Starting March 31, Disney+ Hotstar will no longer host HBO content, which includes the beloved The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, Succession, Euphoria and more. With all that catalog gone, people are wondering if it’s still worth keeping their Disney+ Hotstar subscriptions. While initially I saw this as an overreaction, a quick browse through my Hotstar account showed that 70% of my homepage content was HBO production, and that’s when that I understood how important it was. The case might be similar for others as well, since the WarnerMedia company is known for delivering quality content that is deeply engaging – most of them top Emmy contenders.

THE Tweeter from the Disney+ Hotstar support team promises a huge library of content “covering over 100,000 hours of TV shows and movies” in multiple languages ​​and sporting events. Of course, that includes general Disney content – both animated and live-action – in addition to Marvel stuff, which includes all of their TV movies, shows, behind-the-scenes documentaries, animated series, and the grounded stories they’ve brought. from Netflix, like daredevil And The Punisher. Beyond that, we have Star Wars content that follows a similar pattern, with every possible movie and show offered as part of the Disney+ Hotstar catalog. For nature and wildlife enthusiasts, we have a National Geographic channel, while Hulu and FX content falls under the Star World banner, which includes award-winning entries such as Abbott Elementary and Under the Banner of Heaven, as well as new entries such as Fleishman is in trouble.

HBO Content Will Move From Disney+ Hotstar Starting March 31: Details

HBO will soon be removed from this channel list
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

Visiting the channels category on the site will give you a better idea of ​​what’s left. Hotstar Specials brings you Indian originals such as the new Hindi-language adaptation directed by Anil Kapoor from The Night Manager, Taaza Khabar from Bhuvan Bam, and more. Of course, one can always search for movies to watch, usually distributed by Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios, both owned by Disney. Unfortunately, most critically acclaimed/indie entries are hidden and require the public to be knowledgeable enough to use the search bar to find them. There is also sports content ranging from various international cricket matches and tournaments to the English Premier League for football fans. It’s worth mentioning that the Indian Premier League (IPL) streaming rights now belong to Viacom18, so you won’t be able to stream it live on Hotstar.

With that, we’ve curated a list of popular content across TV Series, Movies, and Sports to stream on Disney+ Hotstar even after March 31:

Andor

What is beautiful Andor is that you could strip out all of its geeky Star Wars lingo, and it would still work as a well-written spy thriller. Set five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this 12-part series traces the journey of rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a regular thief, who wages war on the oppressive Empire. In his quest for revenge, he meets the mysterious Luther Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), who observes our hero and convinces him to join the Rebellion, in order to infiltrate the oppressors and spy on them. Genevieve O’Reilly reprises her role as Mon Mothma, a senator who tries to navigate Empire politics in favor of our heroes. Indeed, she’s another spy, and this time the character is seen right in the thick of the action.

Another great quality of Andor is that it’s the first Star Wars project to forego StageCraft technology, which relies on digital LED screens to create virtual backgrounds. Filming was done either at Pinewood Studios in London or in real locations with larger than life sets that make our characters appear helpless and small. For a show of this magnitude, Andor features a superb ensemble cast including Adria Arjona as Andor’s romantic interest Bix Caleen, Denise Gough as high-ranking Imperial officer Dedra Meero, Kyle Soller as Imperial officer Syril Kahn and Fiona Shaw as as Maarva, Andor’s adoptive mother.

The 12-episode series was created by Tony Gilroy (the Bourne trilogy) and also has a second season on the way, which should span another four years skipping through the timelines.

Andor Review: Grown Up Star Wars Pushes The Galaxy, Just Like Rogue One

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian was the first to use ILM’s StageCraft technology to its advantage, creating backgrounds that mimic the scope of Star Wars movies on the big screen. While Andor was a spy thriller in essence, The Mandalorian is best described as a space western, set five years after Return of the Jedi (1983). If you’ve seen HBO’s The Last of Us, that show is somewhat similar in that Pedro Pascal is tasked with smuggling a child, but then he forms a bond with them and swears to protect them at all costs. Only here he plays lonely bounty hunter Din Djarin, while Grogu/Baby Yoda fits the “child” aspect of the story, despite being 50 years old.

