Along with the mega list of new movie and TV show announcements from Disney in December came the news of a new content hub for international subscribers.
‘Star’ is a new brand on Disney+ that will give select countries, including Australia, access to more mature content from the company’s library, but it will also increase the price.
What is Star on Disney+?
Star (not to be confused with Starz) will bring content from Disney’s sub studios including FX, Disney Television, 20th Century Studios and Television, Touchstone, ESPN, and others, dependant on region.
Star is set to launch internationally as a replacement of sorts for Hulu, which Disney uses for most of its adult and Fox branded content in the US. Star will be available in several markets including Europe, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
In Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several other markets, Star will be fully integrated into Disney+ and will be accessible as the sixth brand tile in the app.
— Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020
Star on Disney+ Australian release date and pricing
In Australia, Star will be fully integrated into the Disney+ platform as an extra content hub alongside the likes of Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and National Geographic. This means it won’t be a whole new subscription but will increase the price of Disney+ a subscription in general.
Star will roll out in Australia from February 23, 2021 at 7pm AEDT.
The price increase for Disney+ will hit the service on the same day and will increase to:
- Monthly subscription: $11.99
- Annual subscription: $119.99
This is up from the current price of $8.99 per month or $89 for a yearly subscription in Australia.
Disney has said it will honour its current subscription price for six months for existing subscribers who signed up prior to February 23. The price change will then take effect for current subscribers from the first monthly or annual payment following 22 August 2021.
What movies and TV shows will be on Star?
So is it worth paying these few extra dollars for Star on Disney+? Well for starters, considering the amount of new Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars content the company announced the other day, you’ll want to keep Disney+ for a while longer.
Disney has confirmed that Star will have 447 new movies and 155 TV shows when it launches on February 23.
Some of this includes existing content that is available on Hulu overseas but will now come to Star. Hits like Die Hard, Logan, Kingsman and Terminator: Dark Fate will all be available for Australian viewers on the Star hub as will TV shows like Alias, Bobs Burgers, Firefly and Cloak and Dagger.
Star also has four originals that will be available on the platform from day one. These include:
- Helstrom – a drama series based on the Marvel comics characters.
- Big Sky – a crime thriller from David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies)
- Love, Victor – a TV spinoff of the young adult film Love, Simon.
- Solar Opposites – an adult animated sitcom.
Looking further into the future, Disney also has a lineup of content in the works for Star which includes:
- Only Murders in the Building (starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez)
- The Dropout (starring Kate McKinnon)
- Dopesick (starring Michael Keaton, Rosario Dawson and Peter Sarsgaard)
- The Old Man (starring Jeff Bridges)
- American Horror Stories – a spinoff of the successful American Horror Story series.
- Platform (anthology series in development from B.J. Novak)
- Reservation Dogs (30 min comedy series from Taika Waititi)
- Y: The Last Man (an adaptation of the graphic novel)
Disney is also developing a television adaptation of Alien, from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, as well as a retelling of Shōgun. It’s unconfirmed if these will be available on Star internationally given they are coming from FX, but there’s a good chance they’ll find a home on Disney+ here.
During the presentation, Disney announced its plans to bring 32 first-run series to Star on Disney+ next year. So, that few extra dollars for your Disney+ subscription may go a long way in the coming months.
This article has been updated with additional information.