What's New On Apple TV+ for May 2022: 'The Essex Serpent,' 'Shining Girls' and More

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”“Loki” director Kate Herron says she had a “conversation” with Marvel Studios about returning to direct the Disney+ series’ second season, but she decided it wasn’t for her.“I was on the show for like three years in total,” she told me Sunday at the “Loki” FYC Emmy event at the Pacific Design Center. “I just felt like I poured everything into it. It’s almost like a campfire story that every filmmaker kind of brings their take and their perspective.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe Essex Serpent” production designer Alice Normington and costume designer Jane Petrie centered their work on the journey of the show’s protagonist Cora Seaborne, played by Claire Danes.Based on the Sarah Perry novel, the six-part series, now stream- ing on Apple TV+, takes place in Victorian London and in a sea- side village plagued by rumors of a mythical beast. Newly widowed Cora has just moved to the Essex village, intrigued by the story of the serpent and ready to follow her passion to look for fossils.Normington’s designs touched on the idea of Heaven, Hell and Earth to portray Cora’s turmoil. When the character is at her London house, red tones are a reflection of her past as viewers learn about the abuse she suffered there.

The Essex Serpent Apple TV+The British Academy Television Awards (BBC One) | iPlayerFergal Keane: Living With PTSD (BBC Two) | iPlayerClark NetflixThere comes a time in every actor’s life when he must unbutton his period drama shirt and smoulder as if his life depends on it. In Apple TV+’s new six-parter The Essex Serpent, based on the historical novel by Sarah Perry, adapted by Anna Symon, directed by Clio Barnard, this duty falls to Tom Hiddleston, but he rather fluffs it.

Tom Hiddleston is dishing on The Essex Serpent!

New Music Friday! It's every audiophile's favorite day of the week, and some of our favorite artists from all different genres have blessed us with new tunes.There was more than one major return in the music world this week, as Kendrick Lamar dropped his long-anticipated new album,, Post Malone shared the first single — a collab with Roddy Ricch -- off of his upcoming fourth studio album, and My Chemical Romance shocked fans with the surprise drop of «The Foundations of Decay,» their first new single in more than seven years!Friday also saw the release of new albums from Florence + The Machine, The Chainsmokers, Mandy Moore and The Black Keys, as well as new tracks from Becky G, Måneskin, Tate McRae, MIKA and more.Read on to check out some of our favorite recommendations for new songs and albums to listen to this week — plus, where you can stream them now!Stream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it now: Apple / SpotifyStream it

bestselling 2016 novel of the same name — the story is set in Victorian-era England and follows Cora Seaborne (Danes), a London widow who has a keen curiosity about science and the natural world (especially paleontology) and loves reading Darwin. After her abusive husband dies, she’s free to pursue the life she wants.

With the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, the NFL is grabbing some headlines today as it reveals the 2022 schedule. Have a look at the primetime and holiday games and some key matchups below (all times Pacific for brevity).

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticThe barest bones of “The Essex Serpent” make up a familiar enough story, whether taking place today or, as this new limited series does, in the late nineteenth century. An ambitious and attractive woman, seeking answers about what she should do next with her life, leaves the big city for a small town, where she meets an equally attractive man and finds that everything is more complicated than it seems.

Period dramas have long been a beloved genre of film and television, consistently indulging audiences in enthralling plots while fulfilling our deepest desires of escapism through lavish costumes and satisfying (yet sometimes frustrating) romances that keep you hooked. Costume dramas don’t seem to be going out of style any time soon, with the popularity of shows like “Bridgerton,” “The Gilded Age,” and “Outlander” serving as proof.

has been renewed for season 2. Now, as anticipation builds for new episodes from the MCU spinoff series, creator Michael Waldron and star Tom Hiddleston talk to ET about “getting the band back together” and peeling back even more layers of the titular mischievous superhero. With production reportedly starting in June, just one year after the series debuted on Disney+, Hiddleston is eager to dive back into the world of the character he’s played since first appearing in 2011’s .“We’re starting very soon.

