Assassins, art thieves and apocalypses: 15 original shows and films streaming this autumn

Tom Hanks, Idris Elba, Rosamund Pike and Will Smith are among the big names starring in a host of original features on the streaming platforms this fall

From left: Will Smith in HBO Max's 'King Richard', Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell in 'The Shrink Next Door' from Apple TV+, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Netflix's 'Kate'. Photo: HBO Max, Apple TV+, NetflixShow less

It might not be evident from the still-scorching weather, but autumn is upon us. And with the new season comes a host of new TV shows and films to add to your ever-growing list of content to catch up on.

So, if you’re tired of re-runs and remakes, set a reminder to enjoy these original shows, films and limited series, including a documentary following Elon Musk’s race to space, a hugely anticipated Sopranos prequel, and a series based on an award-winning podcast starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd.

Here are 15 of the most hotly anticipated originals coming to the streamers this autumn …

Netflix

‘Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space’, September 6

Why should only billionaires such as Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos get to experience space? This new docuseries promises viewers the chance to see exactly what it’s like to blast off into the atmosphere as it follows the launch and mission of Musk’s SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission.

Netflix’s first real-time documentary will comprise two episodes released on Monday, September 6, the third episode on Monday, September 13, and the fourth in late September.

‘Kate’, September 10

With female assassins all the rage – Lucy, Peppermint, Black Widow, Red Sparrow – Netflix adds Kate into the mix, featuring Fargo’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the title role. This time, the twist is that Kate has only 24 hours left to live and is using that time to find out who poisoned her before her time runs out. The film also stars Woody Harrelson and The Flight Attendant’s Michiel Huisman.

‘Ankahi Kahaniya’, September 17

A trio of celebrated Bollywood directors – Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Saket Chaudhary and Abhishek Chaubey – come together to tell three stories of love. Mixing romance with drama in this anthology, Zoya Hussain, Kunal Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee and Rinku Rajguru navigate love and loss in the city as they attempt to connect with those around them.

‘The Harder They Fall’, November 3

With a cast absolutely stacked with talent, The Harder They Fall revisits Hollywood’s love of the Western. Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield star in this film about outlaw Rufus Buck (Elba), who, when he discovers the man who murdered his parents is being released from jail, assembles his old gang to seek revenge.

‘Maid’, October 1

This original series is based on the bestselling memoir from Stephanie Land, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood’s Margaret Qualley takes on the main role as a young single mother who, after leaving an abusive relationship, starts a job as a maid to provide for herself and her daughter. It also stars actress Andie MacDowell, Qualley’s real-life mum.

‘Red Notice’, November 12

After showing off their comedy chemistry in Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds reunite for this Netflix action drama, along with Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot. Johnson stars as Rusty, Interpol’s best tracker, who is unwittingly thrown together with Gadot’s art thief and Reynolds’s con artist to capture the world's most-wanted art thief.

‘The Princess Switch 3’, November 29

Vanessa Hudgens returns to round out the 'Princess Switch' trilogy in the third instalment arriving on Netflix on November 29. Photo: Netflix

The hugely popular Netflix film gets a third outing just in time for Christmas, with Vanessa Hudgens once more doing triple duty as Stacy DeNovo, Margaret Delacourt and the scheming Fiona Pembroke. Shot on location in Scotland, this time around the lookalike trio are on the hunt for a stolen priceless relic.

Amazon Prime

‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, October 15

The 1997 horror classic 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' has been turned into a series for Amazon Prime, following a group of teens being stalked by a killer. Photo: Amazon Prime

Based on the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe, Amazon Prime has turned the film into a series. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’s Madison Iseman leads a cast running for their lives from a relentless, faceless killer.

‘The Wheel of Time’, November

Robert Jordan’s popular The Wheel of Time fantasy books get the small screen treatment with British actress Rosamund Pike headlining. Set in a world of magic that can only be accessed by certain women, Pike stars as Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female Aes Sedai, who arrives in the town of Two Rivers to meet five young men and women, one of whom will either save or destroy humanity.

HBO Max

‘The Many Saints of Newark’, September 24

One of the most hugely anticipated series of 2021, The Many Saints of Newark is the prequel to the acclaimed TV show The Sopranos. Starring the late James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, as Tony Soprano, Ray Liotta, Vera Farmiga, Leslie Odom Jr and Corey Stoll also appear in this family crime drama, which follows the Newark riots of 1967 and the rise of rival gangster groups who challenge the DiMeo crime family.

‘King Richard’, November 19

A title that will be released both in cinemas and on the streamer, Will Smith stars as Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena. The biopic follows the life of the tennis coach, who famously decided his daughters would be tennis stars after watching Romanian player Virginia Ruzici on television, wrote a 78-page plan to success, and put a tennis racquet in the girls' hands at the tender age of 4.

Apple TV+

‘The Problem with Jon Stewart’, September

Jon Stewart returns to his political roots in 'The Problem with Jon Stewart' on Amazon Prime. AP Images

Although it's not yet been given a release date, US current affairs stalwart Stewart returns to his political commentary roots on Apple TV+ in September. Having left The Daily Show with Jon Stewart back in 2015, according to Apple, the show “will explore topics that are currently part of the national conversation and Stewart’s advocacy work".

‘Foundation’, September 24

Fans of celebrated sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov rejoice, because one of his weightiest works is coming to the streaming service this autumn. Foundation, which stars British actor Jared Harris, is considered one of Asimov’s most sprawling series in which mathematician Hari Seldon foresees the fall of the galactic empire, encompassing the Milky Way, resulting in a dark age lasting 30,000 years.

To try and minimise the effects, Seldon creates the Foundations – two groups of scientists and engineers at opposite ends of the galaxy – to preserve aspects of the empire’s science and civilisation so they might become the cornerstones of the new galactic empire which will rise from its ashes.

‘Finch’, November 5

Having survived the apocalypse on Earth, Tom Hanks's Finch builds a robot to take care of his beloved dog Goodyear, and teaches his AI companion about friendship and humanity. Photo: Apple TV+

The eternally popular Tom Hanks takes on the eponymous role of Finch, a robotics engineer who survives an apocalyptic event on Earth. Eking out an existence in his underground bunker with his dog Goodyear, Finch builds a robot to take care of his pet in case he’s no longer around. Slowly, the robot learns about life, love, friendship and humanity.

‘The Shrink Next Door’, November 12

In a story inspired by true events, Dr Isaac Herschkopf (Paul Rudd) slowly starts to take over the life of his patient Martin Markowitz (Will Ferrell). The eight-part limited series, penned by Emmy Award-winning writer Georgia Pritchett, is based on a 10-episode podcast of the same name, which won the 2020 Webby Award for Documentary.