Final Shots: Time Warner Backs Hulu’s Live-TV Streaming Service With 10% Stake

Time Warner has announced as part of their Q2 earnings that they have acquired a 10% stake in Hulu. The new stock purchase is a clear representation of their faith in the platform’s planned live television streaming service.

According to Deadline, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes reaffirmed that the purchase “underscores Time Warner’s commitment to supporting and developing new platforms.” It places them next to current equity owners Disney, Fox and Comcast, who will also lend networks to the service. The platform’s forthcoming streaming package will include Turner’s TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, truTV, Boomerang and Turner Classic Movies. It is due for release sometime in 2017.

In other news…

Amazon and Sky Original Dramas in the UK have announced a brand new historical drama titled Britannia. Written by Jez Butterworth and starring Kelly Reilly, David Morrissey, and Zoe Wanamaker, the brand new original series is set in 43AD as the Roman Imperial Army returns to wage war against the Celtics in Britannia. According to a press release, the pilot season will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in the U.S. and on Sky 1 in the UK.

The creators of Gossip Girl (Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage) are reportedly working on a young adult thriller titled 13 Minutes for Netflix. Based on Sarah Pinborough’s novel of the same name, the film will center on a popular high school student named Natasha who is found and revived after being dead for 13 minutes. [Variety]

Willem Dafoe has reportedly closed a deal with Netflix to voice Ryuk the Shinigami in Adam Wingard’s forthcoming adaptation of the popular Japanese manga, Death Note. Starring Nat Wolff, the brand new original series follows a high school student who attains a supernatural notebook with powers to kill. [Mashable]

Netflix posted a behind-the-scenes featurette today for their Beatles-inspired animated original kids series, Beat Bugs. Featuring commentary from creator Josh Wakely and a few of the musical artists including Jennifer Hudson and James Corden, the new clip delves into the show’s conceptualization:

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter@Tweetskoor