Hulu Announces Release Dates for "Under The Bridge," "Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told," and "The Contestant"

Hulu announced premiere dates for Under The Bridge, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, and The Contestant today at the TCA Winter Press Tour.

(Hulu)

What’s Happening:

Hulu’s limited series Under the Bridge will premiere on April 17th with two episodes, with the remaining six releasing individually on subsequent Wednesdays.
The documentary film Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told starts streaming on March 17th on Hulu in the US, Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in select territories.
Another documentary film, The Contestant, starts streaming on May 2nd.
More information about each show can be found below.

About Under the Bridge:

Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. The Hulu limited series takes us into the hidden world of the teenagers accused of the savage murder, revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.
The series stars Lily Gladstone, Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Izzy G., Aiyana Goodfellow, Ezra Faroque Khan with Archie Panjabi, and Riley Keough.
The series was adapted for screen by Quinn Shephard and is executive produced by Samir Mehta, Liz Tigelaar, and Stacey Silverman (Best Day Ever), Shephard, Godfrey, and Tara Duncan. Riley Keough will executive produce with Gina Gammell (Felix Culpa). Geeta Patel will direct the pilot and first as an executive producer on that episode.
The series is produced by ABC Signature.

About Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told:

Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally. What began as a Black college cookout, soon became known for lurid tales of highway hookups and legendary late-night parties that ultimately led to the festival’s downfall. At its height, Freaknik was a traffic stopping, city-shuttering, juggernaut that has since become a cult classic. Rooted deep in its history of Civil Rights, thriving Black leadership, and focus on the uplifting of Black culture and education, Atlanta became the only place a festival like this could grow and thrive. Though it ceased over two decades ago, the infamous legacy still resonates through nostalgia and a new generation’s longing for a care-free platform that celebrates and promotes Black excellence, joy and fortitude.
Featuring appearances by 21 Savage, Lil Jon, Killer Mike, Jalen Rose, Too $hort, Shanti Das, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Erick Sermon, CeeLo Green, Rico Wade, Kenny Burns, and more, the film offers an intimate glimpse into an enduring legacy, while acknowledging the complexities it introduced into the social fabric and leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Atlanta and beyond.
From Mass Appeal in association with Swirl Films, “Freaknik, The Wildest Party Never Told” is executive produced by Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, Jermaine Dupri, 21 Savage, Terry “TR” Ross, Melissa Cooper, Alex Avant and Tresa Sanders. Geraldine L. Porras and P. Frank Williams serve as executive producers with Porras serving as showrunner and Williams as Director. Eric Tomosunas executive produces for Swirl Films and Peter Bittenbender executive produces for Mass Appeal. Swirl films’ Jay Allen and Nikki Byles serve as producers.

About The Contestant:

This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing.
Before the onslaught of reality television in the West, there was an ominous harbinger in Japan of what was to come in our oversharing-obsessed culture. The Contestant traces the experience of aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, who unwittingly became an extreme case study. In 1998, Nasubi thought he was attending an audition when a successful Japanese TV producer, Toshio Tsuchiya, enlisted him to take part in a challenge. Tsuchiya led Nasubi into a room, ordered him to strip naked and left him with a stack of magazines. Nasubi’s task was to fill out contest coupons in order to win what he needed to survive — food, clothing, appliances, etc.— until he reached the prize goal of one million yen. Although Nasubi could have left at any time, he stayed for months with a fierce determination to complete his mission. He was cut off from all contact with his family and the world except for occasional interactions with Tsuchiya. What Nasubi didn’t realize was that his experiences were being broadcast to over 15 million people in a TV show called Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes. Without his knowledge or consent, Nasubi became the most famous television personality in Japan.
While parts of Nasubi’s infamy have been recounted before on YouTube and This American Life, director Clair Titley and producer Megumi Inman bring a revelatory depth of insight by interviewing Nasubi, Tsuchiya, and others close to them. The filmmakers explore further twists in Nasubi’s life after Denpa Shonen to deliver the most WTF story in this year’s documentary selection.
Written and Directed by Clair Titley. Produced by Megumi Inman, Andee Ryder, Ian Bonhôte, Denpa Shonen.
Narrated by Fred Armisen, voice of Nasubi's Diary by Takehiro Hira.
Original Music By Nainita Desai.