iWorld
Hulu goes global as Disney drops Star and overhauls its streaming app
BURBANK: Disney is ditching Star. From 8 October, Hulu—until now available only in America and Japan—will become the entertainment brand for adult content on Disney+ in international markets. The move sets the stage for a full merger of Disney’s streaming apps next year, as the media giant tries to simplify its cluttered digital offering.
The rebrand comes with a sweeping redesign of Disney+. Subscribers will encounter a new “For You” landing page, powered by algorithms that promise to learn viewing habits over time. A navigation bar across the top splits content by service—Disney+, Hulu and ESPN—whilst a “Live” hub corrals news, sports and round-the-clock streams into one place. New badges will flag season finales, fresh series and recently added films.
Behind the scenes, Disney has rebuilt its recommendation engine from scratch. The new system will surface personalised suggestions across the platform, with user profiles made more prominent to keep viewing habits separate. The homepage gets a visual refresh too: a video carousel replaces static images, brand rows showcase the latest releases with cinematic artwork, and the overall design aims for something sleeker and more modern.
Mobile users will see widgets arrive on iOS devices, offering one-tap access to shows and films. Disney promises “mobile-first” features in the coming months, though it has kept details vague. The company describes these changes as merely the opening salvo, with more updates planned before the unified app launches next year.
The timing is no accident. Disney has been haemorrhaging money on streaming—its direct-to-consumer division lost $512m in the most recent quarter—and needs to cut costs whilst growing subscribers. Consolidating brands and improving discovery could help keep viewers hooked, reducing the churn that has plagued the industry. Whether audiences embrace the changes or simply long for the days when finding something to watch wasn’t quite so algorithmic remains to be seen.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
