus Callender, Julian Elijah Martinez, Zolee Griggs, Erika Alexander, TJ Atoms and Johnell Young.

The series is created and written by Alex Tse and The RZA and executive produced by Tse, The RZA, Method Man, Brian Grazer, Michael Rosenberg and Francie Calfo. Wu-Tang: An American Saga is produced by Imagine Television.

Also previously announced, Looking for Alaska, the limited series based on the best-selling John Green novel of the same name, will debut all eight episodes on Friday, October 18. The series centers around teenager Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer), as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth), and finds a group of loyal friends. But after an unexpected tragedy, Miles and his close friends attempt to make sense of what they’ve been through.

The series stars Charlie Plummer, Kristine Froseth, Denny Love, Jay Lee, Landry Bender, Sofia Vassilieva, Uriah Shelton, and Jordan Connor. Also starring are Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) and Timothy Simons (Veep).

Looking for Alaska is created for television by Josh Schwartz; the series comes from Paramount Television and Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire. Savage and Schwartz serve as executive producers alongside Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, John Green, and Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner of Temple Hill. Fake Empire executive Lis Rowinski serves as co-executive producer. Sarah Adina Smith (Hanna, Legion) directs the first episode.