The most talked-about show of 2022 is finally coming to the Middle East. Yes, Chef: The Bear, the Chicago-set show about the thrills and stresses of working in a restaurant, will hit Disney+ Middle East on October 5.
The entire first season, which stars Jeremy Allen White (Shameless) as Chef Carmen Berzatto, a hot young chef who takes over the family restaurant after his brother’s untimely death, will stream in its entirety starting on that day.
The Bear, created by ‘Ramy’ alum Christopher Storer, also stars Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. After premiering early in the summer via FX on Hulu in the United States, the show quickly became a cult hit, catapulting its cast to stardom and taking over the internet.
Its even turned its star Jeremy Allen White into menswear icon–and will have you shopping for white t-shirts like never before.
Trust us, The Bear is the best show of the year, and stay tuned to Esquire Middle East for more closer to release.
Want to watch The Bear? Subscribe to Disney+ here or via the Disney+ Middle East app. Keep in mind, this is a separate app and website from the US equivalent, and requires a different account.
Before The Bear, Disney+ Day has some huge drops planned
Want to watch them? Head here to Disney+ Middle East and subscribe, and set a calendar reminder for September 8, which is just around the corner. The Bear is just after that.
While it was misreported otherwise, Thor: Love and Thunder was not banned from release in Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries. The film did in fact release in the UAE without edits.
The film does have some minor references to cultural sensitive subjects, but as it is not aimed at children, it is still permitted for release.
Last month, Esquire Middle East learned that Disney+ would not be releasing anything culturally sensitive on its Middle East platform aimed at children, meaning Pixar’s Lightyear and Disney’s Baymax would not see release.
Releases aimed at older audiences, such as Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will see release on the Disney+ platform, following the explicitly-outlined UAE standard of theatrical release.
Here’s the full line up and descriptions from Disney on the Disney+ releases:
- “Pinocchio” – Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live-action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood-carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman.
- “Cars on the Road” – The Disney+ series follows Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) as they head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. Along the way, every stop is its own adventure, with outrageous roadside attractions and colorful new characters. “Cars on the Road” is produced by Marc Sondheimer. The series’ episodes are directed by Steve Purcell (Eps 1, 2, 8), Bobby Podesta (Eps 5, 6, 9) and Brian Fee (Eps 3, 4, 7). Composer Jake Monaco created the score for all nine episodes.
- “MIKE” – From creator/screenwriter Steven Rogers and the team behind I, Tonya and showrunner Karin Gist, Executive Producer of Our Kind of People, MIKE explores the dynamic and controversial story of Mike Tyson. The 8-episode limited series explores the tumultuous ups and downs of Tyson’s boxing career and personal life – from being a beloved global athlete to a pariah and back again. Focusing the lens on Mike Tyson, the series examines class in America, race in America, fame and the power of media, misogyny, the wealth divide, the promise of the American Dream and ultimately our own role in shaping Mike’s story.
- “Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory”– The face of a new generation of aspirational adventurers and natural history filmmakers, 29-year-old National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory takes viewers on epic and nail-biting journeys that push into the most spectacular and secretive corners of our wild world. Armed with leading-edge film technology, the Disney+ original series “Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory,” from National Geographic, breaks the mold of the traditional natural history program by telling extraordinary, real-life animal stories and taking viewers with him for every beat of the action. For weeks at a time, the charismatic BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer immerses himself into the animals’ lives to capture the untold stories of iconic creatures living in some of the harshest environments on our planet. This season, we will see Bertie braving the icy worlds of Antarctica in search of the biggest gathering of whales ever filmed and coming face-to-face with specialist buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia. In this multipart adventure series, he will take audiences on an ambitious odyssey across the globe, showcasing the natural world at a time when it faces its greatest challenges.
- “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (New episodes streaming Thursdays) -In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. Directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kar Coiro and Jessica Gao.
- “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” – With never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage, colorful personal stories and meaningful moments, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” showcases the making of Lucasfilm’s original limited series for Disney+, “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” an epic story that begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” This insightful documentary from Lucasfilm and Supper Club explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen—and Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their respective classic roles. Director Deborah Chow, cast and crew reflect on their journey to tell a new story with iconic Star Wars characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, while introducing new heroes and villains into the saga along the way. Complete with visits to the creature shop, props department and more, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” features the side of filmmaking that makes Star Wars so unique—the respect and passion for the generation-spanning legacy and the beloved characters.
- “Thor: Love and Thunder” – Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – one of self-discovery. But his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
- “Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder”– Settle in with the likes of Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Tessa Thompson, as they divulge the secrets behind the creation of Thor: Love and Thunder. Through in-depth interviews with cast and crew, along with raw, unseen footage from the set and beyond, ASSEMBLED pulls back the curtain on the God of Thunder’s fourth feature film.
- “Welcome to the Club” (a new short from The Simpsons) – Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.
- “Tierra Incognita” (Original Series Produced in Latin America) – “Tierra Incógnita” follows Eric Dalaras (Pedro Maurizi), a teenager who discovers a hair-raising world while searching for the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his parents eight years before. Raised by his maternal grandparents along with his sister Uma (Mora Fisz), Eric decides to run away from home and go back to his childhood town, Cabo Qwert, to find answers where his parents were last seen: the Tierra Incógnita horror theme park. Together with his friends, his sister and his aunt, Eric must overcome his fears in order to find answers and solve the mystery in a dark and unfamiliar world.
- “Wedding Season” (Original Series Produced in the UK) – Hopeless romantic Stefan meets the charismatic Katie, and despite her engagement to the son of a wealthy property magnate, a whirlwind affair begins over a summer of weddings. Before long, they’re on the run from the law, with Katie the prime suspect in a shocking crime. Can they fend off police, organised criminals and their complicated feelings for one another as they try to clear their names?
Find more on Disney+ Middle East and The Bear here.