Adam ChitwoodThe all-star cast of Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and young Joey King really make this movie. It is just the right amount of chaotic with some pretty sweet connections at the end. Cal Weaver (Carell) is floored when his wife of almost 25 years Emily (Moore) blurts out at dinner that she wants to get divorced.

Apple TV+ has made quite the name for itself in the realm of film and television in the last year. Still reveling in their Best Picture win at the Academy Awards, their newest foray into TV is the highly anticipated “The Essex Serpent,” which debuts on Friday, May 13, 2022.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorIn honor of May the 4th, aka Star Wars Day, Apple has released “Behind the Mac: Skywalker Sound.”The short film, which can be viewed on Apple’s YouTube channel, takes viewers behind the scenes at the iconic company that has continuously revolutionized the art of cinematic sound. Directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Becoming Bond,” “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar”), the film follows foley artists, sound designers and mixers at the ranch’s community of creators as they explore the possibilities of sound and share the secrets behind legendary moments from the “Star Wars” universe and beyond.The cast is a lineup of sound royalty, including Al Nelson, André Fenley, Baihui Yang, Bonnie Wild, Chris Scarabosio, Danielle Dupre, Matthew Wood, Randy Thom, Ryan Frias, Shelley Roden and Tom Myers.

, the newest Disney+ Star Wars miniseries,, or the newest retelling of, which swaps glass slippers for sneakers.final episode premiereson Day — aka May 4. But fans won't need to wait too long for the streamer's next series. picks up 10 years after the events of with Obi-Wan still struggling over the betrayal of his best friend and former Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. And after a series of delays, starring Lexi Underwood and Chosen Jacobs, will finally make its grand entrance to Disney+ on May 13. Still not sure on what you should stream next? Keep reading to check out the highlights of what’s new on Disney+ in May, and be sure to check out everything new coming to Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock and more this month.   Oscar Isaac's comes to a close on Wednesday, May 4, also known as  Day.

This week Apple TV+ released an inside-look trailer/featurette for their upcoming series “Shining Girls,” which began streaming on Friday, April 29. Based on the best-selling novel by Lauren Beukes, it follows Kirby Mazrachi (Elizabeth Moss), a newspaper archivist and wannabe journalist recovering from a traumatic assault.

 premieres its first three episodes today on Friday, April 29.  is an eight-episode drama series that stars Emmy-winning Elisabeth Moss as Kirby, a newspaper archivist working at the Chicago Sun-Times in the early '90s. After being brutally assaulted and hearing of a murder with details far too similar to Kirby's own attack, she teams with a colleague to track down the killer. Her pursuit to uncover her assailant takes audiences on a wild, reality-blurring ride you won't want to miss.Watch NowProduced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the Apple TV+ series is rounded out with a star-studded cast, featuring Jamie Bell, Philippa Soo, Wagner Moura, and Amy Brenneman.You can stream the first three episodes of the chilling series now, which the multi-talented Moss not only stars in, but also executive produces. Keep reading to find out how and where you can watch the new streaming series, The eight-episode series is only available on Apple TV+. premieres April 29 with the first three episodes.

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards, Features EditorApple TV+’s new series “The Essex Serpent” isn’t easy to explain in a quick pitch. The drama, led by Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes, grapples with big issues, wrapped in a story of mystery and emotion that examines love in all its forms, the battle between science and faith, and so much more.Nonetheless, Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast asks Hiddleston to give his own synopsis, and he manages to pull it off in 35 seconds — and it’s a pretty good description that even includes the impressive phrase “Gothic opacity.”Hiddleston spoke to the podcast about both “The Essex Serpent” and his earlier turn as the star of Disney+’s Marvel series “Loki,” as well as having a milestone birthday during the pandemic and so much more.

Spring has officially sprung, and with it comes a slew of new and returning TV shows. From the hotly anticipated season premiere of “Stranger Things” to another “Star Wars” series to some new offerings, May is shaping up to be a big TV month.Here are some essential shows to keep in mind.