Star – the international equivalent of Hulu – is launching as a new brand on Disney Plus today. The brand is bringing over 75 TV shows and more than 270 films to the streaming platform. Some of the biggest titles on Star include Futurama, The X-Files, Atlanta, Modern Family, Lost, Die Hard, Deadpool 2, The Devil Wears Prada, and Moulin Rouge!.
However, this additional content doesn’t come for free. From today Disney+ is also rising its prices for new subscribers from £5.99 per month to £7.99 per month, and £59.99 per year to £79.90 per year.
If you’re an existing subscriber and missed the opportunity to lock in for the lower prices for longer, then never fear. Disney will honour the lower monthly prices until 23 August 2021. From then, all accounts will change to the new pricing.
From the first time that subscribers log on, they will be advertised the new Star page, and be given the choice of whether to allow content above a 14+ rating and set PINs for various profiles. You shouldn’t need to do anything extra – if your account is connected to the internet, the update will happen automatically.
There’s only a handful of new ‘originals’ on the platform, which have been syndicated from Hulu. These are Love, Victor – a series follow-up to the coming-of-age romantic comedy Love, Simon, Big Sky – a thriller series, and Solar Opposites – an animated show about aliens living in suburban America.
Eventually more European and UK original films and series will come to Star. Deadline has already confirmed ten titles from France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands, and has said that UK originals are almost ready to be unveiled.
Alongside the content update will be the addition of further parental controls, which will sync across all the devices that you’re signed into Disney Plus with (providing they’re on the same account). You can read more about how to tailor parental controls here.
Not yet signed up for Disney Plus and Star? You can do so right now on the Disney Plus website. You can also see a more detailed breakdown of Star and check out the best shows and films on the streaming service this month.
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.