New year, new content!
Heading into 2020, Hulu has a mountain of series and movies cued up for subscribers (including a ton of solid picks available this month.) Of course, the streaming service shines brightest with its original projects — and we've got plenty of those to look forward to in the new year too.
We have yet to receive word on the returns of favorites like The Handmaid's Tale, PEN15, and Castle Rock. (Handmaid's and PEN15 have already been renewed, but whether they'll return this year or next remains to be seen; Castle Rock has yet to be announced.)
Thankfully, we know to expect more Shrill, Ramy, and Future Man, plus the start of new series like Endlings, Fertile Crescent, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Dropout, and more.
Listed in order of expected release, here are 10 Hulu originals to bank on watching this year.
1. Shrill Season 2 (Jan. 24)
Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant returns as writer Annie Easton in Hulu's second season of Shrill. Expanding upon series' themes of body positivity, women's empowerment, and millennial ambition, Season 2 promises an even deeper dive into the challenges of cultivating adult identity.
Bryant is joined by Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, Ian Owens, John Cameron Mitchell, and Patti Harrison — with Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks returning as executive producers. Eight episodes are expected, as opposed to last season's six.
2. High Fidelity (Feb. 14)
Lovers of heartbreak and aughts classics, rejoice! On Valentine's Day, subscribers can devour all 10 episodes of Hulu's High Fidelity. Described as a "departure" from Nick Hornby's 1995 novel of the same name (and its 2000 film adaptation), Hulu's take on the story of a record store owner processing romantic loss will star female lead Zoë Kravitz and take place in a Brooklyn neighborhood facing gentrification.
Kravitz, who will also executive produce, is joined by David H. Holmes, Jake Lacy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Hoping we still get to cry over that scene.
3. Little Fires Everywhere (Mar. 18)
Based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere brings powerhouses Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington into the Hulu fold.
A limited series told in eight parts, the stories of Elena Richardson (Witherspoon) and Mia Warren (Washington) intertwine to form a domestic drama as gripping as it is heartbreaking. Fans of the book have plenty to look forward to — and newcomers still have time to play catch-up.
Little Fires Everywhere debuts week-to-week starting Wednesday, March 18.
4. Ramy Season 2 (Spring)
Fresh off a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Ramy Youssef returns for another season of Ramy on Hulu this spring.
If you haven't already seen the series (We told you to! So many times!), here's what you need to know: Ramy follows a first-generation, Egyptian-American living in New Jersey as he struggles to reconcile his Islamic faith with the anti-religious norms of his millennial peers.
A pitch-perfect take on identity, faith, and what it means to be othered, Ramy is the best of the best. Ten episodes are expected this spring.
5. Solar Opposites (Spring)
From the minds behind Rick and Morty comes another intergalactic adventure to obsess over.
Ordered for two seasons (16 episodes in total), Solar Opposites is an adult animated series that follows a family of aliens who crash-land in middle America. Deciding to stay on the strange planet, the family can't decide whether their new living situation is "awesome or awful." (Sounds a whole lot like the Smith family... y'know, minus the generational abuse.)
Creators Mike McMahan and Justin Roiland answered some questions about the series at last year's San Diego Comic-Con. Still, relatively little is known about show specifics. Voice acting is by Roiland, Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone, and Mary Mack — with reported guest appearances by Tiffany Haddish and Christina Hendricks.
6. The Great (Spring)
Dame Helen Mirren and HBO may have just tackled Catherine the Great, but there's no reason Elle Fanning and Hulu can't get in on the Golden Age of Russia.
Characterized by the streaming service as a "genre bending, anti-historical ride through 18th Century Russia," The Great centers on Catherine's rise to power and her relationship to husband Peter III, portrayed in the series by Nicholas Hoult. Written and executive produced by Tony McNamara (The Favourite), The Great hopes to meet at the intersection between dutiful recreation and empirical fever dream in just 10 episodes.
7. Normal People (Spring)
In Hulu's adaptation of Normal People, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal tackle the sublime roles of Marianne and Connell — a duo with one of the best will-they-won't-theys ever written.
Created from Sally Rooney's 2018 novel, this coming-of-age story examines the lives of the two university students with a "strange and indelible connection" that shapes their identities and futures. The drama series is set for 12 episodes this spring, aiming to delicately unpack the complexities of intimacy and status with new hands.
8. Future Man Season 3 (TBA)
After two successful years at Hulu, Future Man returns with its last season in 2020.
A sci-fi adventure/comedy that started somewhere near Jumanji before rocket-shipping toward time-travel Hunger Games, this series from Seth Rogen remains one of the more delightful hidden gems in streaming. Some episodes are stronger than others (Season 2 left something to be desired), but stars Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson always deliver.
With a [fingers crossed] epic finale in store, now's the time to binge.
9. Nine Perfect Strangers (TBA)
Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty returns to the small screen with an adaptation of her latest novel Nine Perfect Strangers. Set at a health-and-wellness resort known as Tranquillum House, the limited series drama stars Nicole Kidman as eccentric resort director Masha — a woman dedicated to improving the lives of her nine stressed-out guests at any cost.
Although Nine Perfect Strangers received mixed reviews from literary critics, tossing Kidman and Moriarty back into the same universe should be a slam dunk for BLL fans missing Monterey. We don't have an exact release date for Nine Perfect Strangers, but it is expected in 2020.
10. The Dropout (TBA)
Inspired by the ABC News podcast of the same name, The Dropout will chronicle the rise and fall of prodigy-turned-fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Portrayed in the limited series by Saturday Night Live actress Kate McKinnon, ex-CEO Holmes is allegedly responsible for a multi-million dollar scam (fostered by her debunked blood-testing company Theranos) that defrauded a few dozen investors and put the health of numerous patients at risk.
If you've seen HBO's The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, you know just how attention-grabbing this show should be. Here's to innovation, turtle necks, and dogs pissing in conference rooms. (Oh yeah, that happened.) The Dropout is expected to begin streaming sometime this year.
Topics Hulu
