After removing a plethora of shows, several movies received the axe from Hulu in a historic content purge.
In May 2023, it was reported that Disney was looking to make up for its subscriber loss by taking several steps to address the issue. One of them includes removing a multitude of titles from Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney+ made this surprising move by axing a dozen of its original movies last May 27. Hulu then followed suit by taking out nine notable shows.
Hulu Removes Three More Movies
As part of the historic purge last May 27, Hulu removed three popular movies.
These films were removed to help Disney lessen licensing fees that they were charging Disney+ for including the projects.
The three movies are listed below.
1.) Darby And The Dead
- Average Tomatometer: 54%
- Average Audience Score: 76%
Darby and The Dead revolves around a young girl named Darby Harber who is able to communicate with the dead after a near-death experience.
Following the death of the school's Queen Bee aka Capri, who is portrayed by Moana star Auli'i Cravalho, the character's refusal to go to the afterlife makes things complicated for her and Darby.
Despite a low score from critics, the movie's entertaining plot and the cast's stellar portrayal managed to win over the audience.
Darby and The Dead premiered on Hulu last December 2, 2022.
2.) Rosaline
- Average Tomatometer: 74%
- Average Audience Score: 77%
Rosaline is based on the novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle. The movie features the familiar love story of Romeo and Juliet's forbidden love, but it was told from the point of view of Rosaline, the girl whom Romeo was interested at first before meeting Juliet (she is Rosaline's cousin).
The movie received "generally favorable reviews" from Rotten Tomatoes, mainly due to its interesting story and an incredible performance from its lead star Kaitlyn Dever.
Rosaline premiered on Hulu on October 6, 2022.
3.) The Princess
- Average Tomatometer: 61%
- Average Audience Score: 42%
The Princess revolves around Joey King's risk-taking princess who goes up against her evil sociopath suitor who tries to take over the kingdom and kill her family.
The Hulu original received mixed reviews from fans and critics, and some have speculated that it was largely because of its basic premise and less-than-stellar script. Still, a good chunk of reviews praised King's portrayal of the titular hero.
The Princess premiered on Hulu on July 1, 2022.
Aside from the movies mentioned above, Hulu also included three notable TV specials as part of its content purge.
ABC's Queen Family Sing-Along
ABC's Queen Family Sing-Along was a one-night-only event aired on November 4, 2021. It featured an hour-long performance of Queen hits led by the likes of Adam Lambert, Pentatonix, OneRepublic, Fall Out Boy, and Jojo Siwa.
The Bomber
The Bomber is a documentary that revolves around the inside story of how law enforcement put together the clues and tracked down one of the most dangerous serial bombers in the United States.
Together as One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage – A Soul of a Nation Presentation
Together as One was ABC's first-ever primetime program celebrating the diversity and recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
