Overview
When Disney+ made its way into the world back in 2019, it gave viewers — including folks in Australia and New Zealand — access to a huge range of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic movies and shows. What it didn't do is bring Hulu, which the Mouse House owns the majority stake in, to audiences Down Under. And, with Disney+ focused on family-friendly fare, it didn't deliver the kinds of series and films that Hulu screens, either.
Hulu still isn't heading our way. But, on Tuesday, February 23, Disney+ expanded to include a new section that's basically an international equivalent of Hulu. It's called Star and, when it was first announced late in 2020, film and TV fans were advised that it'd screen "an additional 1000 unique titles... in the first year". Wondering exactly what that includes? Well, more than 150 TV shows and 450–plus flicks have been added so far, and there are plenty of highlights among the bunch.
From the pile of television programs, four fall into the 'Star Originals' category at the moment, meaning that they're brand new to viewers Down Under. Three of the four newbies are Hulu shows, too, so if you've been wanting to watch Love, Victor (the spinoff from 2018 movie Love, Simon), Helstrom (which forms part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) or Solar Opposites (an animated sitcom co-created by Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland), now you're be able to. Plus, by the end of the year, Disney+ will release at least 30 more TV series that haven't made their way to Aussie or NZ viewers before.
Also the television front, you can binge your way through every episode of Alias, 24, Felicity, Futurama and Glee — or opt for New Girl, Prison Break, Scandal and The X-Files instead. You can also check out ten seasons of Bob's Burgers, too. The list goes on and, like the existing Disney+ range, you'll find a hefty focus on older shows over new titles.
From Star's big list of classics, plenty of titles stand out. Among the film selection, you'll find the Alien, Planet of the Apes, Die Hard and Omen franchises, plus the Predator and Taken flicks as well. And, you can also pick between older movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Fly, Never Been Kissed, Office Space, Pretty Woman, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, or more recent fare such as Black Swan, Eddie the Eagle, Logan, The Favourite and Jojo Rabbit. A heap of Wes Anderson films, including Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, are also featured.
Star draws upon Disney's studios, such as Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television and Touchstone. And it doesn't everything that Hulu does, because plenty of Hulu's series and films pop up elsewhere Down Under — like The Handmaid's Tale, for instance. That said, it's safe to expect that some of the rights deals that deliver Hulu content to other networks and streaming platforms in Australia and might change after Star's hits, moving where you can catch certain flicks and programs in the process.
As you might've already guessed, Disney+'s expansion to include Star comes with a price increase. Australian subscriptions have gone up to AU$11.99 per month or AU$119.99 per year, while New Zealand subscriptions are now NZ$12.99 per month and $129.99 per year. If you're already a subscriber, the new price won't kick in for six months, though — so whenever your next renewal hits after August 22.
Star joined Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday, February 23, with Disney+ subscriptions costing AU$11.99 and NZ$12.99 per month or AU$119.99 and NZ$129.99 per year from now on.