While seeking to reunite the toddler with his kind, Djarin is pursued by the genocidal Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), who intends to use Grogu’s Force-sensitive blood. In the series, veteran actor Carl Weathers appears as greedy agent Greef Karga, Gina Carano as mercenary Cara Dune, and Emily Swallow as The Armorer, the leader of the Orthodox Mandalorian warrior tribe. Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian The first season was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2020 Emmy Awards and is now airing its third season.

Loki

Remember the alternate version of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who disappeared with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame? He’s the character we’re dealing with in this Disney+ series, who is sort of trying to reset his arc. After taking possession of the Crystalline Cube, the God of Mischief wreaked havoc across space and time, toying with history as he pleased. Of course, such actions have consequences, leading the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to arrest him and present him with two choices: either be erased from existence or help fix the timeline. The cunning god naturally chooses the latter, setting off a comedic crime thriller that sees him venturing across the multiverse.

TVA agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) joins him – or rather, orders him to join the crusade, which is intent on catching another time-jumping culprit, creating real trouble for the organization. Loki also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox) as TVA Judge Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku (Alice, Darling) as Hunter B-15, and Sophia Di Martino (Into the Badlands) as Sylvie. Kate Herron – best known for Netflix’s Sex Education – directed all six episodes of the MCU series, which is now gearing up for a second season this year.

Loki Season 1 Review: Introducing the Marvel Multiverse

Three billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri

This award-winning crime drama from writer-director Martin McDonagh is a harrowing story about a mother (Frances McDormand)’s thirst for revenge, due to the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of her daughter (Kathryn Newton). . To protest local law enforcement, she rents three abandoned billboards leading into Ebbing, Missouri, displaying controversial messages directed at Police Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson). The signs, which also aim to draw visitors’ attention to the town, read: ‘Raped while dying’, ‘And still no arrests’ and ‘How come, Chief Willoughby?’

Naturally, this attracts enough attention that the boss and his violent junior Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) interfere in business, escalating into a war between mother and cops. Ben Davis’ cinematography adds scenic beauty to the fucked up town, often serving as stopping points before the next dose of drama ensues. There are some fascinating scenes involving fires that you also need to watch out for. Once you’re done with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, check out the director’s next work, The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, which was nominated in eight categories for the 2023 Oscars.

On March 13, at 5:30 a.m. IST, Disney+ Hotstar will also host the Academy Awards.

If you’re in the mood for a dark comedy, the menu is sure to suit your palette. In it, foodie Tyler Ledford (Nicholas Hoult) and his partner Margot Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy) go to an exclusive restaurant on the island for dinner with celebrity chef Slovik (Ralph Fiennes) in attendance. To the astonishment of guests, however, the sumptuous menu is full of shocking surprises, often poking fun at gourmet cuisine and gradually breaking down the walls of reason within the establishment. It’s best to go into this film without any knowledge of the events, but expect some level of gore and horror.

Cinematography by Peter Deming (Mulholland Drive) gives The Menu a luxurious look and framing, with each food item communicating a sense of passion from the industrious chefs – similar to how they are presented in any Luca film Guadagnino. The menu is directed by Mark Mylod, who is also responsible for a few episodes of HBO’s Succession and comedies such as Ali G Indahouse. The film also stars Oscar nominee Hong Chau (The whale), Janet McTeer (Allegiant) and John Leguizamo (John Wick: Chapter 2) in key roles.

premier league

Of course, there’s no way to ignore football fans, who will enjoy their share of action throughout the year. Arsenal FC are still holding strong in first place, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are gradually hot on their heels in the race to lift the prestigious trophy. Meanwhile, Chelsea FC continue to underperform this season, now occupying 10th position in the table.

With the 2022-23 EPL season set to end in May, it will be interesting to see how the remaining fixtures play out. All signs point to a takeover of Arsenal, having last lifted the trophy in 2003. The Premier League will remain on Disney+ Hotstar until at least the end of the 2024-25 season.

Mikel Arteta leads Arsenal FC to glory this Premier League season
Photo credit: FC Arsenal